Latest news with #AmyBennett
BBC News
02-07-2025
- BBC News
Holiday scam victims sent to North York Moors National Park office
A number of tourists turned up at a National Park's head office expecting to find a holiday cabin after falling victim to a Facebook North York Moors National Park Authority confirmed that those targeted by the booking fraud were directed to their headquarters in Helmsley instead of genuine fake website offered people a half-price stay in a holiday cabin with the postcode of the park offices, but uses the name of a real cabin based elsewhere in the Park staff received several calls and emails from victims of the scam and some customers even travelled to the Grade II-listed former vicarage. The authority's Nina Beadle said: "We've had several emails and phone calls from people who had booked, and wanted to check the address."Someone turned up last week who had booked a couple of days, and the postcode brings you to our head office."Amy Bennett, from Heckmondwike in West Yorkshire, booked a trip to the cabin after she saw an advert offering it at half-price on a Facebook reel. "I realised something was wrong as soon as I received the confirmation email as it listed details on the site which just didn't match what I was expecting," Ms Bennett said. "I researched a bit further and the address didn't exist, so I contacted my bank within 10 minutes of booking."In her confirmation email, Ms Bennett was told the accommodation was located on Runway Hollow Lane, near Upper Flixton, North Yorkshire Moors - a street and village which do not Bennett said she was initially denied a refund by her bank, who told her to contact the holiday company directly. She disputed this and sent information on the scam, and was then refunded the money. The owner of the company that owns the genuine cabin said the scam had been going on since Broadbent, director of The Wilding Airfield near Peterborough, added: "It seems to be one operator who has stolen our images and opened a number of fraudulent websites using domain name variations on the theme of our business name."They are using sponsored adverts across Facebook and Instagram to access their target audience."Mr Broadbent said the company had been receiving numerous calls per week from people who had been scammed."We are getting two to three people contact us every week since early May who are either making us aware of the scam, or who have made a booking and realised their situation," he said. "We really sympathise with everyone being defrauded and very much hope that someone is able to stop the individuals in their criminal activity." The North York Moors National Park said its visitors had also been targeted by a QR code scam at authority-run car attached fake "pay by phone" stickers to signs and machines in locations such as Newton under Roseberry, Grosmont and Goathland."Last week, one of our car park wardens noticed something didn't look right with one of our car parking signs," said Ms Beadle."After checking other locations, she spotted that a QR code had been stuck over the logo that usually appears in that space, and on scanning the code, realised this was a scam. "In one case, a fraudulent QR code was replaced within 24 hours of the first sticker being removed."The fraudulent stickers are professionally made and appear to have been carefully designed to specifically target the National Park's signage."Ms Beadle urged visitors to pay at the car park machines, or double-check where a QR code directs to before entering any personal information."If something doesn't look quite right - perhaps a QR code that seems out of place or isn't referenced elsewhere on the signage - don't use it."Always visit the genuine Pay by Phone website from your browser, or download the Pay by Phone app direct from your phone's app store."Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
28-01-2025
- BBC News
Dungannon man sentenced after smuggling hundreds of endangered eels
A man has been sentenced after smuggling hundreds of endangered European eels into Wales from Forbes, from Rossa Court in Dungannon, County Tyrone, was stopped by Border Control Force officers at Holyhead Port in January 33-year-old had 37 boxes of eels hidden in a pallet locker beneath the trailer of the HGV (heavy goods vehicle) he had driven from claimed to have collected the eels outside the port in Dublin after the driver originally transporting them to the UK had broken down. Eels that were still alive were examined by officers from Centre for Environment Fisheries and Science (CEFAS) and any that were suffering had to be a joint investigation by the North Wales Police Rural Crime Team, National Wildlife Crime Unit and CEFAS, Forbes was charged with customs and animal welfare appeared at Mold Crown Court in Wales where he was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, for causing unnecessary suffering to a protected must complete 150 hours of unpaid work and was also fined £1,500. Key for freshwater ecosystems The European eel is a red-listed species, meaning it is at extremely high risk of such, it can no longer be legally species plays a key role in freshwater ecosystems by helping to regulate other species' populations through predation and maintaining freshwater are also a critical food source for many birds, mammals and large officer, PC Amy Bennett of the North Wales Police Rural Crime Team said Forbes had shown "a grave disregard" for the welfare of the eels."This case highlights the need for stringent enforcement of wildlife protection laws."The positive outcome of this case was made possible through the collaborative partnership working, which is essential in tackling wildlife crime and ensuring the protection of our endangered species."We remain committed to working together to prevent such crimes and to safeguard our natural heritage for future generations." The joint working was praised by the Head of Enforcement for the Fish Health Inspectorate, Jon Hulland, and the Head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, Chief Inspector Kevin thanked North Wales Police, An Garda Síochána (Irish police force) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland for their "hard work and dedication in bringing this case to justice".
