Consumers and online retailers in the UK and Europe need to be on high alert as online fraud is expected to be out in force during the Christmas season. According to research by global payments company ACI Worldwide, eCommerce retailers in Europe can expect an 11 per cent rise in fraudulent activity during the upcoming […]
Month: November 2016
UK retailers facing one million fraud attempts per day
The UK’s retailers have been warned to brace themselves for a barrage of fraud attempts this busy festive shopping season, with estimates claiming they’ll be hit by one million attacks each day. Fraud prevention firm ThreatMetrix made the call based on data collected by its Digital Identity Network – which checks over 20 billion annual […]
Bogus Blackburn travel agent
An alleged fraudster who ran an online flight booking business left a bride-to-be on the way to her wedding stranded at an airport, a court heard. Khalid Chudhry said he would provide victim Esther Adekanmbi with flights to Lagos in Nigeria, a jury was told. But after paying an initial deposit, Preston Crown Court heard […]
WhatsApp free flights scam
Users of the online messaging service Whatsapp are being targeted by scammers pretending to offer them the chance to win two free flights on Emirates. Prevention of Fraud in Travel (PROFIT) said users are invited to fill out a ‘fast survey’ in order to win the tickets on the Dubai-based carrier. The link in the […]
New airline scam promises free Emirates flight tickets
Year-end celebrations are close and many people are looking to book their plane tickets to visit relatives and friends. As expected, cybercriminals are looking to exploit users over the festive period – social engineering techniques are frequent over the holidays, as demonstrated by a scam that is promising people free flight tickets. What is the […]
Tesco Bank customers at risk of further fraud attacks
The UK’s official online safety group has warned Tesco Bank customers that fraudsters may launch further attempts to steal money and bank details in the wake of one of the largest cyber attacks on a bank in history. Get Safe Online said customers should be alert for phone calls, emails and other messages from criminals […]
Teenagers caught up in card fraud investigation
An international swoop on payment card fraudsters – or ‘carders’ – has resulted in the arrest of 15 suspects in Canada, Finland, Spain and the UK including an 18-year-old man in Birmingham. Two teenagers aged 15 and 16 were also questioned by police in connection with the investigation. At the same time that police were […]
Bogus illness claims firm
A travel firm is reported to have used spies to catch a claims management company encouraging holidaymakers in Benidorm to make bogus allegations that they fell ill. The investigation comes as some resorts have seen a 400% increase in claims made against them, many generated by legal firms who advertise on social media sites such […]
Warning about fraudulent holiday sickness claims
The Foreign Office is warning holidaymakers of the increasing number of claims companies targeting Britons in resorts in Spain and encouraging them to make false insurance claims regarding holiday sickness. In an amendment to its travel advice for Spain, the Foreign Office warned that fraudulent insurance claims are illegal and could land holidaymakers in prison. […]
Travelport to launch new fraud screening product
Travelport VP Global Travel Solutions Alexandra Fitzpatrick, at the CAPA Asia Corporate Travel Summit, stated (15-Nov-2016) Travelport has several payment product launches planned for 2017. “We are planning to release a number of products in 2017 – starting out with the corporate right through to the airline,” she said. Ms Fitzpatrick said some of the […]
Airline scam promising free Emirates flights
WhatsApp users are being warned of a viral scam that is currently going around. The scam offers users two free Emirates flight tickets if that fill out a “fast survey”. The link in the WhatsApp message appears to direct people to the Emirates website. However, this is not true – those who click on the […]
Leader must rise above this disturbing debate
Most recently, Advantage took the lead on speaking out about fraud in our industry, and together with other like-minded organisations there is now a collective approach working with fraud specialist Profit (Prevention of Fraud in Travel) on creating a watch list in an attempt to combat fraudsters taking advantage of loopholes that may currently exist. […]
Abta demands action after rise in sickness claims
An “alarming” rise in gastric illness compensation claims made through UK claims management companies has prompted Abta to call for action from government. The issue has been raised with officials from the Ministry of Justice to highlight the growing problem. Evidence compiled by Abta points towards an increase in the travel-related activities of claims management […]
Forged rail tickets sold on dark web
Forged rail tickets are being sold on a hidden part of the internet and being used at stations without detection, an undercover BBC investigation has found. They can be bought for a fraction of the genuine fare on the “dark web”, using the virtual currency Bitcoin. BBC South East bought a first class fare from […]
Hoteliers vow action against fraudulent claims
The consumer group Which? has criticised some of Britain’s biggest banks for failing to invest in security systems that would better protect their customers from fraudsters. Against a backdrop of booming bank fraud, Which? tested the UK’s 11 biggest banks and building societies and found that the security at five of them was still not […]
Banks’ online security is failing customers
The consumer group Which? has criticised some of Britain’s biggest banks for failing to invest in security systems that would better protect their customers from fraudsters. Against a backdrop of booming bank fraud, Which? tested the UK’s 11 biggest banks and building societies and found that the security at five of them was still not […]
Police detain nearly 200 suspects at airports around globe
One hundred and ninety-three suspects have been detained over a five-day period at airports around the globe as part of a crackdown on fraudulently purchased airline tickets. The suspects booked flights using stolen, compromised or fake credit card details, allowing them to travel anonymously, according to a statement released by the Europol policing agency on […]
Online fraud costs UK £10.9bn a year
Annual fraud and cybercrime losses in the UK have grown to the equivalent of £210 per adult, according to research. A total of £10.9bn was lost to the UK economy in the 12 months to April, prevention group Get Safe Online said. Fraudulent emails and messages directing people to websites that gather victims’ personal information […]
UK Financial Fraud Nears £400 Million
Financial fraud in the first half of the year reached £399.5 million and was driven mainly by online attacks, according to Financial Fraud Action UK. The latest stats show an increase in fraud by 25% on the same period last year, when total losses stood at a little over £320 million. Remote purchase fraud, which […]