Authorities in New Zealand and China are examining a large-scale airline ticket scam that has left nearly 200 people out of pocket and resulted in losses of around $600,000.
Victims, connected through a social media group, purchased what appeared to be legitimate international flights from a travel agency based in southwestern China, only to later discover the bookings either did not exist or had been cancelled.
Complaints began surfacing in November as travellers were unable to verify their tickets with airlines, prompting multiple victims to seek refunds that never materialised.
Some agents who unknowingly sold the tickets have refunded customers from their own savings, while others say they too were deceived. Police in both countries, working through Interpol, are now investigating the origins of the operation, which appears to have shut down after its physical office was found abandoned.
Authorities have urged the public to be wary of unusually cheap travel deals and to verify companies before making payments, as the number of confirmed victims continues to grow.
Image credit: Amir Hanna
Scams are destined to become more prevalent and elaborate
With the advances in technology available to determined criminals
And this is why we need digital ID for everyone’s safety