Category: Scams
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Accommodation booking scams
As an accommodation provider displaying your property and contact details on the internet, you may be the target of internet scams in which people attempt to defraud you by posing as legitimate travellers or travel agents. These scams typically originate as emails from overseas sources. Some tell-tale signs that you may be dealing with a…
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Amanda Stichbury, Accommodation Find, Internet Find and Special Days false billing scam continues
Many business owners, particularly those in the travel and tourism industry, will be familiar with the long running false billing scam perpetrated by Amanda Stichbury – director of the companies Special Days Pty Ltd, Accommodation Find Pty Ltd and Internet Find Pty Ltd. How the scam originally functioned was that business owners would receive what…
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Trademark registration scam from WOTRA – World Organization for Trademarks
Businesses in Australia who have registered a trademark are currently being hit by a scam that originates from a company that calls themselves WOTRA – World Organization for Trademarks. Their website is located at wotra-register.com. An example of one of their letters, which strongly resembles an invoice that requires payment, is shown below. Registering a…
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Queensland fraudster Amanda Stichbury fined yet again
Many people operating businesses in the travel and tourism industries will be familiar with the long-running false billing scams perpetrated by Amanda Jane Stichbury and her companies Accommodation Find Pty Ltd, Internet Find Pty Ltd, and Special Days Pty Ltd. Many businesses were sent either invoices or renewal letters concerning advertising on her large network…
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Warning: trademark renewal from PTMO – Patent & Trademark Organisation
A number of trademark owners in Australia, particularly those in the high profile travel and tourism sector, have recently received an official looking letter from PTMO (Patent & Trademark Organisation) advising that their trademark is expiring and the steps that need to be taken to renew it. Trademarks, or brands, are used to uniquely identify…
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Careful with Victoria Tourism & www.victoriatourism.com.au listing renewals
A number of accommodation managers in Victoria have been receiving unsolicited emails requesting that they renew their listing on the Victoria Tourism website at www.victoriatourism.com.au. Before going any further, it is very important to note that Victoria Tourism is in no way related to the official government tourism organisation of Tourism Victoria. In fact, the…
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Fined and convicted – Amanda Stichbury & Special Days Pty Ltd false billing scam
Over the years, a significant number of businesses in Australia, including accommodation and tourism operators, have received unsolicited bills in the mail for advertising they never ordered. This is known as “false billing” and its aim is to trick businesses into paying money. It is similar to someone unexpectedly turning up at your door with…
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Website domain registration scam by Domain Name Group
Last week, we reported the domain registration scam by DomainRegister. Now, a week later, another one has popped up, this time by Domain Name Group. It’s very similar to the DomainRegister scam – you are sent an official looking document which resembles an invoice that needs to be paid. The document comes from: Domain Name…
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Website domain registration scam by DomainRegister
If you have registered an internet domain for your website, you may be the target of scams by other domain registrars who may employ a number of procedures to trick you into registering additional similar domains at inflated prices. These organisations are able to find out your contact details, as the registered domain owner, by…
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Holiday Great Ocean Road & www.holidaygreatoceanroad.com false billing scam
Accommodation businesses operating within the Great Ocean Road region in Victoria have been on the receiving end of a false billing scam. It has been operating since 2012, resulting in bills being sent out for unauthorised advertising on a tourism website. Invoices are being sent out by Holiday Great Ocean Road for advertising on the…