Tips to protect yoursef from Hajj scams

Suleiman al-Shaer, one young Palestinian man wit an Egyptian passport, sidon inside office of di National Committee for Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia, for mixed state of heartbreak and shock.

A few hours ago, im discover say im don fall victim to wetin im call scam by wetin im believe say na "fake" Hajj company wey send am go forge pilgrimage permits.

Less dan one week earlier, Suleiman bin arrive in Mecca from Egypt wit a Saudi visitor visa.

Di moment im land, im contact company wey advertise Hajj packages on social media at wetin im view as "attractive" prices. Im hope to get permit wey go allow am to perform di pilgrimage.

E say im fall into di trap of a "misleading" advert wey one company bin post wey claim to be based for di United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"I pay dem (di company) 6,000 dirhams ($1,600) to obtain a licence to perform Hajj.

"Dem send me di permit and a barcode for Hajj. But, I later discover say dem don defraud me becos all di papers dey forged."

Di revelation mean say Suleiman dey unable to perform Hajj dis year, and has to come to terms say di company let him down.

E say im don fail to get di refund becos dia representatives don stop to dey answer im calls.

"I feel both shocked and heartbroken. I don lose both my money and my Hajj," im tok.

Dem no allow am entri into Hajj

Saad al-Qurashi na adviser to di National Committee for Hajj and Umrah, wey dey oversee tourism companies within Saudi Arabia and verify di validity of permits wey pipo issue for di pilgrimage.

E tell di BBC say many pipo like Suleiman only realise say dem don fall victim to fraud wen dem arrive at di committee headquarters.

Dem receive a devastating shock wen dem attempt to complete Hajj procedures and receive bracelets, wey pilgrims dey usually wear to show say dem legally dey dia.

"Wen [Hajj permit holders] come to us wit Hajj permits and barcodes, we find out say dem receive forged papers and identification cards from fake companies. Wen dis happun, di pesin go dey banned from di Hajj, aft losing plenty money wey dem transfer to dis companies."

Al-Qurashi, wey serve on di committee wey belong to di Council of Saudi Chambers, reveal say many gangs dey active in Egypt, Syria and Iraq dis Hajj season.

E say only am discover at least three "scams" in one week.

Last minute package deal warning

Dem warn Al-Qurashi to watch out for companies wey dey offer "last-minute packages", and often include cheap deals wey dey heavily promoted on social media.

Suleiman al-Shaer, wey tok to di BBC by phone from di office of di National Committee for Hajj and Umrah, say e make mistake by transferring funds to one company wey im don spend too little time to verify.

Im advise anybody against transferring money to individual or representatives of overseas companies, wey fit dey use unofficial means to issue Hajj permits.

Fake reviews and adverts wey dey decieve pipo

Suleiman no be di only one wey lose out through Hajj tourist tickets wey lead to nothing.

Farouk Abdel Wahab, one UK-based doctor, bin tell di BBC say im neva imagine say him and im family go dey left out of pocket afta booking wit a UK-based tourist operator.

Farouk, wey be from Pakistani origin, tell di BBC say im gatz fight a long battle wit a company wey promise am sometin wey dey unavailable.

E eventually recover di £7,000 ($9,000) wey im and im family don transfer as a deposit for a Hajj package - but only afta mounting im own campaign to refund am.

Three years later, e make am to Mecca outside of di Hajj period by booking wit more popular travel agencies.

Nusuk platform

Farouk experience na since 2020.

Na two years bifor official procedures for booking Hajj packages for Muslims in Europe, di US and Australia, dey limited to di Nusuk platform, wey di Saudi authorities introduce.

Through Nusuk, pilgrims fit select from plenty Hajj packages, submit required documents, den confam payment to official entities and trusted tourism companies.

In addition to di Nusuk platform, Saudi Arabia only allow pilgrims wey dey live in di kontri to perform Hajj afta dem register through di official website of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

Pilgrims from oda Muslim kontris fit perform Hajj afta obtaining visa through official Hajj affairs agencies for dia kontris.

Saudi Arabia dey give quota to visitors from many nations. Na 1,000 pipo for evri million Muslims for di kontri.

Farouk say: ‘Shortly bifor di Covid pandemic, six members of my family and myself wan perform Hajj.

"So, we go one company wey we think say get record, and pay plenty money to secure di Hajj package.

"But during dat year, Hajj was cancel becos of di pandemic.

"So, I ask for a refund, and no get response for a whole year. I gatz carry dem go court."

Di court order di company to reimburse am.

Farouq start proceedings to recover im money, but realise say di firm don shut down wen im check dia registration on one goment website.

E say: ‘Wen I dey write down di company details for di lawsuit [to enforce di judgement], such as dia registered number and advertised address, I discover say di company don pack-up and no longer exist.

'Dis na trust, brother'

E say during di time e try to get a refund, di company representatives use "religious language".

E include tins like "Dis na trust, brother" and saying dat dem dey "committed to refunding it".

Farouk say e find no oda way to try to recover im money except to try to shame di former company owners by posting im tori on social media.

One new company contact am and say e go pay am back small small.

"Na only wen my video go viral di company start to dey contact me and refund di money to me through anoda firm," e tok.

Di BBC don try to contact di company wey arrange di refunds small small.

E don fail to respond to request wey we send to dia advertised email address, phone numbers and messages on social media accounts.

Tips to protect yoursef from Hajj scams

UK police advise pipo to carefully select tourism company wey be member of a recognised trade association, such as di Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).

Many kontris get such bodies. Dem include di Association of di Indonesian Tour & Travel Agencies, di Pakistan Association of Tour Operators, di Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria and di Travel and Tourism Agencies Council in di United Arab Emirates.

Travel logistics firm Ezus get list of many kontri tourism associations.

Di UK ABTA advise say all agreements between travellers and companies dey documented and signed in contracts display di terms and conditions, rather dan rely on phone calls or verbal agreements.

One of di lessons wey Farouk learn na to avoid to dey depend on positive online reviews.

"For my experience, many fake companies pay plenty money to pipo to write fake good reviews and post dem online. And many pipo fall victim to scams afta dem buy pilgrimage packages becos of misleading advertisements,’ e tok.

According to Saudi goment statistics, di number of pilgrims ova di last year exceeded 1.8 million, wit 90% of dem coming from abroad.

Di council estimate say only 3% of di total number of pipo wey don dey scammed dey file official reports, and di average age of di most vulnerable pilgrims na 42.

One tok-tok pesin for di council tell di BBC say di introduction of di Nusuk platform don reduce Hajj fraud well well.

Di platform dey reduce di booking process for pilgrims from 126 kontris and verify all identification documents and financial transfers to fulfil conditions for booking Hajj packages.