Tourism Dept urges South Africans to be wary of holiday scammers
Earlier this week, police arrested two women in Somerset West, Cape Town for allegedly running a fraudulent travel agency.
Picture: katyveldhorst from Pixabay
CAPE TOWN - The Tourism Department is warning South Africans to be wary of falling prey to holiday scammers.
Earlier this week, police arrested two women in Somerset West, Cape Town for allegedly running a fraudulent travel agency.
They promised about 80 customers, who paid upfront, a trip and accommodation in Thailand.
Department spokesperson, Tasneem Carrim, said that there were a few ways to check the authenticity of a travel agency.
"If the printing seems to be of poor quality, lots of spelling mistakes, the website links don't work, those are red flags that something is wrong with the company. Try to use the Tourism Grading Council, graded establishments because those have been verified."
She shared a few more tips on how to avoid being scammed.
"In general, you should look carefully at the quotation you received. Look for the premises of the supplier, the landline number, company registration number, whether they're a member of the Tourism Association and generally try not to share your banking details."
Carrim said anyone who had fallen victim to a tourism or travel-related scam could report it by calling the Tourism complaints office or emailing complaints@tourism.gov.za.