The City of London Police is joining forces with the Muslim community to stop the fraudsters who steal hundreds of thousands of pounds from pilgrims travelling to Mecca.
The criminals pose as legitimate travel operators, often offering discounts of up to 50 per cent on the normal price, but shortly before the departure the tour operator closes leaving the victim with no tour and no refund.
Last year more than 600 Muslims reported falling victim to Hajj fraud, some losing up to £20,000 and being left to sleep on the streets of Mecca.
And with the Association of British Hujjaj estimating only 10 per cent of Hajj fraud is reported, the true extent of the crime is yet to be uncovered, leaving fraudsters free to operate undetected.
As this year’s Hajj approaches (Nov 14-17), the City of London Police, supported by the Muslim community and PROFIT (Prevention of Fraud in Travel), is launching a campaign to counter this threat.
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