- Image via Wikipedia
It is a well known fact that scammers and fraudsters look to take advantage of any kind of events, whether good or bad, for selfish gains. While unfortunate natural disasters such as the Tsunami, Earthquakes, have been used in the past, it appears that the recent disruptions and ban on Plane Flights as a result of the volcanic ash cloud is next in line.
The BBC reports that a Wrexham company has revealed that scam e-mails claiming to assist stranded airline passengers who have been affected by the Icelandic volcanic ash flight ban is being investigated. The e-mails claim to be from the Civil Aviation Authority (UK), and say that affected travellers can receive £2,000 – if they pay an administration fee.
It is obvious that this is a scam and the CAA has no knowledge of it. A spokesperson for the corporation has said that they “can categorically say that this e-mail has nothing to do with us. It’s a scam – and we’ll be asking the police to investigate.”
To avoid being a victim of this scam, ensure that you delete any e-mail that claims to offer you a compensation for the inconvenience of being stranded abroad and report to the relevant authority immediately. In addition, remember that these scammers have many tricks and so may pretend to be contacting you from any other organisation or corporation. Be warned.
Talking Point
What else can one do to avoid becoming a victim of opportunist scams?