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1A) During the British winter, the thought of two weeks in a coastal villa ( 别墅 ) with soul-stirring views of the sea and
2a huge pool to enjoy is enough to offset (抵消)the labor until the holidays start. For a growing number of people,
3however, their yearly break is turning into a nightmare as they find that the property they have paid thousands for does
4not exist and the website through which they booked it has disappeared.
5B) Consumers have been warned to be aware of the potential for deception in this market,which is far from uncommon. In
62017 there were 1,632 cases of reported ""villa fraud ( 诈 骗 )“，with victims losing an average of ￡ 2,052, according to
7Action Fraud, the national center for reporting such frauds. "'Millions of pounds are lost each year by defrauded
8holidaym akers,says Sean Tipton of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).
9C) The problem has ballooned in the last 10 years, with frauds becoming more and more sophisticated. The fake websites
10have authentic-sounding names involving a mix of keywords, typically including the place name,“summer", "villas" or
11"rentals”. Details of legitimate (合法的)villas are often stolen from other sites. "When the fraudsters first started it
12was unsophisticated一 the websites looked amateur and there wasn't a lot of
13D) Fraudsters target popular seaside destinations for British tourists visiting Spain where prices can soar if demand
14exceeds supply. Prices are kept within reasonable ranges to avoid arousing suspicion.“A villa might cost ￡ 5,000
15elsewhere and they will offer it at say ￡ 3,500. But a bit of a giveaway is that the villa will be cheaper than on other
16websites and there；‘s unlimited availability,says Tipton. Fraudsters also invest in pay-per-click advertising to feature
17at the top of search engines when people type in
18E) With such a degree of professionalism, how can consumers find out if the website they're looking to book with is
19trustworthy? ”When people book holiday villas they are doing so through rose-colored glasses， ”says Tony Neate, chief
20executive of Get Safe Online, “They should be Googling the property, and looking on websites like Google Maps and
21StreetView to see if it's there. Also, speak to the person you're booking the villa with on a landline phone, as
22fraudsters tend to only use mobiles.^^ He also suggests
23F) Little seems to be known about these fraudsters,“There is no way to definitely know who they are, says Neate.”It
24could be anyone. It could be your next-door neighbor or organized crime in Russia.Action Fraud says people should ensure
25the company renting the villa is a member of a recognized trade body such as ABTA.
26G) “By working with industry partners such as ABTA and Get Safe Online, we are able to issue alerts about the latest
27threats they should be aware of. If you believe you have fallen victim to fraud or cyber-crime, please report it to
28Action Fraud,it adds. ABTA says it is trying to combat the issue by running public awareness campaigns. "It's a growing
29problem and people can't stop fraudsters being dishonest，”says Tipton.“They're still going to do it. It's not impossible
30to stop but as it's internet-based it's harder to pursue.
31H) Nick Cooper, the founder and co-owner of villa booking company Villa Plus, estimates his company has uncovered more
32than 200 fake villa websites over the past two years, and doesn't believe enough is being done. "It is hopeless to
33report fake villa websites to the internet giants who host them,he says. "I found it impossible to speak to anyone.Also,
34once one bank account gets reported, they simply use another.
35I) For now the only way to stop fraudsters appears ultimately to lie in the hands of the consumer. "When people book
36their holidays they get so emotionally involved, and when they find that villa at a good price with availability in peak
37season, they are an easy target，”says Cooper.“The public has to learn to be far more aware they are a target for these
38sort of frauds.^^ But it's not just the financial cost. "A family will turn up at a villa and find out it doesn't exist
39or the owner doesn't know who you are, says
40J) Carla O9Shaughnessy from Sydenham was searching last year for a good deal to book a villa in Majorca for a summer
41break for the family. was comparing prices online and found one that came in a bit cheaper than others,says
42O9Shaughnessy. She emailed the company via its website, asking how far the villa was from the airport and about local
43restaurants. "They came back with believable answers; it was all very friendly and
44K) “I tried logging on to the website and couldn't," she recalls. "I Googled the agent's name and there were lots of
45complaints about him being a fraudster. If only I'd Googled before but I never thought of it." Although she found
46another villa in time for their holiday, she admits she was much more cautious.“I paid through a secure third-party site
47and had phone conversations with the agent. But I wasn't able to relax until we turned up and I had the keys.”
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