Holidaymakers given "dodgy deals" warning
Holidaymakers jetting off to the sun have been warned not to be
seduced by offers from bogus holiday club firms.
Trading standards officials targeted people setting off from
Cardiff International Airport to tell them the dangers of conmen
who might approach them while they are away.
Staff from the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff councils and the
Office of Fair Trading spoke to passengers and handed out leaflets
explaining how to spot a dodgy deal.
Kate Palmer, consumer education officer with Vale Trading
Standards, said: "Holiday clubs often promise far more than they
deliver. After spending thousands of pounds, many consumers find
that they have bought little more than access to an internet
booking service."
The airport initiative was part of the annual OFT scam awareness
month which aims to highlight the techniques used by scammers to
con UK consumers out of £3.5 billion per year and give consumers
the knowledge and skills they need to recognise, report and stamp
out mass market scams. There was also a major campaign surrounding
lottery and prize draw scams directly affecting Welsh
residents.
Recent research by the OFT revealed that every year one in 15
people (3.2 million adults) fall victim to scams across the UK. The
average amount lost per scam is £850.
Head of Scambusters at the OFT Mike Haley says: "Scammers are
finding more ruthless and sophisticated ways to con the public of
money by preying on their hopes and fears. This campaign is an
attempt to get smart against the scammers who are ruining
residents' lives.
"Though anybody can be conned, it is always the most vulnerable
who end up suffering the most."
Vale Principal Trading Standards Officer Simon Wilkinson said:
"The most prevalent scams affecting Vale residents are fake
lotteries and prize draws. Trading standards officers' advice is to
be sceptical - if the offer is too good to be true, it probably
is."
Other scams are:
- pyramid selling and free gift schemes
- working from home schemes
- online dating
- investment opportunities/shares
- miracle health cures
- phishing scams
If you feel you have been a victim of a scam, please contact
Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06; the Vale Trading Standards
Office also has advice leaflets which give more detailed advice on
various scams and how to beat them.
end
Caption: Kate Palmer (right), consumer education officer with
Vale Trading Standards, has been warning holidaymakers travelling
through Cardiff International Airport not to be seduced by offers
from bogus holiday club firms.
12/03/07