VisitCanberra has issued a warning to local businesses to be alert for unsolicited emails from a business using the name “ACT Tourism” without authority.
VisitCanberra said it had received information that some ACT businesses have been sent unsolicited emails inviting them to check, verify, renew or ‘claim your listing’.
“For many business owners this is the first time they are learning about their listings on these websites,” the Agency said.
“The emails create the impression that the tourism businesses already have a listing with this company as the emails are commonly titled ‘Review your Listing’, ‘Listing Advice Notice’ or ‘Renewal Notice’.”
It said the emails had created the overall impression that businesses were simply ‘verifying’ or ‘updating’ contact details cost-free.
“Please note that these emails are not from VisitCanberra and VisitCanberra has no affiliation with these businesses,” VisitCanberra said.
It said it did not charge operators to be listed in the Australian Tourism Data
Warehouse (ATDW) or on the visitcanberra.com.au website.
“There are many instances where these companies have names, logos and letterheads very similar to Tourism Industry Associations or State Tourism Organisations (STOs),” it said.
“This results in confusion and many operators assuming that it is legitimate correspondence from VisitCanberra to update their ATDW listing.”
VisitCanberra said that if businesses were unsure of the authenticity of an email advising them to update their tourism business listing to contact [email protected].
For the record PS News is also the victim of unauthorised activity with a Canberra company approaching the Public Service as ‘PS Alerts’, offering services similar to the long-established and popular ‘PS News Alerts’ program.
As is the case in VisitCanberra, anyone unsure of the validity of public service ‘Alerts’ should contact PS News at [email protected].
