4pm 09.10.07 - HOLIDAYMAKERS in North Somerset are being warned about a scam which could end up costing them thousands of pounds.

HOLIDAYMAKERS in North Somerset are being warned about a scam which could end up costing them thousands of pounds.

Touts have been targeting tourists by selling them scratchcards.

The card they give out will always be a winner, but to collect a prize the consumer will be required to attend a lengthy presentation, at which they may be pressured into signing a contract to join an exclusive club.

Those who have joined up will eventually discover all they have bought is little more than access to an internet booking service, normally after they have spent thousands of pounds.

The warning, issued by the Office of Fair Trading and North Somerset Council, concerns schemes usually discovered in resorts such as Tenerife, Costa del Sol and Gran Canaria.

To fight back against the scammers, officers from the OFT will hand out fake holiday club scratchcards at Bristol International airport tomorrow, which have the warning written on them.