Fake flights cash repaid after watchdog appeal

A couple who were tricked into paying £2,500 for fake flights have had their money reimbursed by their bank following an appeal to the financial watchdog.

Dinesh, 80, and Shashikala Jansari, 78, from Leicester, were unaware they had booked their two-month trip to India with fraudsters and only found out at the airport check-in in November.

The pair reported the scam to Santander but were told it was unable to refund the money, which led them to make an appeal to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

The bank has now said after a review of Mr and Mrs Jansari's case the money had been reimbursed, adding it had "the utmost sympathy" for those who are targeted by criminals.

The Jansaris have enjoyed travelling over the years and had previously booked their trips abroad through a travel agent.

However, on this occasion Dinesh decided to shop around online for a cheaper deal for their trip they had planned for eight years to visit relatives in Gujarat.

He believed he was dealing with the travel website Expedia but he had ended up on a fake page that then moved his inquiry on to a WhatsApp conversation with an account called Fly Expedia.

The scammer asked for a direct bank transfer of £2,502, which the couple paid.

The couple had no idea they had been tricked until they arrived at the airline check-in desk at London's Heathrow Airport and were told they had fake tickets.

Shashikala said: "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."

The couple made the journey back to Leicester after declining to buy tickets for the same flight at a cost of £5,000 each.

The scam was reported to Report Fraud and Santander - but they were told it was unlikely their money would be recovered.

Shashikala said: "The bank said it was our fault because we transferred the money."

Their son, Asit Jansari, said he appealed to the financial watchdog, which prompted the bank to revisit the payment, and as a result it had reimbursed the full amount.

"It was the Financial Ombudsman that dealt with matter. It contacted the bank," Asit said.

"Within a week I got a call from the branch manager to say the transfer would be looked into again."

He said a few days later the bank concluded his parents had been scammed and the money would be repaid, adding the process was "a struggle".

Shashikala said: "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."

A Santander spokesperson said: "After reviewing Mr and Mrs Jansari's case, we have reimbursed the £2,500 that was stolen by the scammers."

The bank urged customers to "stay alert" when booking a trip.

A spokesperson said in the first three months of the year it had seen more than over £74,000 in travel-related scams, with fraudsters using fake tickets, cloned websites and "too good to be true deals" to target consumers.

"If something doesn't feel right, trust your instincts and take a moment to double-check before making a payment," they said.

The Jansaris did manage to travel to Ahmedabad after booking a later trip through a travel agent in Leicester.

The couple hope their experience will act as a warning to others to be aware that scammers "are everywhere".

Shashikala said: "Scammers are very clever, they use old people like us."

She said she has continued to attend sessions run by Healthy Living at Rushey Mead Recreation Centre, which provides fraud advice.

"I shared my story with the group. I wanted to help people," she said. "We have learned a few more things to look out for and it has given me a little more confidence."

A spokesman for Expedia said: "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."

The travel company added anyone with concerns about payments should contact their bank.

The Financial Ombudsman Service has been contacted for comment.

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