SPECIAL FRAUD ALERT: RELAY OPERATOR SCAM aka THE TTY OPERATOR
ARC reminds travel agents to be aware of scams in which individuals use TTY relay operator systems for the deaf in an attempt
to defraud your travel agency. The perpetrators, purporting to be deaf or from a missionary, place a call to an agency via
the TTY system so that a relay operator will speak for them. The perpetrators type a message to the operator which is then
passed along to the agent by the speaking operator. This message will request ticketing information from the agent for travel.
During this conversation or the next the perpetrator will attempt to obtain the agent’s email address in order to communicate
with the agent directly without the relay operator.
According to other travel agents, once this contact has been completed the perpetrators will use multiple credit cards to pay
for these transactions. These cards will usually generate an approval code even thought the cards are stolen or otherwise
compromised, resulting in a chargeback to the agency! The agent is then responsible for the cost of the transaction plus the
service fee and the perpetrators have taken a flight at the agent’s expense!
Most of the travel that is requested is from ACC or LOS to these airports: LHR, JFK, SIN, HKG, JNB, SIN and YYZ.
ARC reminds travel agents that not all relay operator calls are scams! It is always best to know your customers.
