NEWS 1


The Fraud Intelligence Network aims to stop convicted fraudsters such as Rita Hunter (inset) from switching consortium


YOU NEED TO KNOW


at a glance


What is Fin? The Fraud Intelligence Network is a database of information and a common standard of minimum checks for consortia to use when assessing potential members.


What’s its aim? To stop fraudsters joining travel agency groups and “consortia-hopping”.


How big is its database? It has 1,000 criminals that have been active recently, of which six have been stopped from joining member groups since its soft launch in June.


New database ramps up fight against agent fraud


Juliet Dennis juliet.dennis@travelweekly.co.uk


Six criminals within six months have been prevented from “consortia-hopping” thanks to the trades first industryide raud intelligence dataase


The Fraud Intelligence Network


(Fin) is a database of more than 1,000 criminals. After a soft launch in une, it offiially launhes this week, at the culmination of the Prevention of Fraud in Travel rofit yberrime ampaign Seure ur Systems, run in partnership with rael eely. in has reated an industry


standard for vetting travel agents applying to oin an organisation, to ensure fraudsters are unable to trade and switch between consortia.


rofit said in ould be piotal in


stopping onited fraudsters, suh as Rita Hunter, from continuing to commit crimes. The launch follows the ailing of the former homeworker last month for fraud. arry ooh, rofit hairman,


said in represented a model all trael membership organisations should adopt, to retain onfidene in the industry, as well as to drie down the risks and costs of crime.  signifiant issue for the


trael industry has been the way criminals have been able to commit fraud as a diretor of one ompany that is a member of a consortium, then move to another and commit fraud again because there has been no established, legal method of sharing suh information, he said. his new standard guarantees that a minimum level of checks


4travelweekly.co.uk6 December 2018


“This new standard guarantees that a minimum level of checks is performed”


is performed, inluding the use of intelligence about criminal behaiour. he networ has identified


si agents who applied to oin a member’s organisation, having falsely delared they had not committed fraud. Protected Trust Services,


whih has 160 agent and operator members, bloed an appliant last week thanks to a warning from Fin. Head of communications Jacqui


leaer said e were sent an alert about a person operating under different names and trying


Who are its members? They include Advantage Travel Partnership, Protected Trust Services, The Travel Network Group, Midcounties Co-op Travel, Abta, Aito, dnata and Hays Travel. Fin is also in talks with airlines and companies in other sectors, such as insurance.


to oin different groups. e was spending lients money and not fulfilling booings. e do our own etensie


hes, but this entral point of intelligene ats as etra seurity. e also alert in about appliants if we smell a rat. ita unter would not hae got away with it had in been in plae. dantage rael artnership


operations diretor aul unn said  number of unsrupulous individuals were consortia- hopping. e are ommitted to preenting independent agents image being tarnished. ays rael ndependene


roup finane manager arbara lashaw added ee seen huge growth in the homeworker market and this is where you see the most ris. e are losing the ba door.


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