Schoolteacher Catriona Morgan thought she was booking a getaway in Donegal, Ireland, but soon realised she was being conned and has now warned others to watch out for similar issues

A mum has issued a stark warning to holiday makers hoping to head to Ireland after losing £250 in an elaborate Facebook scam.

Schoolteacher Catriona Morgan thought she was putting the money down as a deposit for a week long stay in a Donegal holiday home with a hot tub after coming across an ad on Facebook Marketplace.

The Derry native thought she had found a “good deal” and was hoping for a “much-needed family break” after her brother, sister-in-law and their children moved to Derry from Australia.

But she now believes she was scammed by a “proper sociopath”.

The supposed owner, who is continuing to market the same property online, has yet to be formally identified, reports BelfastLive.

When Catriona got in touch he told her it was his parent’s home who could not use it this summer after his father had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment.

Catriona said everything seem “real” until April 1 when her husband had noticed another Facebook post.

“I thought my husband was joking initially because it was April Fools Day but that’s when he alerted me to someone who had found themselves…