Revealed: The 10 holiday destinations most commonly used by cybercriminals to lure unsuspecting British holidaymakers – and it’s bad news for people planning a trip to Benidorm

Science
By William
  • Experts analyzed the risky URLs related to several popular holiday destinations
  • Benidorm is associated with the most unreliable links, followed by Berlin and Ibiza

By Shivali Best for Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

With June just around the corner, many Britons will be excitedly making plans for their summer holidays.

But new research could put you off a trip to Benidorm.

McAfee experts have revealed the 10 holiday destinations most commonly used by cybercriminals to lure unsuspecting British holidaymakers.

With the largest number of websites and advertisements offering fake deals, Benidorm tops the list, followed by Berlin and Ibiza.

‘If a deal sounds too good to be true, it’s best not to click; instead, go straight to the source and book with reputable companies,” advises Vonny Gamot, head of EMEA at McAfee.

McAfee experts have revealed the 10 holiday destinations most commonly used by cybercriminals to lure unsuspecting British holidaymakers

With June just around the corner, many Britons will be excitedly making plans for their summer holidays. But new research could put you off a trip to Benidorm

With June just around the corner, many Brits will be excitedly making plans for their summer holidays. But new research could put you off a trip to Benidorm

The 10 most dangerous destinations

  1. Benidorm, Spain
  2. Berlin, Germany
  3. Ibiza, Balearic Islands
  4. Valletta, Malta
  5. Albufeira, Portugal
  6. Bangkok, Thailand
  7. Maldives, South Asia
  8. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  9. New York, USA
  10. Dublin, Ireland

In the study, McAfee analyzed the risky URLs associated with a range of popular holiday destinations.

This included malware threats, phishing or scam content.

Their analysis showed that Benidorm is scammers’ favorite consumer lure, taking over the top spot from Bangkok, which took first place last year.

This is followed by Berlin, Ibiza, Valletta and Albufeira.

Meanwhile, Brits planning trips to Bangkok, the Maldives, Dubai, New York and Dublin should also be wary.

“Staying alert and taking early and proactive steps to manage your security, privacy and online identity is extremely important as we head into the peak summer holiday season,” Ms Gamot said.

“Additionally, with the use of AI, scams are becoming even more sophisticated, making it more difficult for consumers to determine what is real and what is not online.”

Traditionally, misspelled words and poor grammar have been the hallmarks of a scam.

Now Ms Gamot says the main thing to watch out for is the pressure to act quickly.

Their analysis showed that Benidorm is the scammers' favorite lure, taking over the top spot from Bangkok, which took first place last year. This is followed by Berlin (photo), Ibiza, Valletta and Albufeira

Their analysis showed that Benidorm is scammers’ favorite consumer lure, taking over the top spot from Bangkok, which took first place last year. This is followed by Berlin (photo), Ibiza, Valletta and Albufeira

‘Is this your last chance to buy tickets? Is there a ‘big deal’ for just one day?’ she asked.

“Cybercriminals use this tactic to get you if you let your guard down.”

Based on the findings, the researchers are calling on holidaymakers to be vigilant, especially if they book a trip to one of the most ‘dangerous’ destinations.

Ms Gamot added: ‘Pay close attention to any tempting holiday offers online, especially for Benidorm, Berlin and Ibiza, as these are top destinations used by cyber criminals to trick you into divulging personal information or clicking on malware-infected links .’

HOW TO CHECK IF YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS HAS BEEN COMPROMISED

Am I pwned?

Cybersecurity expert and Microsoft regional director Tory Hunt leads ‘Am I pwned’.

The website allows you to check if your email has been compromised as part of any of the data breaches that have occurred.

If your email address appears, you will need to change your password.

Pwned passwords

To check whether your password may have been exposed in a previous data breach, go to the site’s homepage and enter your email address.

The search tool compares this to the details of historical data breaches that have made this information publicly visible.

If your password does appear, you are likely at greater risk of being exposed to hacking attacks, fraud, and other cybercrime.

Mr Hunt built the site to help people check whether or not the password they want to use is on a list of known hacked passwords.

The site does not store your password alongside any personally identifiable information and each password is encrypted

Other safety tips

Hunt offers three easy-to-follow steps for better online security. First, he recommends using a password manager, such as 1Password, to create and store unique passwords for each service you use.

Then enable two-factor authentication. Finally, stay informed of any breaches

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