Tourists defrauded by Facebook holiday cabin scam leading to fake National Park vicarage booking

Summary

Tourists who fell victim to a Facebook holiday cabin scam arrived at the North York Moors National Park headquarters in Helmsley, expecting to find a cabin. The scam involved a fake website offering a half-price stay with a postcode matching the National Park’s offices but using the name of a real cabin elsewhere in the country. Victims were directed to the National Park’s Grade II-listed former vicarage after booking through the fraudulent site. Amy Bennett from West Yorkshire discovered the scam after receiving a confirmation email listing a non-existent address on Runway Hollow Lane. The genuine cabin owner confirmed the scam had been ongoing since May, with fraudsters using stolen images and domain name variations to mimic their business. Additionally, the National Park reported a QR code scam in car parks, where fake "pay by phone" stickers were placed on signage, directing users to fraudulent websites.