An elderly Indian-origin couple from Leicester, England, lost more than £2,500 after falling victim to a sophisticated online flight ticket scam, police said. The couple only realized they had been scammed when they tried to check in for their flight at London’s Heathrow Airport, PTI reported.Dinesh Jansari, 80, and his wife Shashikala, 78, booked what they believed were legitimate return tickets to Ahmedabad, India, through a travel service they believed were authentic. They were planning to visit India for two months, but their travel plans collapsed when airline employees told them that the tickets were fake.The Gansaris moved from Uganda to Leicester more than 50 years ago and had previously traveled abroad using a travel agent.
They had been planning this return trip for eight years and decided to look for a cheaper deal online this time. During the booking process, they were contacted via WhatsApp by someone claiming to represent a well-known travel company. The scammers used the name “Fly Expedia”, leading the couple to believe they were dealing with a trustworthy service.“It was a very good deal, and the name was Expedia, which my husband had heard of,” Shashikala said.
She added: “I don’t know how.” [the scammer] “I got his number, but he started chatting on WhatsApp, and my husband booked with them.”The couple arranged a separate bus transfer to the airport, which was canceled at short notice, so their son drove them from Leicester to Heathrow. Upon check-in, the airline staff could not find the reservation and confirmed that the tickets were fake. “I just thought, what should I do?” Shashikala said.The Jansaris were finally able to fly a week later after booking through a legitimate travel agent. They reported the scam to police and their bank, despite being told the money was unlikely to be recovered.This experience made the couple warn others, especially elderly travellers, about the dangers of online booking fraud. They stressed the importance of checking websites and contacts before making payments.Nicola McIntyre, Fraud Supervisor at Leicestershire Police, added that online fraud now accounts for half of all reported crimes in England and Wales. She urged people to check with family and trusted friends before transferring money and to check any online booking from official sources.
