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I got a call from someone with an Indian accent, sounded like they were in a really noisy place with loads of echo. They asked if our business was at a trade show in London, but we weren’t. As soon as I said no, they just cut the call straight away.

Got a call from a London number offering cheaper hotel deals for trade show exhibitors, but they weren’t connected to the event organiser. When I explained I wasn’t interested since I’d be travelling by tube and didn’t require a hotel, they seemed to not get it. Felt a bit off, so I’ve blocked the number now. - caller: Discounted hotel rates

I got a call from a company claiming to be based in London, but it turns out they’re actually operating out of Delaware, USA. The sales rep who first rang me couldn’t even say which part of London she was calling from, which was a bit dodgy. When I asked to speak to her manager, who supposedly knew where they were, it came out they’re actually headquartered in Delaware. The firm, Exhibition Hotel Management, feels eerily similar to another outfit called Exhibition Housing Management, also known as Convention Rooms or Expo Lodging Division. Both claim to be legit travel companies, but their email domains are linked to travel-allied.com, which then redirects to the Convention Rooms’ site. A weird thing is they both call themselves EHM, and when you try calling back, you just land on voicemail - or in one case, you get stuck on an endless hold loop and have no choice but to hang up. Also, Amy Garcia from Exhibition Hotel Management cut me off when I pressed her about the similarities and their booking process, which didn’t help build trust. Here’s what they do with hotel bookings for exhibitors: they comb through exhibitor lists, offering “discounted” hotel rates. But what actually happens is this: - They book your room through a discounted online hotel system (you don’t really know this is happening). - After you’ve agreed and given your card, they convert the price into dollars at a high exchange rate. - Then they charge you in dollars, adding a monthly fee for their newsletter or some kind of ongoing service. - Because it’s in dollars, you’re hit with forex fees again. - When you book, they never mention these extra charges or the billing process. - They say you can cancel up to 72 hours before, free of charge - but they don’t tell you that you won’t get a refund. - The hotel only realises later it’s a third-party booking, unaware it’s made on your behalf by another company - basically a hidden fourth party is involved. - The reservation is made with their email but your credit card, so the booking system thinks it’s a private individual, not a company. - If you try to change or cancel directly with the hotel, you can’t access the booking info because you never got the login details or confirmation. - Getting anyone from the company on the phone? Forget it - no chance. So your “discounted” exhibitor hotel rate ends up costing a small fortune. Heads up to anyone getting similar calls: ask loads of questions and don’t rush. Any genuine firm should be happy to explain what’s going on. - caller: Amy Garcia

I wasnt able to hear them properly.