54-year-old mechanical engineer, Bryan, lost £3,109 after he booked his honeymoon through Travel Trolley, an online scam. Bryan made several advance payments to the bogus travel agent in the hope of securing a dream honeymoon for him and his wife. After contacting fraud and scam recovery specialists, CEL Solicitors, he was able to get all of his lost money back.
How the advance fee scam occurred
Intent on spending his honeymoon abroad, Bryan was browsing for affordable holiday packages when he came across an advertisement for Travel Trolley on Facebook. Bryan contacted the company, expressing that he would like to travel to Thailand to celebrate his honeymoon. The advisor informed Bryan that he had secured a deal which he could pay for in monthly instalments.
Unbeknownst to Bryan, Travel Trolley was a fake travel agent, and his holiday would sadly never happen. After making six monthly payments, Bryan researched the company further and learned that it was fraudulent. Bryan’s Thai dream turned into a nightmare when he realised that he had fallen victim to a sophisticated advance fee scam.
Recovering money from an advance fee scam
Bryan contacted CEL Solicitors, specialists in fraud and scam recovery after he realised he’d been scammed. CEL Solicitors complained to Metro Bank as it felt that they had missed opportunities to protect their customer from the scam. After fighting for his case, Bryan was successfully awarded a full refund of £3,109.
The rise of holiday scams
As fraud recovery experts, CEL Solicitors has seen an increase in advance fee holiday scams, particularly over the summer months, and is urging holidaygoers looking for a cheap getaway to remain vigilant. Everybody likes a bargain, but it is always worth putting the extra time and effort into researching companies that you have not heard of or used before – especially when dealing with large sums of money.
Commenting on Bryan’s case, CEL Solicitors chief executive officer, Jessica Hampson, said:
“It’s heartbreaking when people planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip are scammed out of their hard-earned money.
“Criminals will often set up fake websites and advertisements promoting affordable holiday packages which are used to scam people of thousands of pounds.
“Those looking to secure the perfect deal should thoroughly research the company that they are corresponding with, especially if the deal seems too good to be true.
“We are delighted to have achieved a full recovery for Bryan and urge others who have been targeted by scammers to reach out to us for free initial advice and support.”
If you or someone you know has fallen victim to an advance fee scam, steps can be taken to recover your money. Speak with a member of our team by calling 0333 242 7128 or enquire online.
