Co-Director, Southern Cross Travel, Wadhurst
The family business
Around eight years ago we were hit by fraudsters who managed to get two last-minute flights to Barbados and had departed by the time we found out they’d used an innocent person’s card (who then issued a charge back).
Despite us finding photo evidence and the police getting involved we didn’t get our money back. It was a gut-wrenching moment which made us more vigilant. We no longer take last-minute bookings from new clients over the phone and insist they use their card in person with a PIN in the office (or send a bank transfer).
I’ve had a few enquiries over the last year or so which have come from very keen new customers that want to book remotely – that is keen until I tell them we will only take payments in person and can’t book last-minute trips. They then suddenly disappear! It’s sad that we question potential sales, but we have to protect ourselves as a small, independent business.
Director of GoRiverCruise, Worcestershire
The cruise specialist
As an individual I have become very wary of any email from an unknown source asking me to open an attachment and heartily sick of mobile calls that start: “Hi James, I hope you’re having a good day?”
So the normal travel scams of asking me to book flights for a family of eight, or asking me to send money so that African royalty can access their fortune and share with me, are easily spotted and avoided.
However the people who scam me out of my time are harder to spot. As a homeworker I only deal with clients by phone or email. I get more enquiries from potential “new” clients asking me to research and price a complicated itinerary or for my best possible price for a specific cruise. These people have no intention of booking with me and may be “part time” agents looking to use my expertise or direct booking clients. No wonder agents are looking to charge a fee for their time to be repaid upon booking.
Director at The Travel Team, Brampton, Cumbria
The high street agency
We hear reports in the trade news about the threat of scams but (so far), we have protected ourselves. However, I’m sure these clever people are always inventing new ways to ruin someone’s business.
If we get a last-minute enquiry from someone we don’t know, maybe with a high budget and sounding a bit vague, alarm bells ring and we would ask for proof of address along with a passport.
Also, we request payment by BACS as it’s often card payments that cause problems.
Asking a few questions before starting the enquiry helps eliminate potential fraud.
Before we book with a new travel supplier we make sure we have an agency agreement and check they are ABTA/ATOL bonded, so that our customers are financially protected.
If we pay by BACS its worth taking time to check the bank app confirms all details are correct, or even sending a small test amount to make sure it is received.
Managing Director at Kew Bridge Travel, London
The PATA agent
In a world of fake news and artificial intelligence, people contact travel advisors because they value a genuine personal service and seek honest professional advice. As a consequence, our traditional business model is less susceptible to scams.
Enquiries normally come from people we meet through networking; referrals from family and friends; or recommendations from existing clients.
We always meet in person or speak on the phone to clarify the enquiry and endeavour to get to know the person.
That’s necessary before we can propose a suitable tour or cruise or design a tailor-made holiday.
Occasionally, we receive spurious enquiries by phone or through our website, usually asking if we can book flights. This is not our core business, so we always decline. My advice is if something doesn’t feel right, step away.
