The Prevention of Fraud in Travel group (PROFiT) has appealed to the industry to join in the war against fraud.
“This is a war we’re fighting. It is companies more than consumers that fall victim to fraud and there is hardly a company that does not suffer. Everyone has a duty to join in and help. We cannot do it alone,” said PROFiT chairman Barry Gooch.
PROFiT, set up to stamp out fraud in the travel industry, was launched at New Scotland Yard last Friday by ABTA, Teletext and the Metropolitan Police. A total of 150 agencies, operators, police and fraud experts attended the event.
However, Gooch, who is also Teletext head of compliance, said the initiative needed more industry muscle if it is to succeed. “This industry is built on trust and if we lose that trust, we’ve lost our industry,” he said.
ABTA head of finance Mike Monk urged the travel trade to help PROFiT increase its membership. He said: “We want you to join PROFiT so we can work together to push fraud out of our industry.”
Triton chairman Steven Freudmann, Sunvil founder Noel Josephides and consumer affairs minister Gareth Thomas have also backed the initiative.
February 2009 is Fraud Awareness Month in Travel Weeky. Read more at travelweekly.co.uk/fraud