Scam alert for tourism businesses
High Country businesses should be on the alert for unsolicited emails asking you to renew a website listing on www.victoriatourism.com.au.
www.victoriatourism.com.au has no connection to Tourism North East, Visit Victoria or the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW).
www.victoriatourism.com.au is a Queensland-based company who in January 2017 was prosecuted and fined $50,000 for the fraudulent activity of sending unsolicited invoices to operators for tourism business listings on their site. Read details of the prosecution here.
These emails are confusing because at first glance they appear to be from an official tourism website. Here’s an example that was sent to TNE recently:
How to avoid being scammed - Only pay invoices when a service or product has been delivered, and you know who the invoice is from. The ACCC has good information on how to protect yourself from being scammed.
If you receive notification or an invoice about a business listing and are unsure about it, please contact Tourism North East for advice.
Phone (03) 5728 2773.