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04/03/2014
Public Warned About Dangers Over Holiday Booking Fraud
ABTA, The City of London Police's National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) and Get Safe Online have joined forces to warn the general public about the dangers posed by holiday booking fraud.
Findings from a report compiled by the NFIB reveal the scale of the crime and expose common tactics used by fraudsters who stole an estimated £7million from unsuspecting holidaymakers and other travellers in 2013.
The 2014 report reveals that over a 12 month period over 4500 cases of holiday booking fraud were reported. The most common types relate to:
• Holiday accommodation – According to the report almost a third (30%) of holiday fraud victims in 2013 were scammed by the fraudulent advertisement of holiday villas and apartments, with some arriving at their destination to discover they had nowhere to stay.
• Airline tickets – where a customer believes they are booking a flight and receives a fake ticket or pays for a ticket that never turns up. This is the most second most common type of booking fraud, accounting for 21% of holiday booking fraud reported to the police in 2013. Average losses are more than £1000 per victim, with flights to West Africa a particular target.
• Package holidays – particularly group, sports and religious packages. The report highlights the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and major sporting events such as the Ryder Cup as particular targets for fraudsters. These types of package holiday fraud accounted for 17% of reports in 2013. In 2014, packages for the Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games in Scotland, and travel to the World Cup in Brazil, may prove a target.
A 2013 YouGov poll for ABTA revealed that one in ten consumers (9%) do nothing to research their travel company, such as checking if it is a member of a trade association such as ABTA (which has a code of conduct in place to protect consumers), asking friends and family for recommendations, or running a web search.
(CVS/CD)
Findings from a report compiled by the NFIB reveal the scale of the crime and expose common tactics used by fraudsters who stole an estimated £7million from unsuspecting holidaymakers and other travellers in 2013.
The 2014 report reveals that over a 12 month period over 4500 cases of holiday booking fraud were reported. The most common types relate to:
• Holiday accommodation – According to the report almost a third (30%) of holiday fraud victims in 2013 were scammed by the fraudulent advertisement of holiday villas and apartments, with some arriving at their destination to discover they had nowhere to stay.
• Airline tickets – where a customer believes they are booking a flight and receives a fake ticket or pays for a ticket that never turns up. This is the most second most common type of booking fraud, accounting for 21% of holiday booking fraud reported to the police in 2013. Average losses are more than £1000 per victim, with flights to West Africa a particular target.
• Package holidays – particularly group, sports and religious packages. The report highlights the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and major sporting events such as the Ryder Cup as particular targets for fraudsters. These types of package holiday fraud accounted for 17% of reports in 2013. In 2014, packages for the Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games in Scotland, and travel to the World Cup in Brazil, may prove a target.
A 2013 YouGov poll for ABTA revealed that one in ten consumers (9%) do nothing to research their travel company, such as checking if it is a member of a trade association such as ABTA (which has a code of conduct in place to protect consumers), asking friends and family for recommendations, or running a web search.
(CVS/CD)
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Childcare charges rise over summer holidays
Families face a huge rise in the cost of summer holiday childcare, according to a new survey published today by the national childcare charity, Daycare Trust. The typical weekly cost of a place for a child in a summer holiday play scheme is set to rise by 16%, according to the report. Currently, the typical cost for childcare is £67.
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Police have caught 36-year-old prisoner Wayne McLeod, the third prisoner to abscond from jail over the bank holiday weekend. He went on the run from Springhill open prison in Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire, between 5.15pm and 8.15pm on Sunday, according to Thames Valley Police.
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Pre-Notting Hill Carnival Operation Underway
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Pre-Notting Hill Carnival Operation Underway
A four-week crackdown on troublemakers begins today as the Met Police get ready for trouble-makers ahead of this year's Notting Hill Carnival. They said that the eyes of the world turn to west London over the August bank holiday weekend and the Met works hard throughout the year to ensure carnival is not marred by crime.
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Bank Holiday Air Strike Balloted
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Bank Holiday Air Strike Balloted
Baggage handlers and check-in staff at three of the UK's busiest airports are being balloted for industrial action, which may lead to flight disruption over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Employees of Swissport, Rentokil Initial and ASIG at Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted airports may strike.
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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:Rather cloudy and mainly dry at first, but showery outbreaks of rain soon extending westwards to most places during the night, turning heavier towards morning. Light winds. Minimum temperature 9 °C.
