Tourists flying to Spain and other popular destinations are being warned about holiday club scams which cheat UK visitors out of millions of pounds every year.

The scam begins when holidaymakers are stopped by touts offering scratchcard 'prizes' which turn out to be nothing more than a trip to a lengthy sales presentation, and the chance to pay thousands of pounds for membership of a bogus holiday club.

After parting with their money, consumers often find they have bought little more than access to an internet booking service offering the same service they could have got from a High Street travel agent, say Moray Council trading standards officers.

Victims are losing an average of £3,000.

There is also a warning for timeshare owners who receive unsolicited phone calls offering to advertise or sell their timeshare.

The callers are often based abroad and state that they have a client interested in buying the timeshare period.

The price quoted is often far higher than the timeshare valuation and the caller requires an upfront fee, usually £800 to £1,200, which may be 'redeemed' on completion of the timeshare sale.

But the reality is that the sale often fails to materialise and return of the deposit is refused.

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