An Ounce of Prevention

An international racket that is duping hoteliers through e-mail booking messages. Forged documents and credit cards have hit Greek shores.

According to the Attica Hoteliers’ Association president’s, Giorgos Tsakiris, there have been several complaints that bogus travel agents or pilgrimage tourism organizations based abroad make bookings for large groups through e-mail and follow them up with the dispatch of checks that exceed the value of the bookings, or with the provision of data on credit cards that are to be charged.

They subsequently press for a return of the amounts supposedly overcharged, in which they have usually succeeded before the duped hoteliers realize that the checks were dud or the credit cards forged.