WA ScamNet issue warning on travel accomodation website

A travel accommodation website is listing properties for lease without the property owner’s permission, sparking West Australian official fears that the site is run by scammers.

WA ScamNet is currently investigating the origins and purpose of Travel Advisor Pro (TAP) but due to early indications that it is a scam, a decision has been made to issue an early warning to protect consumers from potential monetary loss.

Anyone who has booked a property through Travel Advisor Pro (TAP) should contact WA ScamNet at Consumer Protection by calling 1300 30 40 54 or emailing wascamnet@commerce.wa.gov.au

While this matter is looked into, WA Consumer Protection recommends that this site is not used to book holiday accommodation.

"Not only could you be paying scammers without securing a stay at the property, the unsecure nature of the site should be a concern and could expose you to data theft.

"Property owners whose properties have been advertised on Travel Advisor Pro (TAP) without their permission should also get in touch," the department said.

The Travel Advisor Pro (TAP) site appears to be based in the Netherlands even though it purports to be a UK-based business.

The website is not secure and WA Consumer Protection’s computer scanning systems identity it as potential threat stating: “Domain reported and verified as serving malware. Identified as a malicious domain or URL.”