Summer Safari Waterpark 'may be a scam'

Suspicion is growing that a widely-publicised series of waterpark events may turn out to be a scam.

The Summer Safari Waterpark UK Facebook page claims that it will be offering visitors 'water rides and slides, water coasters, rapids, flumes, a mini beach, a splash-zone, bumper boats and much more!'

It will be touring up to 30 cities across the UK, it says, adding that locations and dates will be announced when councils have given licences.

However, several councils where the events have been advertised say they haven't received any application.

"The council have received nothing from this group claiming to be bringing a water park to Manchester," Pat Karney of Manchester City Council tells the Manchester Evening News. "They would certainly need a licence for this."

Similarly, Liverpool City Council tells the Liverpool Echo that it's heard nothing about the event. "We advise people not to give any personal details - and certainly not to send any money - for something which has no confirmed details on location or dates," a council spokesperson says.

And there's no phone number, company name or address on the event's websites, raising concern that it may be a fraud. Many of the Facebook pages for individual events have been taken down.

If, at is seems, the event is a fake, it's the second one to have been unmasked this year. It recently emerged that a 'Total Wipeout tour' based on the popular TV series was also a scam.

In both cases, the aim is likely to be to collect the personal data of people signing up, which can then be sold on to fraudsters and spammers.

"It hasn't been confirmed yet whether [the Summer Safari Waterpark] is a scam. However, there are warning signs that indicate when a Facebook event could be a scam - like if they don't provide any contact details, a specific company name, or there isn't a web page to visit to find out more information," Tony Neate, chief executive officer at Get Safe Online, tells the BBC.

"It's always best to hold off until an event has been confirmed legitimate before engaging with it, and you should never share personal details with any company or person you don't know."