As many as 4,700 unsuspecting holidaymakers and other travellers had £6.7 million stolen by fraudsters last year. The sale of airline tickets (47%) and accommodation bookings (38%) were the most common types of fraud, a new report reveals today. The average amount lost per person was more than £1,500 – up by a quarter on […]
Category: Latest Fraud News
Couple sentenced after false £50,000 sickness claim
A couple who claimed to be ill on holiday have been given a suspended jail sentence following a £50,000 sickness claim against Tui after they posted pictures of themselves enjoying the trip on Facebook. Leon Roberts and Jade Muzoka, from Derby, spent a week at Cornelia Diamond Golf Resort and Spa in Turkey in July […]
Six jailed for running £37m copycat website fraud
Thousands of people tricked into buying documents such as UK passports from fake sites. Six people have been given jail sentences after defrauding the public out of more than £37m in one of the largest UK online crime cases brought to court. The group set up and operated a number of “copycat websites”, which impersonated […]
What OTAs need to know about travel payment fraud
A new research report carried out by Edgar, Dunn and Company identifies a dozen best practices for OTAs and other intermediaries to implement as part of their strategy to minimise their exposure to payment fraud, including a look at how to make payments to suppliers more secure. All ecommerce verticals have attracted the attention of […]
Warning over bogus chief executive
Travel anti-fraud group Profit has issued a warning to the trade after a conman was found to be posing as a bogus chief executive of a UK travel agency. Advantage Travel Partnership member Capable Travel received messages online from individuals in the Middle East and Afghanistan who believed they had met the company’s bogus chief […]
UK cyber attacks are a matter of when not if
Cyber Attacks – The potential risks of ever-growing digital integration are not unknown to us. Computers, smartphones and other devices provide countless benefits but, as day-to-day services become progressively reliant on these technologies, the consequences of their failings become more disastrous, with our cyber-security at an increased risk. Last year saw a massive cyber attack […]
Thomas Cook court victories give industry encouragement
Thomas Cook is prepared to bring fresh fraud prosecutions against holidaymakers in the fight against fake illness claims. The company won a landmark private prosecution for fraud in Liverpool Crown Court last October, when couple Deborah Briton and Paul Roberts were jailed after bringing a £20,000 claim for sickness on consecutive Cook holidays in Majorca […]
UK operators are holding Spanish hotels to ransom
The costs of fighting fraudulent sickness claims are rising, say Spanish lawyers. Ian Taylor reports Lawyers in Spain have challenged the idea that an epidemic of scam sickness claims by British holidaymakers is being brought under control. They say Spanish hoteliers are being forced to pay for the new determination among UK tour operators’ to […]
We can’t slow down on bogus claims
Tour operators are taking a ‘more forensic approach’ to sickness claims. Ian Taylor reports Thomas Cook has a team of lawyers “forensically” reviewing holiday sickness claims as it seeks to drive down the number of fraudulent claims. Rebecca White, Thomas Cook senior legal counsel for litigation, said: “Thomas Cook’s experience reflects that of the entire […]
Cold calling ban to reduce fake holiday sickness claims
Abta is urging MPs to ban cold calling, which the association says is one of the main tools used by unscrupulous claims management companies (CMCs) to encourage false or exaggerated holiday sickness claims. The Financial Claims and Guidance Bill has its second reading in the House of Commons this morning, and Alan Wardle, Abta’s director […]
UK fraud hits 15-year high
The value of UK fraud hit a 15-year high of £2.11bn in 2017 as more companies made it a priority to tackle wrongdoing, according to a new study. Accountancy firm BDO examined reported fraud cases worth more than £50,000 and found that the total number rose to 577 in 2017, compared with 212 in 2003. […]
Credit Card Scams Are Still Popular
Travel agents love new clients, and when someone seemingly finds you out of the blue, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and blindly pursue the sales opportunity. But scam artists are good at manipulating human emotions and have an assortment of tricks up their sleeves to entrap travel agents in one kind […]
Sickness claims: Claims firms becoming more creative
Fake holiday sickness claims appear to be big business in the UK, with claims management companies continuing to target tourists in what has been described as ‘the new whiplash’. As many as 9.5 million adults in the UK – almost one in five – have been approached about making a compensation claim for holiday illness, […]
Sickness claims – Spanish hotels being held to ransom
The costs of fighting fraudulent sickness claims are rising, say Spanish lawyers. Ian Taylor reports Lawyers in Spain have challenged the idea that an epidemic of scam sickness claims by British holidaymakers is being brought under control. They say Spanish hoteliers are being forced to pay for the new determination among UK tour operators’ to […]
Sickness claims – Abta presses government to act
Abta is calling on the Government to implement its promised plans to close a loophole that allows claims firms to cash in on holiday sickness claims ahead of the peak 2018 season. New data pulled from a YouGov survey suggests that nearly one in five people have been contacted about making a compensation claim for […]
ABTA calls for action over fake sickness claims
Nearly one in five Brits has been approached about making a compensation claim for sickness while on holiday, according to research released by ABTA today. Based on a YouGov survey of over 2,000 adults, ABTA says 19% of Brits have been contacted about making a claim. Of these, 14% were approached over the phone, 7% […]
Email scam has costs airline millions of dollars
As individuals, we all know we have to keep our wits about us when we’re online. If you’re really unlucky, a couple of ill-considered clicks or downloads could quickly ensnare you in a scam that ends up costing you hundreds of dollars, possibly more. But if you’re working for a company and your job is […]
Phishing Scams Target Singapore Airlines
On December 20, 2017, police reported that phishing e-mails supposedly from Singapore Airlines and DBS Bank were landing inside the mailboxes of several people, seeking their credit card and other personal information. Those who answered the e-mails reportedly found illegitimate cash dealings on their payment cards made through foreign currencies. Within the phishing campaign exploiting […]
1m people may have been victims of fraud on Airbnb
FRAUD – Airbnb has been accused of “making it too easy for scam artists” after it was reported that almost a 1m people may have fallen victim to fraud on the website last year. As many as 1.1 million bookings were also cancelled at the last minute, often leaving holidaymakers on the streets of an […]
Significant reduction in fraudulent sickness claims
Jet2holidays is “winning the war” on fraudulent sickness claims and has seen a “significant” reduction in the number coming in this summer. But chief executive Steve Heapy, an outspoken advocate of the need to clamp down on the problem, made it clear that the company will not stop until laws are changed to close a […]