Dear Birders,
I appear to have had a very lucky escape when paying for a birding trip in East
Africa. I had a recommendation to a local birding company in the country
concerned and communicated with them a number of times regarding a private trip
I was organising. This communication was all done by e-mail with them using a
single e-mail address. After a number of exchanges I received an e-mail
(apparently) from the same e-mail address asking me to send the money to them
via Western Union. I did this and received an e-mail from the (apparently) same
e-mail acknowledging the receipt of the money. I also received advice from
Western Union that the money had been picked up..
A few days later I received an e-mail (again from the same e-mail address)
asking if I was still interested in the trip! I responded referring them to
their acknowledgement of the money. That night I had a phone call from the
company advising that they knew nothing of the money or the acknowledgement. I
sent them copies of all the exchanges. I have now received advice that someone
at their end has been arrested and that the birding company will recognise the
payment and my trip is on.
In researching the situation I have come to understand 2 key things
1) NEVER SEND MONEY TO A BUSINESS THROUGH WESTERN UNION. It might be fine for
sending instant cash to a friend or family member through WU but should not be
used for business transactions. This is because the security is pretty small.
If you receive a request from a bird guide to send money through WU I suggest
you phone the guide and say you need bank details. money sent through a bank is
more traceable.
2) NEVER RESPOND TO AN E-MAIL FROM AN “UNKNOWN” PARTY BY HITTING THE REPLY KEY.
My tech savvy brother has made me aware that it is quite easy for someone
setting out to do a scam to send an e-mail appearing to come from e-mail
address A but for the reply to actually go to a different e-mail address B. If
you have the genuine e-mail address in your address book and use that to
address the e-mail rather than hit the reply button you know what address the
e-mail has actually gone to.
I stress that the birding company and Western Union appear to have behaved
honourably at all times. I also appreciate that it is only through their
efforts the perpetrator of the attempted fraud appears to have been caught. I
will, however, be more careful in the future and thought it worth sharing this
experience with other birders who might be thinking of chasing birds in distant
parts of the globe.
regards
Peter Marsh
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