Category: Alerts

Trading Standards Bulletin – Spot the Signs of Holiday Fraud

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In May 2022, Action Fraud launched a national awareness campaign to urge the public to think twice before handing over money and personal information when booking holidays.

As travel restrictions became more relaxed, Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber-crime is warning the public to remain vigilant against holiday fraud when booking flights and accommodation online.

In the financial year of 2021/22, Action Fraud received 4,244 reports of holiday and travel related fraud – a substantial increase of over 120% when compared to the previous year.

Victims reported losing a total of £7,388,353 – an average loss of £1,868 per victim.

Whilst many accommodation providers who make use of online booking platforms are legitimate, some criminals will use these platforms to defraud victims by advertising counterfeit accommodation.

Over 7% of victims reported falling victim to suspects impersonating legitimate travel companies, including clone comparison sites, airline websites and holiday accommodation websites.

In some cases, victims have searched for flight tickets online and have found a website they believed to be the company’s genuine website. In other cases, victims reported responding to an approach or advertisement on social media or using what they believed to be legitimate flight comparison websites to search for flights.

The fraudster may completely end contact after receiving payment or provide the victim with fake booking information.

Sadly, some victims have only become aware that they have been the victim of fraud when they arrive at the airport and are unable to check-in.

Top tips to avoid falling victim to holiday fraud

Stay safe online – check the website address is legitimate and has not been altered by slight changes to a domain name – such as going from .co.uk to .org.uk

Do your research: don’t just rely on one review – do a thorough online search to ensure the company is credible. If a company is defrauding people, there is a good chance that consumers will post details of their experiences, and warnings about the company.

Look for the logo: check whether the company is an ABTA Member. Look for the ABTA logo on the company’s website at https://www.abta.com/abta-member-search. If you have any doubts, you can verify membership of ABTA online on their If you’re booking a flight and want more information about ATOL protection, or would like to check whether a company is an ATOL holder, visit the CAA website at https://www.caa.co.uk/atol-protection/consumers/checking-for-atol-protection/.

Pay safe: wherever possible, pay by credit card and be wary about paying directly into a private individual’s bank account.

Check the paperwork: you should study receipts, invoices and terms and conditions, and be very wary of any companies that don’t provide any at all. When booking through a Holiday Club or Timeshare, get the contract thoroughly vetted by a solicitor before signing up.

Use your instincts: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Get free expert advice: for further advice on how to stay safe when booking or researching travel online, go to Get Safe Online.

For a full list of tips to avoid becoming a victim of fraud, please visit https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/planning-and-booking-a-holiday/how-avoid-travel-related-fraud.

If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Flight Compensation

Flight delays and cancellations have been in the news recently for the past couple of years and have recently increased due to the return of people travelling post-covid and the airports and airlines seemingly being ill-prepared.

There are rules and laws in place to protect consumers and Martin Lewis of Money Saving Expert has put together a comprehensive guide as to what you are entitled to if you experience delays or cancellations.

Please visit his website www.moneysavingexpert.com or use the link below to read his recent article following the highly publicised issues faced by consumers in recent weeks: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/05/easyjet-british-airways-cancellations-compensation/.

Trading Standards Alert – Upfront Payment Scams

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Think Carefully before You Pay – Avoid Advance Fee Scams

Advance fee fraud is when scammers persuade victims to pay in advance or make upfront payments for goods, services and/or financial gains that do not materialise.

There are a huge variety of such scams, some common examples are:

  • Career opportunity scams happen when people respond to job adverts posted by fraudsters. They start with a consultation but then require an upfront fee. Examples are bogus publishers, model and casting agencies all promising to launch a person’s career.
  • Romance scams where fraudsters create a fake persona who builds a relationship with their victim over time. Once they are trusted they will make emotive requests for money from their victim claiming it is to pay for medical care, or visa and travel costs to visit the victim, etc. They will always find excuses not to meet the victim in person, but will maintain the relationship and continue to make requests for money from them.
  • Fraud recovery scams are when someone who has been a victim of fraud in the past is contacted again by scammers. They pretend to be the police or a government agency that can help recover the money that was lost in the first scam, but they the victim to pay a fee to get it back, for example claiming that it is tax to be paid to HMRC before the money can be refunded to the victim.
  • Loan scams happen when a victim is asked to pay an upfront fee for a loan with the guarantee that it will be approved whatever their credit history; however, they must pay an upfront fee to cover insurance for the loan. But once paid, the scammers cease communication and the loan is never received.
  • Rental fraud happens when would-be tenants are tricked into paying an upfront fee to rent a property. The property doesn’t exist, is already let, or has been apparently rented out to multiple victims at the same time. The victim loses the upfront fee they have paid and fails to secure the property.

For advice on identifying and avoiding advance fee scams, go to: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/advance-fee-fraud

You can find out more about scams by going to:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/our-work/our-campaigns/awareness-raising-campaigns/scams-awareness-campaign-2022/

Trading Standards Alert – Premium Rate Numbers Scam

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Premium Rate Numbers are still lucrative for Scammers.

Premium Number Scams are designed to trick you into making calls to premium rate numbers.

Watch out for the common premium number scam techniques:

  • Your phone shows a missed call from a number you don’t recognise. When you call it back you may find yourself connected to a premium rate service costing up to £15 per call.
  • You may get a pre-recorded message asking you to ring a number to claim a prize. This second number may be a premium rate one and worse still, your prize may be nothing more than a ringtone subscription.
  • If you’ve bought a mobile phone recently, you may receive a call from a scammer to sell you phone insurance, pretending that they are calling from your mobile phone network or the retailer you bought the phone from. You may pay for worthless insurance and pass on your personal details.
  • Ring tone scams offer free or low cost ring tones. However, you may then find that you have subscribed to a service that will keep sending you ring tones and charging a premium rate for them.

If you’ve been victim to a premium rate number scam:

  • Tell your mobile phone provider.
  • Notify PhonepayPlus (www.phonepayplus.org.uk), who regulate premium numbers and can stop mobile phone frauds.
  • Text the word STOP to the subscription number, the sender is legally obliged to stop sending text messages immediately. If they don’t, contact PhonepayPlus (www.phonepayplus.org.uk), who will investigate.

You can find out more about scams by going to:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/our-work/our-campaigns/awareness-raising-campaigns/scams-awareness-campaign-2022/

 

Trading Standards Alert – Plastic Card Scams

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Scams can take many forms and one prominent scam involves the use of credit cards. This is where customers give credit card details to buy a genuine product/service and those details are sold to a scammer. The scammer sets up a fraudulent purchase of, for example, an expensive mobile phone. They then send you something of no or little value by tracked delivery so that when you challenge the purchase, they have a delivery receipt.

Plastic card fraud can include frauds perpetrated by use of a card online, over the phone or by mail order, and counterfeit card fraud.

Protect yourself against plastic card fraud

Keep all your cards and financial details safe:

  • always look after your cards and card details. Try not to let your card out of your sight when making a transaction.
  • check receipts against statements carefully. Contact your card company immediately if you find an unfamiliar transaction.
  • store your statements, receipts and financial documents safely and destroy them, preferably using a shredder, when you dispose of them.
  • sign any new cards as soon as they arrive.
  • cut expired cards through the magnetic strip and chip when replacement cards arrive.

Secure your PIN:

  • memorise your PIN and destroy any paper notification as soon as you receive it.
  • ensure that you’re the only person that knows your PIN. Never write it down or record it. Your bank or the police will never phone you and ask you to disclose your PIN.
  • when entering your PIN, use your free hand and your body to shield the number from prying eyes or hidden cameras. If you think someone has seen your PIN or if you want to change it to something more memorable, you can change it at a cash machine (ATM) or by contacting your bank.

Take care when using cash machines:

  • put your personal safety first. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, cancel the transaction and use a different machine.
  • if you spot anything unusual about the cash machine, or if there are signs of tampering, don’t use it. Report it to the bank concerned immediately.
  • be alert. If someone is crowding or watching you, cancel the transaction and go to another machine. Don’t accept help from seemingly well-meaning strangers and never allow yourself to be distracted.
  • once you’ve completed a transaction, put your money and card away before leaving the cash machine. If the cash machine doesn’t return your card, report its loss immediately to your card company. Destroy or preferably shred your cash machine receipt, mini-statement or balance enquiry when you dispose of them.

Contact your bank immediately if you think your card or personal information has been compromised.

If fraud has been committed, report it to Action Fraud 0300 123 2040 https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime.