Travel anti-fraud group Profit is to launch an email awareness campaign to harden the industry against fraud and cybercrime.
The campaign, which goes live tomorrow (July 5) and is due to last around ten weeks, includes free tips on how to identify, deal with and reduce the risks of crime.
It is Profit’s second such email awareness campaign. The first ran in 2014. Profit says it is not aware of any other industry that runs an awareness campaign of this kind.
More: ‘SOS’ campaign launches to fight travel cybercrime
Holidaymakers fall victim to new fraud tactics
Industry ‘relaxed’ about online anti-fraud rules
Cost of travel fraud rises to top £7m
The first email covers the range of different frauds that travel companies could encounter, which is a first for the industry, according to Profit chairman Barry Gooch.
He said: “Until now no-one has developed a taxonomy of travel fraud, so this is unique. The idea is to give all organisations a way of identifying the main fraud types we see. We then tell organisations how to reduce the risks and what actions to take. It’s a way of trying to reduce fraud.”
Often companies do not recognise many of these types of fraud, allowing criminals to continue operating until it is too late, Gooch added.
Other topics to be covered in the campaign include employing staff, suppliers, investigating fraud, reporting fraud, gathering evidence, mitigating fraud losses, payment fraud, cyber attacks and debt recovery. Examples of tips include an app that companies can use to check if there is a petition for insolvency for a supplier.
The emails are sent to Profit’s membership organisations, which include Abta, to then distribute to members to help educate travel businesses on fraud and crime.
For more information about the campaign contact: contactus@profit.co.uk
More: ‘SOS’ campaign launches to fight travel cybercrime
Holidaymakers fall victim to new fraud tactics
Industry ‘relaxed’ about online anti-fraud rules
Cost of travel fraud rises to top £7m
