Ms Shek, a single mother from Lingfield in Surrey, said she had spoken on the phone to a man who said he owned the property.
She asked to see his ID and a utility bill for the property, which he provided, before she paid a deposit, with the rest to be paid on arrival.
Then closer to the time of the holiday, she said the man stopped responding to her messages.
“I suddenly died inside, because we had a week to go and we had nowhere booked.
“My heart sunk and I just felt so disappointed with myself. It was the fact I had fallen victim to a scam.”
Natasha reported what had happened to the police, and managed to get her money back from her bank, before booking alternative accommodation.
But, holiday scams can be a lucrative industry for fraudsters, experts say.
