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An elderly couple from Leicester were devastated to discover they had fallen victim to a travel scam after losing over £2,500 on a trip they had been eagerly planning for eight years. Dinesh, 80, and Shashikala Jansari, 78, believed they had secured a two-month journey to visit family in Gujarat, India, through the well-known travel company Expedia. However, their excitement turned to shock when, upon arriving at Heathrow Airport ready to board their flight, they found out the tickets were fraudulent.
The Jansaris are experienced travelers, typically booking their international trips through travel agents. This time, seeking cheaper options, Dinesh opted to find a deal online. Unbeknownst to them, the website they used was a counterfeit version of Expedia’s legitimate site. Their booking process shifted to a WhatsApp conversation with an account posing as Fly Expedia, which appeared authentic and ultimately convinced them to transfer the money for their flights. Shashikala mentioned, “It was a very good deal. And the name said Expedia, which my husband had heard about.” The scammers managed to initiate contact through WhatsApp, which led to the couple securing the booking.
When the couple reached Heathrow, they faced confusion at the airline check-in desk as their reservation could not be located. An airline staff member then informed them that their tickets were fake, leaving the Jansaris stunned. Due to the exorbitant cost of purchasing new tickets at the airport—around £5,000 each—they had to return to Leicester without flying. Shashikala described the distressing ordeal: “I just started panicking and my husband was very stressed,” she recalled.
Following the incident, the Jansaris reported the scam to the authorities and contacted their bank, which informed them that recovering the lost money was unlikely. Despite these setbacks, they managed to arrange a legitimate booking through a Leicester travel agent and flew to Ahmedabad a week later. Throughout this experience, Shashikala urged others to remain cautious, particularly older people who may be more vulnerable. She advised, “I would advise people to ask the younger generation to help them—scammers are everywhere.” Expedia responded by emphasizing that all authentic transactions should be made via their official website or app, cautioning travelers against engaging through unofficial channels. Meanwhile, local initiatives, including sessions run by Healthy Living at the Rushey Mead Recreation Centre, offer fraud awareness and advice to vulnerable individuals on verifying online contacts and using trusted websites. Leicestershire Police’s fraud supervisor Nicole McIntyre highlighted the prevalence of fraud and cybercrime, encouraging people to seek advice from trusted sources before making any online payments
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