Police warn scammers are targeting Scots holidaymakers affected by Thomas Cook's collapse

People are being warned to beware of scammers targeting those affected by the collapse of Thomas Cook.

Scammers have been targeting people left in difficulty by Thomas Cook's collapse

MPs heard fraudsters claim to be offering refunds to people who have lost money from the cancellation of flights and holidays with Thomas Cook, and have also been targeting others who have never been customers of the company.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps branded the fraudulent activity "absolutely disgusting", adding the Government had put messages out warning people to be aware of any scams.

Mr Shapps said: "I was made aware of this yesterday. It's absolutely disgusting that that can happen at this time.

"We've put messages back through the OWL (Online Watch Link) system ... which is the system that emails people, neighbourhood watch, to be on the lookout for these sort of scams.

"I mean obviously for someone that didn't even have a holiday booked it's absolutely ridiculous."

Police Scotland has also warned members of the public to be on their guard following concerns about cold calls involving refunds in relation to the liquidation of travel firm Thomas Cook.

Inspector Coleen Wylie said: “If you’ve been affected by the Thomas Cook liquidation, be aware that scammers may use this as an opportunity to target you. Be vigilant of unsolicited calls, texts or social media messages, asking for your personal or financial details, and don’t automatically click on the links in unexpected emails.“Remember, legitimate organisations will never contact you out of the blue and ask for your financial details, such as your PIN, banking passwords or card details. If you receive a call you are not expecting, hang up and contact the company directly using a known email or phone number.“Any victims of such crimes, or anyone with any concerns can contact their local police station via 101."

Labour MP Paula Sherriff said one of her constituents had been approached by a scam company posing as Thomas Cook in an attempt to gain access to her credit card details in the wake of the company's collapse.

The Dewsbury MP said: "I am aware of a small number of others, who have been contacted by a person purporting to be someone responsible for refunds on behalf of the Thomas Cook group, asking for their details."

The charity Which? said it had heard "worrying stories" about criminals posing as refund agents for the failed travel agent following the firm's collapse on Monday.

It urged anyone looking to claim back the cost of their flights to contact their bank directly.

Adam French, Which? consumer rights expert, said: "We've heard worrying stories of criminals trying to scam people affected by the collapse of Thomas Cook, so while the messages being sent by some banks might be well-meaning, this flawed approach will only be adding to the confusion customers are facing.

"Our advice is to ignore unsolicited calls and texts, and avoid sharing your card or bank details. Anyone looking to claim back the cost of their flight through their debit or credit card provider should contact their bank directly themselves."

One Twitter user posted that a friend had received a call from a "Thomas Cook refund agent" that just needed their card details.

David Wilding said: "Just seen this from a friend - lowlife scum are now trying to scam o the back of the Thomas Cook collapse ... [sic]"

Mr Shapps also defended the Government's decision not to bail out Thomas Cook, saying it risked throwing "good money away after bad".

He told MPs: "I have seen it suggested in the papers that the Government should have avoided the collapse with a bailout of up to £250 million.

"Given the perilous state of the business, including the company's own reported £1.5 billion half-year loss reported in May followed by a further profit warning in November, this was simply not the case, with no guarantee that an injection would have secured the future of the company.

"Our concern was we would put £250m at risk and throw away good money after bad then still have to pay the cost of this repatriation."

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it had completed more than 130 flights on Monday and Tuesday, returning almost 30,000 people back to the UK, with 95 per cent flying back on the day of their original Thomas Cook flight.

It added that it was working "around the clock" to bring an estimated 120,000 passengers back to the UK, with 70 flights with seats for 16,500 people planned for today.