The Prevention of Fraud in Travel group is to officially launch today at an event in London.
Representatives from across the travel industry will attend the launch hosted by former Wish You Were here presenter John Carter. Speakers will include ABTA head of finance Mike Monk, Serious Organised Crime Agency head of intelligence management Andy Auld and former fraudster Elliot Castro.
Members of the new group include Hays Travel, Global Travel Group and British Airways. The group aims to share information and work together to combat fraud in the industry, which ABTA says costs the industry at least £10 million a year. It plans to publish best practice guides on a variety of topics and post information on its website profit.uk.com.
“Over the years PROFiT members have learned that if we are to beat the fraudsters, it is essential that the industry all work together as well as with the police to share information and best practice,” said Monk.
“The cost of fraud should not just be measured in monetary terms but also in terms of the suffering and misery it causes to the public when their dream holiday has to be cancelled.”