Nearly a third (32%) of people would rush into booking a holiday to make sure they got a “deal” without making checks first, potentially leaving them vulnerable to scammers, a survey has found.

While booking and travel agents and airline websites remain the most popular places to look for a holiday, one in seven (14%) people search social media websites for breaks, the research for Nationwide Building Society found.

The survey also found that 44% of people said they do undertake research after seeing a limited-time offer online.

Nationwide is encouraging any customers concerned about a purchase to use its scam checker service before making any payment. It is available in branch or by calling a 24/7 freephone number (0800 030 4057).

If the payment goes ahead and the customer is subsequently scammed, unless Nationwide told the customer not to proceed, they will be fully reimbursed.

That age-old adage of 'if it looks too good to be true, it probably is' most certainly applies with holidays

The society said holidaymakers should check for Abta or Atol protection and be careful how they pay.

Jim Winters, Nationwide’s director of economic crime, said: “That age-old adage of ‘if it looks too good to be true, it probably is’ most certainly applies with holidays – do your research and if in doubt get support.

“Our scam checker service is completely free and for the sake of a few minutes on the telephone it could mean you’re not getting conned out of your hard-earned money and deserved time away.”

Censuswide surveyed more than 2,000 people across the UK in December 2023 and January 2024.