Shropshire Tourism Members Website

Warnings

Unfortunately not all visitors to Shropshire are so welcome. There are a small few who operate scams, cons, tricks, and other devious methods to try and get you to part with your hard earned cash. Thankfully they are few and far between.

Shropshire Tourism tries to stay one step ahead of these people and sends out warning advice emails to members so do look out for them. Forewarned is often forearmed! See below for latest warnings.

If you think you may have been approached or had experience of someone trying to scam or con you please let us know and we will make sure our members get to know. Click here or call 01743 261919 to give us any details.

You may also wish to notify Trading Standards or the Police.

Trading Standards

Address: Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 6ND.

Tel: 01743 254105

Fax: 01743 254114

Web address: Click here

Email: tslao@cix.co.uk

 

Local Police

Address: Shrewsbury Police Station, Clive Road, Monkmoor, Shrewsbury, SY2 5RW.

Tel: 01743 232888

Latest Warnings

We will endevour to put up scam emails received by our members.

 

PLEASE BE AWARE

One of our member businesses has had a man stay at their hotel for the weekend who left without paying his bill and would like to inform other members.

He is calling himself Mr John Ronald Barnett, address, 6 Kingsley House, Knighton LD7 1AP

He booked for 2 nights (single room) but only stayed one night.

No car
Plastic bag - only luggage
Said his brother was paying the bill
Ordered a large bar meal but picked at the food.
Very chatty with other guests - who bought him a drink
Middle aged
Medium build
Dark greying hair
Local accent
Dirty
Beard
Said he was a part time chef at The George and Dragon
Said he wanted to go to Tenerife with his wife and set up a pie shop
Good teller of tales!

If you encounter this man please be cautious.

PLEASE BE AWARE

This email was received by one of our members, it appears to be a scam.

GREEK PRIESTS SCAM - UPDATE

Several of our members have been now approached by the 'Greek priests scam' which is currently working its way around the country.

An enquiry is made for a group of Greek priests who wish to make a room booking. They then pay you with what appears to be a valid credit card or even a bank draft and pay you too much. You are then asked to pay back the overpayment. The name the latest member has given to us is Edward Rogers and his email was eddyrger18@msn.com. If you do answer the email you may then receive a telephone call as our latest member did.

Regrettably scams like this are becoming increasingly common and the best advice remains, if you have any queries or concerns regarding an enquiry always proceed with caution and trust your instinct.

Please be Aware

We have received this email that appears to be a scam.

PLEASE BE AWARE

We have been contacted by a member who had a guest stay by the name of Karen Flack.

She stayed with our member for 2 weeks until Friday 26th March and paid by cheque. The cheque has since bounced, having been raised on a closed account.

The member has spoken to the police and they are treating it as fraud as it appears the woman intention of paying.

She informed our member that she was going to rent a flat in Kidderminster, but again this may not be true.

She was driving a silver Vauxhall Astra reg. AM08 TJZ.

PLEASE BE AWARE

We have been contacted by a member who thinks the following may be a scam.

GREEK PRIESTS SCAM

One of our members have been approached by the 'Greek priests scam' which is currently working its way around the country.

An enquiry is made for a group of Greek priests who wish to make a room booking. They then pay you with what appears to be a valid credit card or even a bank draft and pay you too much. You are then asked to pay back the overpayment.

Regrettably scams like this are becoming increasingly common and the best advice remains, if you have any queries or concerns regarding an enquiry always proceed with caution and trust your instinct.

THE FRASER FAMILY - WARNING ADDED 12/06/09

We have been contacted a member who has received a warning about a family who have just been evicted (by court order) from a self catering holiday establishment in Herefordshire.

The South African 'Fraser family' pay for a week and then stay indefinitely claiming that they have just sold a property and are looking for a new house. As the business was holiday cottages, there are no background/credit checks made and this is their way in.

Allegedly since the eviction, the 'Fraser family' have nowhere to go and may be looking for alternative accommodation.

They tend to move area slightly each time but because they are so infamous in this area, they may have to go further a field.

Their surname does change from time to time and there is the mother (Keresa), the father (Luc), the 34 year old son (Johnny) and 1 sometimes 2 daughters (Chiara and Tiga).

SHROPSHIRE TOURISM WEBSITE STATS

We have recently been contacted by one of our clients who received a telephone call from ‘a man’ claiming that they had paid £89.99 in April last year for a statistical analysis package on their website through Shropshire Tourism.

Please be advised that Shropshire Tourism do not charge extra for use of stats, it is included in the annual hosting package.

The ‘man’ was claiming that the stats are now provided by monthly emails. This is not the case.

Unfortunately, we do not have either a personal or company name, but when our client requested a copy of the alleged invoice, the call quickly ended.

If you are contacted in a similar manner, please do not pay anything over the telephone, but do try to get a company name so that we can investigate this further and pass details onto the police.

Regrettably scams like this are becoming increasingly common and the best advice remains, if you have any queries or concerns, check with us first and certainly do not pay over the telephone.

PLEASE BE AWARE

We have received an email from a Wiltshire Farmstay member concerning non paying guests in their self catering property. The guests stayed in the property for 9 months before the owners had to finally take them to court and they have been given until the end of April to leave.

The name is Fraser or Monti or sometimes Monti Fraser and they are white South African.

Just to make our Shropshire members aware.

SCAM

We have received an email from a member which we believe may be a scam.

Possible Scam

We have been forwarded the email below, which we believe to be a scam.

Beware of Defective Fire Safety Equipment

We have been advised by Visit Britain that there is a defect on some fire extinguisher products that are widely available.

For more details, please view the attached PDF document which lists those products affected.

Download Here

Latest Credit Card Scam

Members should be advised of a new credit card scam, whereby the scammers phone up as though from VISA or Mastercard to reinburse you from a fraudulent transaction. You give them the three digit code on the back of your card, and at that point money is taken from your card.

The scam works like this: The person calling says,

"This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank) did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for £497.99 from a Marketing company based in London?"

When you say "No", the caller continues with -

"Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from £297 to £497, just under the £500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives your address), is that correct?"

You say "yes". The caller continues -

"I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 0800 number listed on the back of you r card (0800-VISA) and ask for Security."

You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works the caller then says -"I need to verify you are in possession of your card." He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers."

There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say, "No", the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.

What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card!

If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

Beware of companies offering Web Domain Registrations

We have been contacted by a member who has been duped into paying over the odds for domain name registration, under the assumption that it would boost her ranking on the search engines. It will not.

Please remember domain names generally cost £20 - 40 with reputable registrars. Don't be duped and certainly don't pay any more than this.Shropshire Tourism can help you before you commit to any ongoing contract.

Shropshire Tourism offers members domain name registrations and website design and hosting solutions at very competitive rates - additionally our advice is often free. If in doubt, give us a call, it is better to ensure that you are not being duped.

NovaChannel AG

Please be aware that NovaChannel AG is doing the rounds again, asking people to confirm their details in a "Free" Tourist Directory. They try slightly different approaches each year and this time there is a separate letter as well as the form where you could sign away 989 euros! This would be bad enough, but by signing, you would actually commit to paying this amount annually for the next 3 years.

The letters come from Switzerland and should be binned immediately!

Scam Email

This scam, purporting to be a genuine booking enquiry, is going round the county at present and has been reported by at least two accommodation providers. The telephone number doesn't look like a 0900 number, but it is and you will get charged an exorbitant rate from ringing it.

The e mail below was from a Stephen Morris - subject Booking Enquiry. It looked legitimate. However, it's a scam. There is no answer when you call him and you end up paying an extortionate amount of money because of the 07099 number

Scam Email

We have been advised by a member that an email scam appears to be going on. The member has had three enquiries for 3 to 4 week periods from enquirer's who have very little English and who wish to find out as much as they can about the properties and who say they will be paying via a third party. They ask about car rental, distance from airports etc.

An example email is shown below:

PLEASE BE AWARE

We have been advised by two B&B businesses in the Market Drayton area that a man in his early 20's stayed with them and left without paying his bill and on one occasion took the front door key with him.

His name is Joe Read and he says he is landscape gardener. Mobile No. 07810126160, Vehicle: Ford Transit Van Reg YM04ZBJ

PLEASE BE AWARE

A couple of B&B businesses in Herefordshire have had the same man staying in their property within the last month. Both times the man’s cheques have bounced. He is a painter/decorator/plasterer.

The name he is giving is Robert Martin
Address: 10a KingStreet, Aberdeen
Tel: 07535 290396
Car: Rover 200, Racing green, R871 BHK

He also has a geordie accent.

If this vehicle/man is seen, please contact the police on 08457 444 888 and speak to the public service desk on ext 4806 who will take details.

Email Scams

We have received the following two emails from a member which may possibly scams.

The first email is from a Greek company called Hekulu Foundations enquiring about a reservation for a double room on the 6th-13th August. The email is signed off by a Morgan Chase.

The second email is from Dubai from a person named Amir Lateef who is moving to the UK and is looking for accommodation for 10 nights while he finds permanent residence.

As always treat any emails such as these with caution.

PLEASE BE AWARE

We have received an email from one of our members about a man called Robert Martin, who stayed in Much Wenlock last week after visiting Much Wenlock Visitor Information Centre to ask about accommodation. The cheque he paid with was returned after he put a ‘stop’ to it. He is in his 40s, scruffily dressed & with a strong Geordie accent & surly manner, he says he is a construction company owner and drives Volvo, registration no. H547 FRD.

EMAIL SCAM

We have been contacted by a member who has been in email correspondence with a Mr Grays Cole. The email follows a now familiar format whereby additional services are included within the cost of the stay, things like Flight tickets and transportation. Needless to say, always take care, especially with overseas emails as they may be a scam.

BEWARE

We have received reports from self catering properties in the area about a woman who is leaving without paying her bill or is writing a cheque and then canceling before it can be cashed.

Her name is Anne Kirk and she is aged between 50-60 years of age and the registration of her vehicle is W314 DUA.

She sometimes has her daughter with her who is around 19/20 years of age and is said to be studying at Liverpool University.

Please beware, if she tries to book into your property.

EMAIL SCAM

We have received an email from a member which may possibly be a scam. The email mentions a company called "Seagate Consultants, UK" and suggests it comes from the director of this company. However the tone of the email is odd with grammatical errors etc. Additionally the email address for this company is via yahoo.

As always treat any email such as this with caution.

EMAIL RESERVARTION SCAM

We have been contacted by a member who has received an email requesting a booking on 2 double rooms which suggests that the person looking to stay will give a 700 euro commission on the stay if the accommodation provider sorts out transfers.

The email came from a Mr Godwin, but the name may change. Again the email is very difficult to understand and written in poor grammatical style.

If you receive an email like this, delete it from your system.

Updated!

We have been contacted by some members who have received emails similar to the above looking to book either accommodation or dinner reservations. A deposit of £1000 is offered and one email started 'Hello Dear' which sets the tone of the email. If an email is claiming to come from a company then check they are not using free email accounts such as yahoo, gmail or hotmail.

VISA/MASTERCARD CREDIT CARD SCAM

This scam is very clever as the 'scammers' provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. This information is worth reading. Note, the callers do not ask for your card number as they already have it. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.

The scam works like this: Person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA/MasterCard. My badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA/MasterCard card which was issued by (name of bank) did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for £497.99 from a Marketing company based in London?" When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from £297 to £497, just under the £500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"

You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 0800 number listed on the back of your card (0800-VISA/MasterCard) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number". The caller then gives you a 6 digit number.

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works; the caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card - turn your card over and look for some numbers." There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him, he'll then say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say, "No," the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. If you then contact the real VISA Security Department they will tell you it is a scam and that a new purchase of £497.99 will have been charged to your card.

If you are caught out by this scam, you will need to make a fraud report and close the VISA account.

What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

The police urge everybody to tell people about this scam so they know it is happening .

Performing Rights Society

Someone purporting to be from the Performing Arts Society is telephoning accommodation establishments saying that a licence is needed if there is a television or radio in the letting bedroom.

If you want further clarification of the licensing for music in your establishment, click here to go to the MCPS-PRS Alliance website.

Beware

A man who left one of Shropshire's B&B's a few months ago without paying his £500 bill has been seen around the areas of Broseley and Wellington.

His name is Steven (surname believed to be either Thorpe or Thorn) and he drives a Yellow Renault with a black flame trim. The Registration of the vehicle is believed to be W39 XHD.

He has a mohawk hairstyle and lots of tattoos.

Please beware. If he tries to book into your property, please notify the police.

Booking Scam

We have been contacted by one of our members who has received email enquiries from a gentleman wanting to give them his credit card details. The email sent after you will have confirmed your availability will be similar to the one below:

Postal Scam

The Royal Mail and Trading Standards are making people aware of the following scam:

A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a premium rate number).

DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize.

If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £15 for the phone call.

If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 02072396655 or ICSTIS (the premium rate service regulator)

Leaving without settling the account

We have recently been advised by a few of our members of a named individual who has been staying in B&Bs and walks out without paying. The name currently being used is Peter Norman Gaughan, his car registration number is N529 JNK, a green Rover 600. The police are aware of him so if you are approached by him please contact the police.

WWW.UPPS.AT

Some members have reported receiving an invoice for advertising on the www.upps.at website, which they have not agreed to take out. This is a scam - as always remain vigilant and forward these invoices onto Shropshire Trading Standards.

ADV 2021 MULTIMEDIA - FILMING OFFER : CAUTION

This company has recently approached several members offering to make a video film of their properties for video streaming. They claim that there is no cost to members as all the costs will be met by Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and UKITA.

I have been unable to get confirmation from either AWM or UKITA that they are indeed covering the costs of this.

They have also been claiming that this initiative is supported by Shropshire Tourism and/or Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council. This is absolutely NOT the case.

We would advise members considering taking up this offer to proceed with caution and at the very least get confirmation that there will be no charges made to your business.

A visit to their web site www.adv2021multimedia.com may indicate of the quality of their offer

Nova ChannelAg

Beware Nova ChannelAg are doing the rounds again seeking entries in their "Tourist Directory" They are based in Switzerland and will do their best to get you to part with 989 euros. This could also amount to an annual payment for 3 years if you don't read the small print!

UK INTERNET REGISTER

You may have recently received a website registration form for the UK Internet Register. This form has a free fax number to register your business. However, please note the small print at the bottom of the form. By signing and returning the form you are contractually obliged to pay the annual fee of £639 for three years.

Please ensure you read the document carefully. The UK Internet register website (www.uk-internet-register.com) is a working website, but please ensure you want to advertise on the site before signing and returning the form.

To see what the form looks like click here to download a PDF copy.

Booking scam

We have been advised by one of our members of a scam going around in which the name CLARKE PETERSON.J appears, with bookings for numerous people for a week or two.

Email Scam

We have been advised by one of our members of a scam going around. The email is similar to the one below:

To whom it may concern;

If you receive an email like this you are advised to delete it from your system without replying.

Email Scams

We have been advised by one of our members regarding a series of emails that he has received. The emails are from New Zealand regarding advance bookings. All the emails culminate in a request for the accommodation's bank details so that payment can be made.

The accommodation concerned did not submit their bank details and we would advise any member who receives a similar request not to submit their back details.

Email Scams

We have been advised that a scam is going around where members may receive an email relating to data control and they need to fill a form in with there details.

Although it talks about updating free of charge, if you read the very small print, you will realise you do in fact have to pay 965 euros per year.

You can view a copy of the scam letter by clicking here.

Private detective scam

We have been contacted by one of our members, who has been left out of pocket by a gentleman claiming to be a private detective. He appears very polite and chatty but does not wish anyone to enter the room to service it and he is also very interested in hotel security.

The room is booked by a colleague, who has given false card details, therefore the member in question has been unable to charge. The gentleman has quite a large bill, with lots of phone calls, drinks etc.

The telephone number given at the time of booking is incorrect.

Members are advised to validate guest details before giving them credit, and always take a credit card or switch payment in advance when they check in which you can authorise.

In our experience anyone who refuses to give you this advance payment usually means they don't intend to pay!!

Email Scam

We have been contacted by a member who has received an email from a Dr. Lewis Fisher. The email goes something like the one below:

Apparently if responded to, Dr. Fisher requests more things eg. car hire and requests that you set this up for him. He then requests bank details to transfer money to your account.

Note the obvious question mark over the email above 'our organisation' is mentioned without identifying what the organisation is. 'I want to book reservation' is poor english and should be I want to book for...'

Generally emails that request an urgent response are scams.

Rooms being trashed

We have been advised that a visitor going under the name of Mrs Cronet has apparently been staying at various accommodation establishments around the country and trashing the allocated bedroom; she has just been to a hotel in Leominster and done the same.

This lady, who is French, is an animal rights activist and has resorted to pouring water onto the bed, writing on the walls, cutting electricity cables, and even reportedly leaving blood stains.

Members are advised not take any bookings from a Mrs Cronet.

Email Scam

We have been advised by one of our members that she has received the email below and it is a scam. This is very similar to the scam doing the rounds last year where people would offer to pay by bankers draft which subsequently bounced.

If you receive an email similar to the one below you should delete it and not accept the booking.

Domain Registry of America scam

If any of you have domain names that use a .com extension you may be targeted by the 'Domain Registry of America' This company is sending out particularly misleading letters informing domain name holders that their domain name is due to expire. The letter will invite you to renew the domain through them. If you do renew using their return form, it will automatically transfer the domain name to the 'Domain Registry of America'.

You should always renew your domain names through your existing registrar unless you are looking to transfer the domain to another company.

Beware of bogus bookings

Several members have made us aware of possible bogus bookings usually made via email. An initial enquiry is made by a would be customer via email, offering payment by cheque or bankers draft. They state that they will send the payment to the establishment before the date they booked accommodation for. Once the accommodation is booked they send payment but then cancel the booking and request a refund, not always for the full amount. When the establishment tries to bank the cheque/bankers draft it bounces leaving the establishment short on money.

If you think a booking seems suspicious here are some things to look out for:

The name of the person booking - they will often use a title in which you would tend to trust, for example Vicar.

The address is correct, the postcode matches the address.

Call the phone number if included to make sure it works.

The way the request is written, the English may not be grammatically correct. This often shows that it was written by someone who's first language appears not to be English.

If in doubt it is always best to ask the would be customer for a different method of payment or wait until the cheque/bankers draft has fully cleared in to your account to refund any monies.

Another bogus booking to watch out for is an accommodation booking accompanied by payment in excess of the actual cost. Payment is sent by cheque, however the payment received is in excess of a couple of hundred pounds. For instance, the cost of the rental for the self catering property is £300 but you receive a cheque for £500.

The mechanics of the 'scam' rest on the fact that the 'guest' will require some cash to spend in the UK when he/she lands here. The cheque is drawn on an American bank, as the bulk of these bogus bookings originate in America. The cheque duly arrives, however, the guest then sends an email canceling the booking. To compensate for the inconvenience, he/she proposes that you refund the rental but keep the excess payment for yourself. Grateful for the kind gesture, you send a cheque for the rental amount, which is debited from your account a couple of days before your bank informs you that the cheque has bounced.

A useful solution when accepting bookings from abroad is an IBAN (an International Bank Account Number).

To open an IBAN account, visit your local branch of your bank. Activating the account will cost you £1.00. When your foreign guest needs to pay his/her deposit or payment, you then provide the IBAN code and account reference. The guest pays the money (with the exchange rate calculated by his/her bank) and this payment appears as a credit on your IBAN statement. Transfer the payment immediately to your normal account and all that remains in your IBAN account is your initial £1.

This is a safe way to process payments from foreign countries and reduces the risk of falling foul of bogus bookings.

General Warning

When accepting an accommodation booking, it is important to be aware that Company cheques are NOT covered by a Banker's cheque guarantee card. They should only be accepted when you know the Company, an individual or if you have an arrangement with them.

Free directories - SMALL PRINT!

When offered a FREE line entry in a directory always ask yourself the question, What is the catch?, nothing is ever free!. In many cases once you have agreed to take the free line entry you will have signed up to a three year contract which will cost you in the thousands. Unfortunately as this was included in the small print it is entirely legal and can be enforced. The main offenders seem to be companies producing directories for Switzerland and The Netherlands.

Remember always read the small print when signing up for a FREE line entry in any directory as it could cost you in excess of £1,500 pounds.

The latest 'company' offering a free listing in their Tourist Directory is NovaChannel AG. They approach you to be featured within this directory and it is only by examining the small print at the bottom of the letter is it clear, that by signing the form, you are committing to paying a considerable amount of money. Trading Standards are aware of this Company, therefore if you have any suspicions you should contact them directly.