BRITISH police are hunting for the mastermind of a holiday scam which left some families stranded in Cyprus and fleeced out of thousands of pounds.
The fraud is estimated to have pocketed the thief more than £140,000 in over 70 separate transactions by luring holidaymakers into renting nonexistent villas in the Protaras area.
The victims, the majority young families with children, dealt with a couple claiming to be called Michael and Susan Pouros.
The holiday packages, which boasted a villa with swimming pool, air conditioning and even airport transfers, were advertised on legitimate websites, making them seem all the more plausible.
One advert boasted: “This beautiful spacious villa is situated 5 minutes walk away from the famous Fig Tree Bay beach. Its location is perfect for those seeking a relaxing, luxury holiday and also for those seeking a more lively holiday”.
Most customers paid between £900- £2800 and all received confirmation emails from ‘Susan Pouros’ – leaving them to believe that there was little reason to be suspicious.
Most only found out they had been duped when Pouros stopped responding to emails and didn’t answer telephone calls.
Payments were made by Paypal and direct debit, with only a handful of victims purchasing a ‘fraud insurance’ scheme offered by the website, which offers a maximum of £700 in compensation.
In a statement to the Sunday Mail, the Metropolitan police said: “We can confirm an investigation is ongoing re allegations relating to a fraudulent advert which has appeared on websites advertising holiday property rentals.”
It is understood the entire scam is operated from London, with local officials being able to do nothing more than confirm that the properties, street addresses and Pouros couple “cannot be traced.”
The adverts which contained fake details and pictures have now been removed from the website and so far police have confirmed that no arrest has been made with inquiries continuing.
One of the victims of the fraud told how he spent £2,600, only to discover at the last minute that he had been fleeced.
“Suddenly we could not contact Mr. Pouros. Everything about what happened to us was disgusting, we all felt dazed it was a very intense experience,” he said. “How do you explain this to the kids and my wife in tears?”
“I have been told that these rental websites are impossible to police and open to fraud. I found that out the hard way.”
Owners Direct, the company which operates one of the rental websites, would only confirm the fraud in a one-line statement and refused to reveal the exact number of people scammed.
“We take all cases of fraud extremely seriously and we are currently assisting the police with their investigations into this matter.”
Last year, over 100 Britons made bookings for a fake villa in Ayia Napa, with most customers coughing up between £850 and £2,300. A handful of heartbroken customers arrived in Ayia Napa to discover their ‘dream villa’ was a plot of wasteland behind a hotel.
The City of London fraud squad said dozens of consumers were being caught out by fraudsters advertising non-existent properties online, with a dramatic increase in scams during August.
The UK’s trading regulator has repeatedly issued warnings about online scams and advised caution when booking holidays through private vendors.
Those booking holidays online are urged to pay by credit card or Visa debit card, as they can use chargeback rules to get a refund
Be protected
THE level of protection you have depends on how you pay for your holiday. Consider the following payment options before you send any money.
•Some owners may have a PayPal account, which allows you pay online via credit card. Payments by PayPal are covered for 45 days after payment, so if you pay your balance 6-8 weeks before this should give you enough time to make a claim following a fraud.
•Paying by credit card offers the most comprehensive protection from fraud. There is protection on most payments of £100 and above.
•Debit cards may offer some protection through the chargeback scheme, but this varies so check with your bank.
•Be wary of paying for accommodation by untraceable methods such as a wire transfer company.
