It is that time of year when the weather warms up and we are looking to book our holiday. However, with a mixture of Brexit and Covid, a number of scams have popped up that we would like to share with everyone. So our scam in focus for this month is travel scams. We have found 6 types of scam to watch out for.
The scam to be aware of this month is Whatsapp scams. Messages looking like they come from Whatsapp Support are phishing for personal details.
Scams to watch out for are:-
- New Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)
- International driving permits
- Fake refunds for Covid holidays
- Fake social media ads
- Rogue travel companies
- Charging for free travel forms
- Fake Vaccine passport.
Let's take these one at a time.
New Global Health Insurance Card
If you are like me and didn’t know about the new Global Health Insurance Card, then this scam could easily catch you out. This card is free from the NHS, but scammers are paying for adverts to get to the top of Google to direct you to their site, where they will charge you for this card. Our tip Don’t follow links to the NHS, go to their site directly, if you are still unsure and they are asking for payment they you are probably in the wrong place.
International Driving Permits
These are only required for people with an old paper licence and not if you have a photo card licence. Adverts have been found selling ones for Spain for $49, when they are £5.50 from a post office. Our tip Be wary of following links on a paid for advertisement always go directly to the site wherever possible.
Fake Refunds for Covid Holidays
Lock down and the ongoing restrictions due to Covid affected many of us with cancelled holidays. There are scammers who are calling round people on the premise that they are authorised to issue a refund. This is a phishing call and the main purpose is to gain your bank details in order for them to take money out of your account. Our tip If you get a call from a travel company, make sure it is the one you used. Hang up on the call, find your documentation with the name of the travel company on and call them direct. Do not use any contact numbers given to you on the call.
Fake Social Media Ads
In 2020/21, Action Fraud found 62% of victims of travel fraud were targeted on Facebook. Scammers create fake business pages with details of a legitimate business to trick people into booking holidays. One lady only found out she had been scammed when she turned up at a caravan site only to find they didn’t have her booking. Our tip If you like the look of something advertised on Facebook, try searching for it directly on the internet and go directly to their website from your own search. Where possible use known sites such as Booking.com or Trip Advisor. Another important tip is, even if you are on one of these sites, do not let the place you are booking with convince you to pay directly as this is a good chance they are scammers. If you have booked through the platform, pay through the platform as that gives you some security.
Rogue Travel Companies
Action Fraud figures from 2020 show that half of all travel scams were related to airfares. These mainly happen through cloned booking or comparison websites, but the main difference is you will then get a call from a person asking you to pay directly to them, and not continue through the booking site. Our tip As with the fake social media ads, if you receive a call asking you to pay directly, think twice. Always pay through the platform wherever possible. See our separate article on how to check if a travel company is legitimate.
Charging for Free Travel Forms
Travel still sometimes requires passenger locator forms to be completed on entry into another country and then for the return to the UK. This document is free of charge, but in some search engines there has been a link which takes you to the form and, after completion of the form, on to a payment page. Our tip For travel forms visit GOV.UK for the foreign travel advice page, specific to your destination.
Fake Vaccine Passport
Vaccination status is an important part of travel these days and fraudsters have been quick to take advantage. A fake NHS website was created with links to apply for a digital vaccine passport. Hurry tactics were used to rush people into following the link to the payment page, and making the payment. Phishing emails were sent out hoping to catch people in the scam. Our tip Don’t click on unsolicited emails or the links within them. If they are of interest, come out of the email and do a Google search yourself.
We have been working hard to get a regular slot on HCRFM (Huntingdon community Radio) More information to follow as soon it is all confirmed.
Planning is currently underway for the next CAPASP partnership meeting. We are looking for venues around the March area as it is quite central. If anyone knows a venue we could use, then please let the team know at against-scams@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
The Community Protection Team is always on the look out for opportunities to deliver scams awareness talks. If you know of any groups that would benefit, then please pass on the against-scams email address above.
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