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Warning to Holidaymakers: Beware of Scammers Selling Points on Third-Party Websites

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Nigel Turner, a small business owner, was left hundreds of pounds out of pocket after he was defrauded by a scammer who claimed to be selling him British Airways loyalty points on a Facebook group. Turner paid £200 for 60,000 Avios points, which he thought would contribute towards two business class flights for a 10-day break to Corfu. However, it emerged that the points did not belong to the seller, and Turner was told by BA that they had been "fraudulently obtained".

Key Takeaways:

  • A young couple was left hundreds of pounds out of pocket after being defrauded by a scammer on a Facebook group who claimed to be selling them British Airways loyalty points.
  • The scammer sold Nigel Turner 60,000 Avios points for £200, which he thought would contribute towards two business class flights to Corfu.
  • BA told Turner that the points had been "fraudulently obtained" and removed them from his account, refunding him the additional legitimate Avios he used towards the flight.
  • Turner said the scammer had deleted their Facebook account, and he has now been refunded the £200 he paid.
  • Up to 60,000 Avios points can be transferred legitimately between people on the airline's website for an admin fee of £50.
  • The sale of the points had violated British Airways' terms and conditions as selling or buying "via outside sources" was forbidden.
  • The stolen Avios points had been restored to the person who they belonged to.
  • New rules requiring banks and other payment companies to reimburse fraud victims who have been tricked into sending money to scammers took effect last October.

Statistics:

  • £200: The amount of money Turner paid for the 60,000 Avios points that turned out to be fraudulent
  • £1,300: The cost of two business class flights that Turner had booked, which were cancelled due to the scam
  • £700: The cost of the non-refundable hotel booking and airport transfers that Turner was left with after the scam
  • £50: The admin fee charged by British Airways for transferring up to 60,000 Avios points between people on the airline's website

Sources:

  • [1] Turner, N. (no date). Personal account of being scammed on Facebook. (No date was specified in the original text)
  • [2] British Airways. (no date). Terms and Conditions. (No date was specified in the original text)
  • [3] [Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy] (no date). New rules for banks and payment companies to reimburse victims of scams. (No date was specified in the original text)

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