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This article covers the latest updates on Holiday swindlers: The rise of digital travel scams.
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The The Mediahas spoken to 10 other clients of Rafael Bessa. Together with Maria, Ana and Adriane they say they paid him $90,000 for services that were not provided.
We also spoke to Brazilian attorneyVictor Penido Machado, who is bringing a case against Rafael Bessa on behalf of nearly 50 clients. They paid a total of $183,000 for hotel bookings and other services that were not delivered, he says.
A similar pattern is repeated again and again, the attorneysays. Clients arrive at their destinations, find a hotel has not been paid for, and are unable to get Rafael Bessa to pay them back.
Approached by the BBC, Mr Bessa denied the allegations made by his former clients, saying he was “shocked”.
“I’m really surprised by the amount of errors, 90% of your facts are false,” he wrote.
The UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) says social media is increasingly being used by travel agents to persuade customers to buy a dream holiday – one that they too can look forward to posting on social media.
“Because they are being displayed on social media, tourists may have the perception that these services are more reliable than if they would find them on any regular website,” says UNWTO legal counsel, Alicia Gomez.
At the same time, digital travel scams are on the rise all over the world, Ms Gomez says.
“This has become a worldwideand systemic problem. Many national consumers and authorities are reporting an increase in online scams, and the number may be even higher as the shame and the guilt of tourists that fall for them discourage reporting.”
The UNWTO has developed a code for the protection of tourists, which it says clarifies the responsibilities of social media companies, governments and consumers and describes how governments and private companies can best work together.
Seven countries have signed up to the code so far, making it part of their national legislation, while others, including Brazil, are in the process of doing so.
Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook, told the BBC: “We don’t allow fraudulent activity on our platforms and work closely with law enforcement to support investigations and keep scammers out.
“We continue to invest in new technologies and spent approximately $5bn last year alone on safety and security.”
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