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Daily Express
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Bangkok among cities with more reported fraud incidents compared to lower-risk destinations
Published on: Friday, May 23, 2025 Published on: Fri, May 23, 2025 By: The Nation, ANN Text Size: In Bangkok, specifically, the report pinpoints taxi and car rental services as the primary areas where tourists encounter the most fraudulent activity. - Bernama pic for illustration only BANGKOK: Transactions in the Thai capital are more likely to encounter fraud compared to global cities like San Francisco, Dublin, Seoul, Budapest, and Edinburgh, which report notably lower rates, according to a new report from the Mastercard Economics Institute. The report, widely covered by CNBC, highlights the tourism industry as one of the sectors most vulnerable to fraudulent activities, with a substantial uptick in scams observed during peak travel seasons globally. According to the comprehensive study, fraud in travel agencies and tour bookings is more than four times higher than the average across other industries. Separately, the report also notes that reported fraud rates increased by more than 18% at popular summer destinations during warm periods, and a staggering 28% during the cold season at winter destinations. In Bangkok, specifically, the report pinpoints taxi and car rental services as the primary areas where tourists encounter the most fraudulent activity. Problems with taxis and car rentals account for a significant 48% of reported fraud cases in the city. Advertisement "Once payment is made, the tour may never materialise or may differ entirely from what was advertised," the report states, highlighting a common modus operandi. While the risk of being scammed varies greatly from city to city, transactions in Bangkok were more likely to experience fraud-related activities compared to some other destinations. David Mann, Chief Economist for Asia Pacific at the Mastercard Economics Institute, elaborated on these geographical differences. "In some destinations, you might find that most fraud originates from the travel sector and tour companies, while in other cities, fraud might occur in other businesses, such as food services. A clear example is Los Angeles, where we found that food businesses were the largest source of certain types of fraud." The report also specifically mentions that Phuket and Antalya (Turkey) see more fraudulent activity related to hotel bookings. Transaction in the Thai capital are more likely to encounter fraud compared to global cities like San Francisco, Dublin, Seoul, Budapest and Edinburgh, which report notably lower rates, according to to a new report from the Mastercard Economics Institute. The nature of scams also differs by location. Issues with taxis and car rentals, for example, account for a mere 2% of reported fraud cases in Hong Kong and Barcelona. However, this figure rockets to 66% in Jakarta, Indonesia, and as noted, a substantial 48% in Bangkok, underscoring the specific challenges faced by visitors to the Thai capital. Fraud within food service businesses is more prevalent in the US and the Middle East, accounting for 63% of reported cases in New York City. This includes instances of restaurants overcharging for meals or stealing credit card information from unsuspecting tourists. Beyond the holiday season itself, the report reveals a worrying trend of increased fraud during the booking stages of travel. Mann noted that fraud related to trip planning has risen by more than 12% over the past year. This includes deceptive practices such as overly-edited photographs, fake booking confirmation links designed to extract bank details, and other elaborate schemes. Mastercard advises travellers to be wary of unusually low prices, particularly those during popular summer periods that seem too good to be true, especially when booking for high-demand destinations with large numbers of tourists. To mitigate the risk of falling victim to scams, tourists are encouraged to utilise digital wallets linked to cashless payment applications such as Apple Pay, Google Wallet, or Samsung Pay, or bank apps. Additionally, purchasing travel insurance and booking trips with credit cards that offer robust fraud protection are recommended measures to safeguard against financial losses. The report also highlights the role of new technologies, such as tokenisation, in bolstering payment security. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Malay Mail
23-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
New Mastercard report helps tourists identify high-risk travel services
BANGKOK, May 21 — A new report by the Mastercard Economics Institute has flagged Thailand's capital city as a higher-risk destination for tourists compared to others like San Francisco and Dublin, particularly for fraud involving taxis and car rentals. These two services account for a staggering 48 per cent of all reported fraud cases in the city. "Once payment is made, the tour may never materialise or may differ entirely from what was advertised,' the Mastercard Economics Institute said in its study on 2025 travel trends released May 15. The study, which has been widely covered by global outlets including US broadcaster CNBC, paints a troubling picture of the global tourism industry. It identifies travel-related services such as tour packages and agency bookings as four times more likely to be involved in fraud compared to other sectors. During peak holiday periods, fraud rates at popular destinations surged by more than 18 per cent in summer hotspots and up to 28 per cent in winter destinations. David Mann, Mastercard Economics Institute's chief economist for Asia Pacific, noted that the type of scams tourists face can vary significantly depending on the city. 'In some destinations, you might find that most fraud originates from the travel sector and tour companies, while in other cities, fraud might occur in other businesses, such as food services,' he said. He cited Los Angeles as an example, where food-related businesses saw the highest fraud incidence. The Mastercard report also highlighted that hotel booking scams were more common in Phuket, Thailand, and Antalya, Turkiye. In contrast, cities with the lowest fraud reports include San Francisco in the US; Dublin in Ireland; Seoul, South Korea; Budapest in Hungary; and Edinburgh in Scotland. Cancun in Mexico, Hanoi in Vietnam, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Bangkok also saw higher travel-related fraud in comparison to those cities. The report revealed that taxi and rental-related fraud is far less common in places like Hong Kong and Barcelona, Spain, where such scams accounted for just 2 per cent of reported cases. But in Jakarta, Indonesia, the figure spikes to 66 per cent, mirroring Bangkok's own high rate of 48 per cent. Mastercard's findings suggest that while travel opens up new experiences, it also opens up opportunities for fraudsters.
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Bangkok among cities with more reported fraud incidents: Mastercard study
Problems with taxis and car rentals account for a significant 48 per cent of reported fraud cases in Bangkok. PHOTO: AFP Transactions in the Thai capital are more likely to encounter fraud compared to global cities like San Francisco, Dublin, Seoul, Budapest, and Edinburgh, which report notably lower rates, according to a new report from the Mastercard Economics Institute. The report, widely covered by CNBC, highlights the tourism industry as one of the sectors most vulnerable to fraudulent activities, with a substantial uptick in scams observed during peak travel seasons. According to the comprehensive study, fraud in travel agencies and tour bookings is more than four times higher than the average across other industries. This alarming trend is exacerbated by the fact that reported fraud rates increased by more than 18 per cent at popular summer destinations during warm periods, and a staggering 28 per cent during the cold season at winter destinations. In Bangkok, specifically, the report pinpoints taxi and car rental services as the primary areas where tourists encounter the most fraudulent activity. Problems with taxis and car rentals account for a significant 48 per cent of reported fraud cases in the city. 'Once payment is made, the tour may never materialise or may differ entirely from what was advertised,' the report states, highlighting a common modus operandi. While the risk of being scammed varies greatly from city to city, Bangkok finds itself in an unwelcome league. Mr David Mann, chief economist for Asia Pacific at the Mastercard Economics Institute, elaborated on these geographical differences. 'In some destinations, you might find that most fraud originates from the travel sector and tour companies, while in other cities, fraud might occur in other businesses, such as food services. A clear example is Los Angeles, where we found that food businesses were the largest source of certain types of fraud,' he said. The report specifically mentions that Phuket and Antalya, Turkey, see more fraudulent activity related to hotel bookings. Mastercard's data indicates that travellers reported the lowest rates of fraud in San Francisco, Dublin, Seoul, Budapest and Edinburgh. Conversely, cities where travellers reported a high incidence of fraud include Cancun, Hanoi, Dhaka and, notably, Bangkok. The nature of scams also differs by location. Issues with taxis and car rentals, for example, account for a mere 2 per cent of reported fraud cases in Hong Kong and Barcelona. However, this figure rockets to 66 per cent in Jakarta , and as noted, a substantial 48 per cent in Bangkok, underscoring the specific challenges faced by visitors to the Thai capital . THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Top city for tourist fraud
Holiday-makers planning trips to Bangkok and other popular Thai destinations should exercise significant caution, as a new report from the Mastercard Economics Institute has identified the Thai capital as a city where tourists are highly susceptible to fraud. The report, widely covered by CNBC, highlights the tourism industry as one of the sectors most vulnerable to fraudulent activities, with a substantial uptick in scams observed during peak travel seasons. According to the comprehensive study, fraud in travel agencies and tour bookings is more than four times higher than the average across other industries. This alarming trend is exacerbated by the fact that reported fraud rates increased by more than 18% at popular summer destinations during warm periods, and a staggering 28% during the cold season at winter destinations. In Bangkok, specifically, the report pinpoints taxi and car rental services as the primary areas where tourists encounter the most fraudulent activity. Problems with taxis and car rentals account for a significant 48% of reported fraud cases in the city. 'Once payment is made, the tour may never materialise or may differ entirely from what was advertised,' the report states, highlighting a common modus operandi. While the risk of being scammed varies greatly from city to city, Bangkok finds itself in an unwelcome league. David Mann, chief economist for Asia Pacific at the Mastercard Economics Institute, elaborated on these geographical differences. 'In some destinations, you might find that most fraud originates from the travel sector and tour companies, while in other cities, fraud might occur in other businesses, such as food services. 'A clear example is Los Angeles, where we found that food businesses were the largest source of certain types of fraud,' Mann said. The report specifically mentions that Phuket and Antalya, Turkiye, see more fraudulent activity related to hotel bookings. Mastercard's data indicates that travellers reported the lowest rates of fraud in San Francisco, Dublin, Seoul, Budapest and Edinburgh. — The Nation/ANN
Malay Mail
21-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Bangkok, Cancun and Hanoi top global list for tourist scams, Mastercard study finds
BANGKOK, May 21 — A new report by the Mastercard Economics Institute has flagged Thailand's capital city as a high-risk destination for tourists, particularly for fraud involving taxis and car rentals. These two services account for a staggering 48 per cent of all reported fraud cases in the city. 'Once payment is made, the tour may never materialise or may differ entirely from what was advertised,' Mastercard Economics Institute said in its study on 2025 travel trends released May 15. The study, which has been widely covered by global outlets including US broadcaster CNBC, paints a troubling picture of the global tourism industry. It identifies travel-related services such as tour packages and agency bookings as four times more likely to be involved in fraud compared to other sectors. During peak holiday periods, fraud rates at popular destinations surged by more than 18 per cent in summer hotspots and up to 28 per cent in winter destinations. David Mann, Mastercard Economics Institute's chief economist for Asia Pacific, noted that the type of scams tourists face can vary significantly depending on the city. 'In some destinations, you might find that most fraud originates from the travel sector and tour companies, while in other cities, fraud might occur in other businesses, such as food services,' he said. He cited Los Angeles as an example, where food-related businesses saw the highest fraud incidence. The Mastercard report also highlighted that hotel booking scams were more common in Phuket, Thailand, and Antalya, Turkiye. In contrast, cities with the lowest fraud reports include San Francisco in the US; Dublin in Ireland; Seoul, South Korea; Budapest in Hungary; and Edinburgh in Scotland. Among the cities with the highest fraud complaints were Cancun in Mexico, Hanoi in Vietnam, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Bangkok. The report revealed that taxi and rental-related fraud is far less common in places like Hong Kong and Barcelona, Spain where such scams accounted for just 2 per cent of reported cases. But in Jakarta, Indonesia the figure spikes to 66 per cent, mirroring Bangkok's own high rate of 48 per cent. Mastercard's findings suggest that while travel opens up new experiences, it also opens up opportunities for fraudsters.
