Avoiding Hajj and Umrah Fraud

Avoiding Hajj and Umrah Fraud
3 min read
05 December 2022

Throughout the year, millions of Muslim pilgrims keep on arriving in Makkah through their Cheap Umrah packages and from across the globe to offer the holy rituals of Hajj and Umrah. While most travel packages ensure that a pilgrim has a hassle-free and memorable Hajj and Umrah experience, scamming is still a thing that exists for some. 

Hajj and Umrah Fraud or Scamming can happen for a person in different ways. For instance;

• Paying for a Hajj/Umrah package by online bank transfer and then hearing no more about it from the travel agent.
• Arriving in Makkah or Medina and finding that there’s no hotel booking made by your agent on your behalf.
• Poor quality of services.

Moreover, unauthorized travel agents themselves are a big problem in this regard. So, in such a saturated market of Hajj and Umrah travel agents how can one find a legitimate and credible agency? Here are some tips to help you avoid cheap hajj and cheap Umrah Packages 2023 fraud.

Hire Legitimate services.

Always pre-book your Hajj and umrah packages through the channel of a legitimate travel agent. In this regard, one can get recommendations from friends or relatives who have previously the pilgrimages and get to know about their experience. Other than that, you can also opt for market research by yourself.  
Doing so would not only help you get to know about the booking phase much better but also provide you with a comprehensive view of the facilities different travel agents are offering in the market.

Prefer a written contract.

Once you’ve finalized a travel package for your hajj/Umrah pilgrimage, get everything in writing from your agent. Whether it is the payment/billing details; the travel itinerary; flight/hotel booking information – every small detail should be noted. 

Credibility.

There must be no compromise on checking the credibility of the travel agent. For this reason, you must ask them for their registration/authorization to offer hajj and umrah packages (issued by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and umrah). 
A legally authorized travel agent will not hesitate in showing you all the relevant documents, registrations and licenses needed to operate hajj/umrah tours.

Legal associations must be checked.

It never goes in vain to look for different legal associations that a travel agent should possess. Checking the track record of the travel company is another thing that you shouldn’t miss in any way. For example;

• What are their previous customers’ testimonials or reviews about their services?
• How many successful hajj and umrah trips they had conducted in the past?
• Were their customers satisfied with their hajj//umrah travel and accommodation services? 
• What reputation do they hold in their business?

Everything else of the sort should be checked and validated.

Never make cash payments.

It’s never advised for you to make any sort of upfront payments in cash for your Hajj/Umrah travel packages. Even bank transfers are discouraged because an authentic travel agency would offer the facility of accepting a debit/credit card.

These are some of the things that you can utilize to avoid hajj and umrah fraud.  

 

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