Commissioner's Column 

Western Australians who advertise accommodation over the Internet should be wary of accepting travellers cheques, postal orders and bank cheques from overseas.

The Australian Customs Service has intercepted a number of counterfeit cheques and postal orders addressed to potential victims of accommodation scams.

Overseas scammers are booking accommodation using counterfeit money orders and travellers and bank cheques, then cancelling their bookings a short time later.

When cancelling bookings, they request refunds be wired to them through money transfer services such as Western Union.

This money is untraceable and accommodation providers have been left out of pocket. In some instances this has been reported to be by amounts as much as $4000.

These counterfeit cheques and postal orders look authentic and it can be weeks before the cheques are rejected by financial institutions as forgeries.

By this time, accommodation providers have already sent the money to the scammers.

These scammers are targeting boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, and individuals advertising homes or rooms for rent on the Internet.

The Australian Customs Service recently intercepted a batch of about 180 postal orders and counterfeit travellers and bank cheques that originated from South Africa and totalled more than $126,000.

Customs have passed on details to the Western Australian Police Major Fraud Squad.

We believe this is only the tip of the iceberg and many more accommodation providers are being targeted in these types of overpayment and holiday bookings scams.

Consumer Protection along with the Australian Customs Service and WA Police will continue to work together to stop these organised white-collar criminals from fleecing innocent Western Australians.

Anne Driscoll

Western Australian Commissioner for Consumer Protection