A LLYN holiday company is warning other businesses in the area of an online scam which almost left them hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

The holiday business, which does not wish to be named, lets out a self-catering property in the Abersoch area and was recently contacted by a couple, claiming to be from America, wanting to make a booking for a week’s stay.

However, it was discovered that the booking being made was a scam which is currently being investigated by ActionFraud, and could have cost the business hundreds of pounds and a loss of business for a busy week in July.

They said: “We were contacted by a Nicolas Brown, who supposedly lives in America, wanting to book our holiday property.

“We were a little suspicious as they were a couple but wanted to book a house that sleeps eight people, but they were very keen and said his company, which is in Europe, will be paying his expenses and they would be sending a Euro cheque to us to cover their holiday.

“He also said the cheque would be more than our rental price and could we forward the extra on to his travel agent to take out their expenses.”

The property owners were then asked to take out their fee from the cheque and forward an amount to cover his travelling expenses to a travel agent.

However, the scam meant that on the owner’s bank statement it looked as if the cheque had cleared, but it then became clear the cheque had bounced.

See the full story in this week’s Arfon/Dwyfor edition of the Cambrian News