I am afraid not. You have been a victim of what’s known as secondary phishing.
The owner’s own email – outside the online agent’s website and control – has
been hacked and compromised.
HomeAway is simply an advertising portal and customer inquiries are directed
to the property owner’s personal email address. The fraudster intercepts the
inquiry email and either hides it or deletes it from the owner’s inbox and
takes over the reservation.
HomeAway receives a copy of all inquiries through its website. As soon as it
is alerted to a phishing fraud, it sends a warning to all travellers who
have inquired about the property. Unfortunately this came too late to
prevent your bank-to-bank transfer.
Looking at the email trail for your reservation, it is easy – with hindsight –
to see that this could be a fraud. There is no phone number or address on
any of the emails or booking form, and Enrich Tuset is asking for money to
be sent to a bank in Barcelona when the property is in Lanzarote. (In a
similar fraud, a reader renting a ski chalet in France sent money to a bank
in the Czech Republic.)
There is a very simple way to avoid becoming a victim of this kind of
accommodation fraud: ALWAYS phone the owner’s number displayed on the
HomeAway webpage before making any payment. Many property owners now accept
credit card payments either direct or through PayPal. Never use instant
money transfer services such as Western Union and MoneyCorp.
Cruises in Turkey and Greece
We would like to join a small-boat cruise around the coast of Turkey or the
Greek Aegean with an on-board expert guide to the classical sites. Comfort
and good food are important to us.
Chrissie Sykes, Bath
Gill Charlton replies
Several companies operate cultural cruises in this area using traditional
wooden motor yachts that sleep up to 18. There are double and twin cabins,
all en suite, and most meals are served on board.
Peter Sommer Travels (01600 888220; petersommer.com)
has an impressive programme of one-week cruises around the Turkish Aegean
and Mediterranean coastline for around £1,995 per person full board,
excluding flights. There is also a special two-week cruise around the Greek
Cyclades in May for £3,675 led by Heinrich Hall, who worked on many of the
local classical sites. The company uses top-end yachts and mixes meals on
board with visits to the best local restaurants.
Ace Cultural Tours (01223 841055; aceculturalcruises.co.uk)
has introduced a new programme of lecturer-led cruises including two
good-value, 14-night Lycian cruises for £2,690, including all meals,
admissions, tips and flights.
Westminster Classic Tours (020 8286 7842; wct99.com)
has space left on its October cruises, including a new 12-night
Caria-and-Rhodes itinerary for £2,350 full board, excluding flights. Gulets
sleep 12 plus two guest lecturers.
A bed in London for the Jubilee
My husband and I are looking for affordable accommodation in London for three
nights over the Jubilee weekend in June. We are taking the car so need
parking too. Can you direct us to inexpensive places?
Christine Thomas, Cheltenham, Gloucs
Gill Charlton replies
First, leave the car at home and take the train. Car parks in central London
cost around £35 a day and there is no free street parking. Rail tickets for
the Cheltenham-London Paddington line are already on sale through
firstgreatwestern.co.uk from £46.50 return.
Be aware that cheap London hotels can be very basic, with tiny rooms. The
hotel agent Booking.com is a good place to start looking. I found a
double room at St Giles in Bloomsbury for £131 per night over the Jubilee
weekend.
Another option is to find b??b in a privately owned London house or
apartment. The long-established London Bed Breakfast Agency (londonbb.com)
has 60 homes on its books offering a double room with breakfast for around
£80 per night. Also have a look at the accommodation website Sawdays.co.uk,
which lists 48 private b??bs in London.
Amending passport contacts
What is the correct method of amending the last page of our current passports
headed “Emergencies”? Our emergency contact’s address has changed.
Sonia Graves, Rutland
Gill Charlton replies
The Identity and Passport Service says that you can strike out old contact
details and write the new ones above if there is space. New details can also
be written on a separate sheet of paper and attached to the Emergencies page
as long as this doesn’t damage any other pages.
Is my cruise holiday safe?
In January I paid a substantial deposit to 1st4Cruising for a cruise from Los
Angeles to Hawaii in November. I have now received a letter from Hays Travel
saying that 1st4Cruising has gone into liquidation and my reservation has
been taken over by Hays Travel. As I have to pay a considerable balance for
the cruise in July should I be concerned at the change in travel agent?
Charles Nunn, The Wirral, Cheshire
Gill Charlton replies
1st4Cruising is one of 200 independent travel agents operating under licence
from Hays Travel and trading on its Atol and Abta membership numbers.
Fortunately, your legal contract for the cruise has always been with Hays
Travel, the tour organiser, and your deposit was paid direct to the company.
You have nothing to worry about. Hays Travel will now take over the
administration of the reservation and send you an invoice for the balance
when this becomes due. As added security, I would pay £1 by credit card and
the remainder by debit card. By paying only this small amount by credit card
you obtain insolvency cover under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act for
the entire cost of the holiday, and avoid the two per cent credit card
payment fee.
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