IATA Fraud Prevention Steering Group
will hold its semi-annual meeting 18-19 April 2005 in Bangkok, in
conjunction with Airline Distribution 2005 an airline industry
distribution forum co- hosted by UATP and Airline Business magazine 19-21
April. Following the IATA meeting, some Fraud Steering Group members will join
other experts in the area of fraud for a panel discussion at the
UATP-Airline Business Distribution Conference. The panel will explore
industry concerns about potential and actual fraud and ways to protect the
financial integrity of online sales and international business
transactions.

The Fraud Steering Group meeting will focus on strategies for detecting
and preventing fraud which, in the year 2002, consisted of a global loss
of more than USD 270 million. The real cost to the industry of fraud is
estimated to be USD 1.5 billion.

“The importance of fraud prevention is increasingly dominant in the
industry, especially as distribution channels change and market share for
online portals increases,” said Ralph Kaiser, UATP President and CEO.

On a related topic, protecting e-ticketing is the focus of the Simplifying
the Business Working Group, (STB-WG). STB-WG will also meet in Bangkok,
focusing on mapping all scenarios which may offer exposure to fraud in the
electronic environment as the industry works toward the goal of being
paperless by 2007.
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