p4 news mar6 4/3/09 20:09 Page 4
news
06.03.2009
Crooks’ assets
Fraud-hit director
set to be seized
opens door to staff
Chetan Patel, boss of an agent jailed for nine months
for defrauding A1 Travel agency, offers advice to any
C
O
other staff struggling financially. By Rupert Murray
STO
VER
R
Y
A TRAVEL agent boss who was ate so we are trying to
defrauded out of £10,000 by a operate an open-door policy
trusted employee is encouraging encouraging any staff struggling
staff to seek his help to prevent financially to come to us for help.
money worries from turning them “If all travel companies do this,
to crime. we could eliminate a proportion of
Chetan Patel, director of the threat of fraud.”
Essex-based A1 Travel, acted after Patel said he discovered Nyman
sales agent Dean Nyman, 36, was was giving away holidays to loan
jailed for nine months at Snares- sharks to whom he owed money.
brook Crown Court for giving away holidays as a By the time Patel found out, Nyman had given
ABTA and the CAA are hoping to recoup millions way of paying off his own debts. away nine trips, which he had booked using
of pounds from one of the most prolific gangs of “He was a likeable guy and everyone was in other agents’ codes.
fraudsters to ever target the travel industry. shock when this came out,” said Patel. A1 Travel was left out of pocket because of
A confiscation hearing that will seek to seize “An example had to be made here to show Nyman’s crimes. Patel said that while it had
assets from the gang of fraudsters will take place everyone that there are serious consequences.” been distressing for him and his staff, he saw the
later this month, just over a year after they were Patel hopes that by offering Nyman’s former episode as a valuable lesson learned.
jailed for a combined total of 18 years. colleagues advice if they are struggling finan- Patel has already altered the agent log on
Last February, Christakis Philippou, Evangelia cially, A1 Travel will not fall foul to criminal activ- system for bookings.
Liogka, Timothy Entwisle and Peter Kemp were ity again, particularly as the recession bites. Snaresbrook Crown Court heard how Nyman
sent to prison having been found guilty of Patel urged other firms to follow his example. had been convicted previously in 1997 for the
defrauding an estimated £18 million from “People are increasingly hard up and desper- same offence at ITC Worldwide in Manor Park.
would-be holidaymakers.
Philippou and Entwisle were found guilty of
five counts of fraud and Liogka of four counts
Are your company systems secure?
and rely on commission, are not getting as
following an eight-week trial. Kemp had earlier THE CHAIRMAN of travel anti-fraud group many calls and therefore money.
pleaded guilty. PROFiT has warned that firms are more “Every company needs to look at their
Abta and the CAA were two of the big losers, vulnerable to fraudsters in a downturn. system and ensure it doesn’t give anyone room
along with credit card companies and thousands Barry Gooch, Teletext head of compliance, to commit a fraud.”
of consumers. said all firms should review their systems to One of PROFiT’s aims is to help companies
Since the trial ended an investigation into the make sure fraudsters cannot operate in their put in more secure systems.
gang’s finances has taken place to ascertain how companies. And Gooch agreed with Patel that an open-
much money is left. He said the situation A1 Travel had faced door policy would help stamp out fraud.
Judge Goymer, who also heard the original could become more widespread as difficult PROFiT has been invited to the Houses of
criminal case, will decide how much money economic conditions tempt some staff into Parliament by Nigel Evans MP for its next
can be clawed back and where it should go, at looking for ways to supplement their income. meeting, to take place on March 25.
Southwark Crown Court. “A lot of people are struggling. Call centre
The hearing is due to begin on March 23 and staff, for example, who have low basic wages ■ For more on fraud, go to ttglive.com/fraud
could take several weeks.
04 06.03.2009
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