Ticket fraud catches air travellers

Press, 18 January 1986, Page 12

Ticket fraud catches air travellers

PA Auckland Auckland air travellers have been caught in a multi-million dollar Nigeria-based airline ticket fraud. Air New Zealand impounded three bogus Auck-land-Los Angeles tickets before one flight this week and several others have been discovered since Janu-

ary 1. The passengers had bought them from United States travel agents and had to buy new tickets, at $2052 each, before boarding their flights.

In some cases, Air New

Zealand issued tickets on guarantee that payment would be made. The International Air Transport Association in Montreal told the Auckland “Star” yesterday that a bundle of tickets had been transferred from Nigeria to the United States and exchanged for others or sold to travel agencies. The unsuspecting travellers bought the tickets, which, were not identified as bogus in the United States, and flew to New Zealand, the newspaper said. Air New Zealand staff at Auckland Airport noticed in-

correct code numbers after being alerted by I.A.T.A. to watch for the’frauds.

The tickets are believed to have been used on other international airlines and to other destinations. LAT-A. would not reveal the methods used to get the tickets from Nigeria into the United States travel agencies. “We never publicise these frauds,” a spokesman said. “There is no point in letting the public know how it is done.”

The bogus tickets had been sold only in the United States. . .