National Park's HQ used in fake holiday cabin scam

A number of tourists turned up at a National Park's head office expecting to find a holiday cabin after falling victim to a Facebook scam.

The North York Moors National Park Authority confirmed that those targeted by the booking fraud were directed to their headquarters in Helmsley instead of genuine accommodation.

The fake website offered people a half-price stay in a holiday cabin with the postcode of the park offices, but uses the name of a real cabin based elsewhere in the country.

National Park staff received several calls and emails from victims of the scam and some customers even travelled to the Grade II-listed former vicarage.

The authority's Nina Beadle said: "We've had several emails and phone calls from people who had booked, and wanted to check the address.

"Someone turned up last week who had booked a couple of days, and the postcode brings you to our head office."

Amy Bennett, from Heckmondwike in West Yorkshire, booked a trip to the cabin after she saw an advert offering it at half-price on a Facebook reel.

"I realised something was wrong as soon as I received the confirmation email as it listed details on the site which just didn't match what I was expecting," Ms Bennett said.

"I researched a bit further and the address didn't exist, so I contacted my bank within 10 minutes of booking."

In her confirmation email, Ms Bennett was told the accommodation was located on Runway Hollow Lane, near Upper Flixton, North Yorkshire Moors - a street and village which do not exist.

Ms Bennett said she was initially denied a refund by her bank, who told her to contact the holiday company directly. She disputed this and sent information on the scam, and was then refunded the money.

The owner of the company that owns the genuine cabin said the scam had been going on since May.

Fin Broadbent, director of The Wilding Airfield near Peterborough, added: "It seems to be one operator who has stolen our images and opened a number of fraudulent websites using domain name variations on the theme of our business name.

"They are using sponsored adverts across Facebook and Instagram to access their target audience."

Mr Broadbent said the company had been receiving numerous calls per week from people who had been scammed.

"We are getting two to three people contact us every week since early May who are either making us aware of the scam, or who have made a booking and realised their situation," he said.

"We really sympathise with everyone being defrauded and very much hope that someone is able to stop the individuals in their criminal activity."

The North York Moors National Park said its visitors had also been targeted by a QR code scam at authority-run car parks.

Fraudsters attached fake "pay by phone" stickers to signs and machines in locations such as Newton under Roseberry, Grosmont and Goathland.

"Last week, one of our car park wardens noticed something didn't look right with one of our car parking signs," said Ms Beadle.

"After checking other locations, she spotted that a QR code had been stuck over the logo that usually appears in that space, and on scanning the code, realised this was a scam.

"In one case, a fraudulent QR code was replaced within 24 hours of the first sticker being removed.

"The fraudulent stickers are professionally made and appear to have been carefully designed to specifically target the National Park's signage."

Ms Beadle urged visitors to pay at the car park machines, or double-check where a QR code directs to before entering any personal information.

"If something doesn't look quite right - perhaps a QR code that seems out of place or isn't referenced elsewhere on the signage - don't use it.

"Always visit the genuine Pay by Phone website from your browser, or download the Pay by Phone app direct from your phone's app store."

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