Lookout Scam Alert!

Overseas scammers targeting small tourist operators

An interesting talkback call came in during a discussion with the ACCC about online fraud on ABC’s 774 breakfast radio show on Tuesday.

Liz Pryor of Bed & Breakfasts and Farmstays Australia told listeners about a money laundering scam attempted on small hotel and bed & breakfast owners almost every day.

• A caller from Africa makes an accommodation booking for four people, often listing the names of the people and that they will be attending some sort of conference, or they’re part of a delegation etc.
• The business owner is asked to add a few thousand dollars to the quote so the delegation have access to local currency when they arrive in Australia
• The caller insists on paying on the spot, over the phone for the entire account with their credit card
• The credit card is stolen
• Then the business owner is asked to transfer the extra few thousand dollars which is now in the business owner’s bank account immediately to a Western Union money account
• By the time the stolen credit card is reported the scammer has made off with the extra thousands of dollars in the Western Union account and the hotelier is made to pay all the money back to the credit card owner.

Liz also warned listeners how her members are often called by bogus magazine publishers asking for money for advertising space bought earlier in the year when of course the advertising was never bought in the first place.

You can find out about many more scams fooling individuals and business every day at the ACCC’s Scamwatch website.