Woman scammed of £900 after Ryanair rain complaint

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 3 Nov, 09:31 · Archive

Sharon Morrell lost £900 to fraudsters posing as Ryanair after complaining online about wet seats on a flight.

Sharon Morrell, a 48-year-old bus driver, was scammed out of £900 after fraudsters posing as Ryanair staff contacted her following a complaint about wet seats on a flight. She had booked a four-night package holiday from Bristol to Palma, Majorca for herself, her husband and two children on 24 October. Heavy rain poured into the cabin before takeoff, leaving 11 seats near the open aircraft door sitting in puddles.

Mrs Morrell said the seats on both sides of the plane and those behind were soaking wet, with about an inch of water pooled in them. Cabin crew handed passengers paper towels from the toilet to mop up the water themselves before departure, she claimed. She told staff the situation was unacceptable but was told to be seated so boarding could proceed.

After arriving in Majorca, Mrs Morrell shared her frustration on social media. Shortly afterwards, an unknown caller rang her claiming to represent the airline's compensation team. The caller offered what appeared to be compensation, but the interaction resulted in Mrs Morrell losing £900. She had expected to receive £400 in legitimate compensation from Ryanair but instead fell victim to the scam.

The incident highlights how holidaymakers who make legitimate complaints online may become targets for fraud. Scammers monitor social media for dissatisfied airline passengers and contact them directly, impersonating company representatives to extract payment or financial details under the guise of processing compensation claims.

How it is being reported

• Holidaymaker's horror as 'refund' from Ryanair turned out to be £900 scamA holidaymaker who complained online about rain-soaked seats on a Ryanair flight was scammed out of £900 after fraudsters offered fake compensation.News & Star · 3 Nov, 09:07
• Holidaymaker's horror as 'refund' from Ryanair turned out to be £900 scamA holidaymaker who complained online about rain-soaked seats on a Ryanair flight was scammed out of £900 after fraudsters offered fake compensation.NW Evening Mail · 3 Nov, 09:07
• Holidaymaker's horror as 'refund' from Ryanair turned out to be £900 scamA holidaymaker who complained online about rain-soaked seats on a Ryanair flight was scammed out of £900 after fraudsters offered fake compensation.Whitehaven News · 3 Nov, 09:07
• Holidaymaker's horror as 'refund' from Ryanair turned out to be £900 scamA holidaymaker who complained online about rain-soaked seats on a Ryanair flight was scammed out of £900 after fraudsters offered fake compensation.Westmorland Gazette · 3 Nov, 09:07

In this story: Sharon Morrell · Ryanair · Bristol · Palma, Majorca

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log