Excerpt:
Police are warning Hajj pilgrims to Mecca to be wary of last minute package deals from illegitimate travel operators.
Sutton police said fraudulent tour operators often offer discounts of up to 50 per cent on the normal travel price, but close down shortly before departure, leaving the victim with no tour and no prospect of a refund.
The Council of British Hajjis estimates that some 300 people contacted their organisation in 2011 to say they believed they had been a victim of Hajj fraud, yet only one per cent reported the crime to police.