A fraudster from Croydon has been jailed today, Monday 19 May, for two and a half years imprisonment for her part in a travel and smartphone scam. Neelam Desai, (dob 01/05/1980) of Beulah Grove was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment at Croydon Crown Court. She was sentenced in relation to five counts of fraud by […]
Category: Latest Fraud News
Victim placed at centre of new fraud sentencing laws
Fraudsters who target vulnerable victims, such as the elderly, in England and Wales face harsher sentences, under new guidelines. The guidelines focus on the harm caused to victims of fraud, money laundering and bribery, as well as the monetary amounts involved. The old rules viewed the pain caused to victims only as an “aggravating factor”, […]
Fraudster who sold bogus holiday spared jail again
A Blackburn fraudster who has been given ‘chance after chance’ to stop offending has again been spared a jail sentence, after conning three women out of more than £6,000. Aarif Patel, of The Larches in Bastwell, already had 16 previous convictions and was subject to the terms of a suspended sentence when he sold the […]
Beware of scam holiday sites
The Civil Aviation Authority has warned consumers to beware of scam holiday websites displaying a false ‘Atol Protected’ logo. The CAA is urging holiday bookers “to check, then double check” bookings are Atol protected. The authority issued the warning today as part of National Scam Awareness Month. Link to article
Three jailed for tourism fraud
Three conmen who tried to defraud the taxman out of £1.9m by pretending to promote Dubai tourism have been jailed. The businessmen set up a sham company and approached various firms claiming they had a £15m budget from Dubai’s Department of Tourism to promote the country. When the company, Wilnecote Hall Marketing, sold advertising space […]
eBay makes users change their passwords after hack
Online marketplace eBay is forcing users to change their passwords after a cyber-attack compromised its systems. The US firm said a database had been hacked between late February and early March, and had contained encrypted passwords and other non-financial data. The company added that it had no evidence of there being unauthorised activity on its […]
Google Account Holders Targeted with Phishing Scam
BitDefender the security company has just spotted one fresh phishing scam that’s attacking users’ Google accounts, with a number of people already being victimized. The assault has been designed fairly well so is more difficult to catch compared to conventional phishing scams. Link to article
Bank Account Frauds Jump By 48% In January-April
The total number of bank account frauds in the UK surged by 48% between January and April 2014 compared to the same period of last year, a new report from CIFAS shows. According to the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, one of the most notable developments was the “shocking” rise in cases involving the fraudulent misuse […]
9 arrested in ticket fraud crackdown
Suspected ticket fraudsters were rounded up in police raids across Merseyside this morning. Nine people believed to have been involved in online ticketing fraud were arrested after 12 search warrants were executed in Clubmoor, Dovecot, Fazakerley, Anfield, Wavertree, Kensington and Garston. The arrests, relating to the online sale of tickets that never existed or did […]
Ticket scams cost victims £3.7m last year
Concert goers and holidaymakers were the biggest victims of ticket scammers last year, police have said. The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said unsuspecting consumers handed over a total of £3.7m to fraudsters in 2013. Link to article
Don’t be a victim of ticket fraud
The national police lead on economic crime has revealed that ticketing fraud cost victims over £3.7m last year and called for ticket distributors to work with police to tackle it. Commander Stephen Head of City of London police was speaking as the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) launches a focus week on ticketing fraud […]
Man jailed for part in £1 million ticket fraud
Greenwich man has been jailed for his part in an “elaborate” £1 million train ticket fraud in which a stolen machine was used to forge tickets. Robertas Vaitkevicius, of Uplands Close, was one member of a five-person gang who sold around 15,000 fake weekly zone 1-6 travelcards between January 2012 and October 2013 when they […]
1m customer details stolen in Orange data breach
Orange’s online customer portal was hacked for the second time in a three month period, resulting in the theft of 1.3 million users’ data. The breach occurred in mid-April, when a software platform used by Orange to send promotional messages was hacked, according to Reuters. Email addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth were accessed […]
Get the low-down on today’s sophisticated fraudsters
The figures come from new research by Citizens Advice to coincide with Scams Awareness Month, a campaign that runs throughout May, to warn about the devious con artists preying on hard-up households. Some of the most commonly-reported scams include counterfeit cheques, fraudulent lenders offering loans to get hold of personal details, dating scams, ticket cons […]
Employee dishonesty: do you know your staff?
According to its research, employee fraud is as prevalent as customer fraud, with perpetrators becoming increasingly imaginative. CIFAS recorded a 71% increase in unsuccessful fraudulent attempts to obtain employment. These involve individuals submitting false information as part of the recruitment process (such as incorrect qualifications or falsified credit histories). The second most widespread fraud is […]
7 out of 10 frauds are now cyber crimes
Cyber crime is driving a huge surge in fraud offences, with seven out of 10 scams now involving an IT element, a police chief warned today. Detective Superintendent Pete O’Doherty, head of the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, likened the offence to “modern-day burglary”. He said: “From what I see day in and day out, cyber […]
Villa Parade company at centre of scam
Travel watchdogs are investigating a bizarre mix-up over a Huddersfield holiday company. Dozens of customers of Villa Parade have received emails from another travel company, telling them their holidays will not be honoured. In some cases, the holidaymakers have paid out thousands of pounds for villas in the Spanish sun. But Villa Parade have hit […]
Police suspect fraud at bankrupt Air Finland
A criminal investigation has been launched into the bankruptcy estate of Air Finland, commercial broadcaster MTV reported on Friday. The leisure-flight airline abruptly went out of business nearly two years ago, leaving thousands of creditors. According to MTV, Eastern Uusimaa Police are investigating a range of suspected crimes including aggravated accounting fraud. The broadcaster says […]
Scam attacks target World Cup ticket buyers
Football fans face five main threats from cyber scammers ahead of this summer’s World Cup, internet experts have warned. Illegal ticket touts, fake England shirts and unofficial Fifa apps that could infect devices have already been detected two months before the tournament kicks off in Brazil. Link to article
Holiday villa fraud
In May last year we used the HomeAway property rental website to book a two-week holiday in Barbados, departing in February. The apartment was owned by a British woman who lives on the island. We received email confirmation that the weeks we wanted were still available and were asked to transfer £945 into the account […]