A few weeks ago I booked an apartment for a long weekend on Ibiza for myself and some friends through Airbnb’s website. I had heard about people being scammed by paying direct so I only communicated with the host through Airbnb’s email service. I also paid by credit card through the website payment portal. The […]
Category: Latest Fraud News
Five online scams to watch out for
Our latest investigation into scams reveals the ways that scammers are targeting you online – from fake gift vouchers to phishing. We asked 25 Which? members to collect all the scams they received over a month and the total came to a staggering 477. If they had responded to all of them our panel could […]
Travel agent warns of fraud scam
A travel agent is warning others in the industry to be aware, after discovering that a fraudster has been trying to sell holidays, masquerading as her agency. London-based Cream Travel owner Roz Webster told TTG she wanted to alert the trade, after finding out that a fraudster had made £15,000 worth of hotel bookings through […]
Hackers gain access to millions of customer details
Personal details of 2.4 million people vulnerable after Carphone Warehouse data breach. Hackers have gained access to the personal details of 2.4 million people after cracking into Carphone Warehouse’s systems, the company has admitted. It announced that the IT systems of one of its UK divisions were found to have been breached on Wednesday, having […]
Virgin America Employee Sentenced for Fraud
A former Virgin America employee was sentenced to six months in jail Thursday for taking advantage of her job in a complicated scheme to get free flights for her friends, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. Jocelyn Mallare, who will turn 54 next week, pleaded no contest in May to grand theft embezzlement […]
Easyjet attendant ringleader of cigarette smuggling
An Easyjet flight attendant who led a cigarette smuggling gang has been handed a confiscation order for almost £350,000. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) found Easyjet worker Dennis Connolly, 44, of Southport, had organised over 130 smuggling trips for himself and five others, using discounted staff tickets to travel. The gang hid cigarettes and tobacco, […]
Oman Air clamps down on credit card fraud
A tightening of checks on the validity of credit card transactions is being imposed by Oman Air in a clampdown on fraud. Passengers who use credit cards to book tickets will be required to carry the same card with them at check-in. If a third-party card has been used for the booking and the cardholder […]
1 in 10 home owners are at risk of ID crime
Royal Mail have conducted one of the largest studies of home movers in the UK which reveals people are putting themselves at risk of ID crime by not redirecting their mail when they move home. Royal Mail commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct the third report into home movers experiences and concerns when it comes to […]
Europe’s worst countries for tourist scams
Spain came top in a ranking of Europe’s worst countries for holiday scams, followed by France and Italy. Spain is the worst country in Europe for tourist scams, according to new research. More than one in five UK holidaymakers who visited the country in the last year became victims of misdemeanours from pickpockets to over-charging […]
Airline Scams Take Off on Facebook
Beware shady airfare sweepstakes and voucher scams. July and August are historically the most popular months for air travel in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Travel Statistics, and when most people plan a vacation, they’re looking for deals. That desire to keep expenses down while also getting away for a few days makes […]
Fraud takes 5 percent bite out of business revenue
The world economy loses an estimated $3.5 trillion annually to fraud. Broken down based on gross domestic product, approximately 5 percent of annual revenue of U.S. businesses is lost to fraud, said Tim Bergsma, an accounting professor at Davenport University and an occupational fraud consultant. Davenport’s accounting programs include fraud examination and forensic accounting tracks. […]
Holidaymakers targeted in online scam
Internet fraudsters have targeted holidaymakers using a popular travel firm to steal their personal information. Scammers nicked the brand name of one of the most well-known internet holiday websites to launch the con. Expedia bosses confirmed an investigation has been launched after fears crooks had “unauthorised access” to customers’ details. Unsuspecting travellers received an email […]
Met Police chief admits cyber-crime difficulties
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe admits that the UK police are still “skimming the surface” when it comes to tackling cyber-crime, a view that is shared by security experts. In an interview hosted by Sky News earlier this week, and with questions coming in from children’s newspaper First News, Hogan Howe detailed how […]
Summer travel scam targets your points and miles
How sure are you that the airline miles and hotel rewards points you’ve been hoarding for years will be there when you go to redeem them? Ah summer: the time for cookouts and fireworks and long days at the beach trying not to check your email. It’s also a time to finally use all those […]
Fraud costs UK SMEs billions per year
The average price of fraud to small companies is £3,450 annually. More than a third (35 per cent) of businesses have experienced fraudulent activity in the past year, according to a study by Sage Pay. Despite 55 per cent of consumers citing security as their top priority when it comes to payments, almost a third […]
Global action against online air ticket fraudsters
On 16 and 17 June an international law enforcement operation against airline fraudsters took place at 140 airports across the world, resulting in the detention and investigation of 130 individuals that were found in possession of airline tickets bought using stolen credit card details. According to statistics the most rapid increase in fraudulent transactions on […]
Hotels.com customers targeted by phishing scam
Hotels.com customers have been caught up in a phishing scam using fraudulent emails masquerading as legitimate messages regarding their bookings. Part of Expedia group, Hotels.com allows customers to search for and book rooms at hotels across the country online or by phone. The details of the scam are currently unclear, other than the fact it […]
Fake Turkey e-visa warning issued
Travellers to Turkey are being warned to only obtain e-visas from the official Republic of Turkey website ahead of the summer peak. The alert from Abta, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Get Safe Online was issued after up to 100 UK holidaymakers purchased fake e-visas. This was only discovered on arrival in Turkey at […]
25% Jump in Cross-Border Fraud on UK Debit Cards in 2014
The percentage of fraudulent transactions occurring outside the UK in 2014 on UK debit cards rose 25 percent in a massive sample of cards studied by analytic software firm FICO. Fraudulent cross-border transactions accounted for nearly a third (31 percent) of all fraudulent transactions on 52 million active UK debit cards studied by FICO, up […]
Holiday fraud probe needs cash to bring prosecution
The latest investigation into a convicted conman from Bournemouth is at “an advanced stage” – but Trading Standards officers face not being able to bring a prosecution because of the cost. Francis – or Frank – Madden was given a six-month suspended sentence for eight counts of unfair trading at Southampton Crown Court in 2012, […]