The rise of fake days out on social media (and how to protect yourself)

Whether you’re searching your social media feed to get inspiration for a day out, or simply stumble upon an enticing event, some dreamy imagery can stop you mid-scroll.

One video on Threads showed a reporter with a scenic mountain backdrop interviewing people queuing in front of a new cable car ride. That was enough to convince an elderly couple on holiday in Thailand to travel more than 200 miles out of their way to experience it. Unfortunately, Kuak Skyride doesn’t exist, nor did the crowds or even the reporter. 

The video was created anonymously using AI and then promoted via social media channels to generate revenue each time it’s clicked.

This is part of a growing trend on social media of days out and attractions that sell a complete fantasy. It could be a hot air balloon festival in your nearest national park, a candlelit concert in a country estate that’s never been open to the public before, or a hidden hot spring in your next holiday destination. 

And you’ll need to have your wits about you to distinguish fake AI-generated content from real-world attractions.

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The pop-up at Buckingham Palace

It can be an expensive mistake if you do fall for a fake. Royal Family fan Vathoulla was thrilled when an image of a Christmas tree and festoon-lit stalls outside Buckingham Palace popped up in her Instagram feed. 

The post claimed that the King’s residence would be hosting its first-ever Christmas market pop-up. Vathoulla and her sister paid for pricey train tickets to London, but when they arrived, there was no Christmas market. She asked an assistant at the souvenir shop in the Royal Mews where to find the market and was told she wasn’t the first person to have fallen for the ad. When Vathoulla left the shop, she heard another visitor repeat the same query.

As with the Kuak skyride, it’s not clear who created the original post seen on social media. It was posted on several Instagram accounts and widely picked up via london.travelers, which has 2.5 million followers. Although london.travelers later deleted the post, it had already spread at the speed of a share button. We approached london.travelers for comment, but it didn’t respond.

So why are there so many fake days out suddenly on social media? Sometimes, they're created on purpose. When you can earn from £100 per post as an influencer with 1,000 to 10,000 followers (known as a nano-influencer) to £18,000 per post if you’re a mega influencer with more than 1 million followers, any content that mines engagement is valuable. Depending on your business model, you can earn revenue from affiliate purchases (where a person clicks on a link you’ve posted and goes on to make a purchase) or get paid per click. And, as AI adoption grows, it promises creators quick and easy content they can publish in minutes. 

At other times, AI simply ‘hallucinates’ events and attractions. That’s where AI is prompted to create a certain type of content but then perceives patterns that don’t exist and creates inaccurate or nonsensical outputs. Companies and influencers then post or promote this content without checking it first.

Whether a creator intentionally shares fake content or is unwittingly duped by AI, this quest for likes and shares without fact-checking helps misinformation surge. Those clicks, and even the comments warning viewers that a post is fake contribute to the algorithm and boost their social media presence – and their revenue. At best, a creator’s lack of care around AI-generated content is rewarded, and at worst it can be exploited by scammers.

Fraudulent AI

Scams on social media channels targeting days out and events are a real problem too. Scammers duplicate social media pages of legitimate events or organisations to hijack their ticket sales.

Events popular with scammers include lantern or hot air balloon festivals featuring breathtaking AI imagery. Tickets are sold but there is no event. And watch out for ‘Ghost’ craft fairs and ‘secret venue’ film screenings and concerts that promise to reveal the top-secret location on the day of the event, only after you’ve bought tickets. 

How to identify fake or AI-generated social media posts

• Fantastical photos. Be wary of flawless images and look out for AI glitches such as extra fingers, merged objects or nonsensical text on signs. Do a reverse image search to find the original source. Double-check logos are correct and in official colours and style.
• On videos, unnatural movements and voices that don’t match the person speaking can be a dead giveaway.
• Unofficial channels. Pay attention to the web address and branding to ensure it’s the legitimate site. Stick to the official website to buy tickets.
• Comments and likes. There may be a low number of likes for the page. Comments are often turned off or there are lots of positive bot reviews with similar wording.
• Location. If there’s no specific address listed but just a vague description, such as ‘central Birmingham’, that’s a red flag, as is having incorrect contact details on the ’About’ page.
• Price and urgency. A very low price or claims of ‘only a few remaining’ are also warning signs to watch out for.

How to buy tickets safely

To protect your money when buying tickets, the UK’s cybercrime reporting centre, Report Fraud, has some general advice. Check the venue's official website to confirm the event is really taking place, and only buy tickets directly from the box office or reputable ticketing sites. 

Never pay for tickets by bank transfer, and use your credit card or PayPal to give yourself a better chance of claiming your money back if you’re a victim of fraud. 

When using a credit card, small amounts can be recovered via chargeback, and purchases over £100 are protected by Section 75.

Where to report fake event adverts

If you spot a misleading advert for a fake event or attraction on Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram or Threads), you can click the three dots in the feed and ‘Report ad’ or search for the company and its advert via the Meta Ad Library. TikTok and X have their own in-app reporting tools. You can also complain about an advert to the Advertising Standards Authority and flag a ticketing scam to Report Fraud.

This article appeared in May/June 2026 issue of Which? Travel