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A couple was recently reimbursed £2,500 after being caught in a scam involving fake flight tickets. Dinesh and Shashikala Jansari discovered the fraud at Heathrow Airport when they were denied boarding due to invalid tickets. Initially, Santander, the bank they reported the scam to, refused to refund the money, prompting the couple to escalate their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
The Jansaris, who have a history of booking trips through travel agents, decided this time to try and find cheaper flights online for a long-anticipated journey to visit family in Gujarat. Dinesh believed he was using the official Expedia website but was instead directed to a fraudulent page that transitioned their communication to a WhatsApp account named Fly Expedia. Following instructions from the scammer, the couple transferred £2,502 directly to the fraudster’s account.
The reality of the scam only hit the couple at the airport check-in counter when they were informed their tickets were fake. Shashikala recalled the shock and panic they felt: “We were shocked when we found out they were scam tickets. We were at the airport ready to go. I just started panicking and my husband was very stressed.” After declining to purchase the much more expensive legitimate tickets offered at the airport, they returned home empty-handed. Although they reported the incident to both Santander and Report Fraud, the bank initially dismissed any chance of recovering their funds, blaming the couple for making the transfer.
Their son, Asit Jansari, took the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which intervened and contacted the bank. Following a review, Santander acknowledged the scam and reimbursed the full amount. Asit described the process as “a struggle” but was pleased with the outcome, saying, “Within a week I got a call from the branch manager to say the transfer would be looked into again.” Shashikala expressed relief and gratitude saying, “We never thought we would get the money back. People heard my story and in the end it was a happy ending. We are really happy and really grateful to all the people who helped us.”
Santander issued a statement confirming they had refunded the £2,500 stolen by scammers and advised customers to stay vigilant when booking travel, highlighting that over £74,000 had been lost to travel scams in the first three months of the year. They warned about fake tickets, cloned websites, and offers that seem “too good to be true,” urging people to trust their instincts and double-check before making payments.
Despite their experience, the Jansaris eventually managed to travel to Ahmedabad after booking a legitimate trip through a trusted Leicester travel agent. They hope sharing their story will raise awareness about the dangers of online scams, especially targeting older adults. Shashikala continues to participate in fraud prevention sessions at Rushey Mead Recreation Centre’s Healthy Living program, where she shares her experience to help others and gain confidence in spotting scams. She commented, “Scammers are very clever, they use old people like us.”
A spokesperson for Expedia emphasized the importance of using official channels for bookings: “All legitimate transactions with Expedia should take place through our official website or mobile app. Travellers should never receive a message like this [the instruction to switch to WhatsApp] from our team.” They advised customers with concerns about payments to contact their banks directly. The Financial Ombudsman Service has also been approached for comment on the case
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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