Every year more than two million Muslims celebrate Hajj by making the pilgrimage to Mecca in what is the world’s biggest annual gathering of people. Within this mass of humanity are thousands of UK citizens, many of whom will have saved for years in the knowledge that, for them, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip. […]
Category: Latest Fraud News
Bribery scandal: British Airways employee accused of visa fraud
In the British visa scandal, a British Airways employee at Heathrow Airport in London has been accused of accepting bribes of £25,000 from individuals applying for visas. Over the course of five years, he earned over £3 million (approximately 3.5 million euros) in this manner, as reported by Rzeczpospolita. Similar to the Polish visa scandal, […]
Warnings issued as £12.3m lost to holiday scams in 2023
Consumers are being urged to be “wise to fraudsters” as new figures reveal that victims of fraud lost £12.3 million to holiday scammers last year. Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting service, has partnered with Abta and the Civil Aviation Authority to caution holidaymakers about fraudulent bookings. Their new campaign offers consumers advice […]
Advantage members to receive free access to fraud protection platform
The Advantage Travel Partnership is providing its members with free access to a platform designed to protect them from fraud. The initiative comes two months after the consortium announced it had partnered with anti-fraud group Profit, and aims to help protect against various types of fraud by sharing details of fraudulent activity, including card payment […]
Updates made to industry’s intelligence database of fraudsters
Travel agents will be able to report and search for bogus websites following updates to the industry’s only intelligence database of fraudsters. The Travel Industry Intelligence Hub, a web-based encrypted database of confirmed fraudsters, has negotiated for agents to have access to domain name suppliers via a reporting system called Domain Trust. The agreement means […]
Insurance fraud clampdown coincides with October half-term holidays
Consumers are being warned not to be tempted to make fraudulent travel insurance claims in a crackdown by authorities. Concerns have been raised by the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) and City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) that more people could be tempted to turn to fraud to make up for shortfalls from […]
Action Fraud urge holiday makers to watch out for fraudsters online
Sun seekers looking to book their summer getaway are being warned to look out for fraudulent deals, as new data released today shows victims lost a staggering £12.3 million to holiday fraud last year. Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting service, has launched a holiday fraud campaign ahead of the summer months, […]
Advantage backs police holiday fraud crackdown
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is mobilising a crackdown on holiday fraud during peaks. A week of action by the force’s economic crime unit is running until February 5, with a warning of arrests and action. Six victims of holiday fraud were reported in the Greater Manchester area last week, with the average loss of £650. […]
Travel agent jailed for defrauding customers to fund lavish lifestyle
A travel agent who stole money from friends, family and hundreds of members of the public who bought holidays from her, has today been jailed. Lyne Barlow, aged 39, formerly of Stanley, County Durham, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment at Durham Crown Court on 3 February 2023. The defendant pleaded guilty to the theft […]
Pilot jailed after lying about experience to get a job with British Airways..
Craig Butfoy, of Matfield, Kent, was sentenced to 12 months behind bars following a hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London on Monday (28 March). He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to four counts of fraud, one count of knowingly making false entries in a logbook and one count of intentionally altering a logbook. […]
Has the pandemic affected cybercrime?
It’s safe to say the pandemic was a bit of a shock to the system but many of us quickly adjusted balancing our personal lives with having to work remotely. And there was a plus side – remote working took away the stress of long commutes, working hours became a lot more flexible, and we […]
Goldtrail Travel liquidators set to pay creditors by April
The Goldtrail Travel liquidation should finally end in April after almost 12 years, with the PwC liquidators notifying creditors to submit outstanding claims by February 14. A ‘final dividend’ will be paid within two months of that date, ending a process which began when Atol-holder Goldtrail entered voluntary liquidation in July 2010. The failure cost […]
Cyberattacks on the rise as skills shortage sees law firms made easy target
Law firms, accountants, and consultancies are becoming an easy target for cyberattacks, as they lack the IT skills to protect themselves. Almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of IT experts working in professional services companies said they believe their firms are facing a shortage of cybersecurity skills, according to a report from cybersecurity company Keeper. In […]
UK loses £2.5bn in fraud and cyber-crime cases during 2021
UK residents and businesses have seen financial losses of £2.5bn from fraud and cyber-crime over the course of the past year, a new study reveals. Research by leading chargeback firm and online trading scam specialists Payback analysed data drawn from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) to reveal that the UK has reported almost 500,000 […]
Travel businesses targeted with online cookies scam
An anti-fraud organisation has issued a plea for information as it investigates what it fears could be a widespread attempt to extort money from travel companies in an online cookies scam. The Prevention of Fraud in Travel (Profit) group has received several reports of travel businesses receiving letters warning their websites’ usage of cookies is […]
Fake Covid vaccine and test certificate market is growing
More than 1,200 vendors operating in the UK and worldwide, offering false documents for as little as £25. A hidden pandemic market advertising fake COVID vaccine and test certificates for as little as £25 has grown exponentially, with more than 1,200 vendors in the UK and worldwide, researchers have found. After UK ministers announced the […]
Marriott files lawsuit against scammers
Marriott International filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday in Virginia against the “unknown perpetrators” (John Does) behind a spate of robocalls using the chain’s name. The suit claims scammers are using Marriott’s brand for their own commercial gain in violation of state and federal laws. Marriott said in a release that it will aggressively pursue […]
Personal data exposed by booking software glitch
Customers of Hotels.com, Booking.com, Expedia and other major booking sites have reportedly had their personal data exposed. Security experts at Website Planet outlined in a report how data from millions of hotel guests globally was exposed via third-party service Prestige Software which provides automated booking solutions to major travel brands. It said data was exposed […]
Agents report spate of fraudulent booking enquiries
Agents fear fraudsters are targeting the trade after a raft of bookings and enquiries for high-value, lastminute holidays in recent weeks. Independent agents, particularly in the northwest of England, have reported suspicious enquiries for flights to Turkey and Dubai and five-star accommodation for five nights with just two or three days’ notice. One agency, which […]
Warning over COVID-19 flight cancellation claims
Holidaymakers are being warned about a rise in flight cancellation compensation scams following the COVID-19 crisis. Claims management firms that once targeted PPI (Payment Protection Insurance) mis-selling have turned their sights on flight delays and cancellations. They purport to offer a “no win, no fee” services online allowing airline customers the chance to check whether […]