WARNING
Information on possible frauds against the conference participants, especially related to the accommodation booking
Based on experience from the FQMT’15 conference, we would like to warn the participants strongly about possible fraud actions by some suspicious international companies attempting to arrange the accommodation in the Pyramida Hotel.
In 2015, a certain agency, namely the EHS (Exhibitors Housing Services) company, used information from the www pages of the FQMT’15 conference (list of speakers) together with its search on participants using google. Their representatives were also using clever questions: they were asking either participants or their secretaries or even reception staff at the Pyramida Hotel. The company representatives either called or sent e-mails to the conference participants with the proposal to organize for them a discounted accommodation in the Pyramida Hotel. By phone or by insecure web forms they were also asking for credit card numbers and other participant details. If the participant provided these data, they cancelled his/her original reservation. The EHS persons also informed convincingly but falsely about the conference program, e.g. about time of participant’s talk.
From a number of web reports, it appears that the EHS company has been involved in some frauds, or at least very suspicious activities regarding various international conferences, see e.g.
http://www.scambook.com/company/view/129876/EHS-Exhibitors-Housing-Services
http://www.iups2013.org/node/360
http://www.nmeda.com/members/annual-conference/current-conference-details/warning-scam-alert/
http://www.icefaconference.com/conference-accommodation.asp
http://wclc2015.iaslc.org/registration-accommodation/accommodation-scam-alert/
The organizers therefore strongly recommend to FQMT’17 participants to decline services of the EHS agency or any other agency which would show similar behavior. Do not provide any data to such agencies. Please consider carefully proposals of the organization of your accommodation in the Pyramida Hotel also from any other agency. Only when you use the official FQMT’17 reservation link, the Pyramida Hotel can guarantee trustworthy reservation of the room and the reliable hotel services.
Please read carefully our recommendations below:
We strongly recommend you not to provide any personal data (especially credit card numbers and confirmation e-mails from the FQMT’17 organizers or from the Pyramida Hotel) to the EHS company or any other agency which would show behavior similar to that described above. Please also consider very carefully to inform any other person or company not related to the conference about your intentions and data related to the FQMT’17.
Before the FQMT’15, there were even cases when somebody was pretending that she or he was an organizer of the FQMT’15 and was providing incorrect information on the conference program. To avoid possibility that you will be following advices given you either by phone or by E-mail by some false organizers of the FQMT’17 conference, please, do not take seriously any information, which is not either from Vaclav Spicka, Peter D. Keefe or from the official conference E-mail.
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Accommodation in the Pyramida Hotel:
For the reservation of your accommodation in the Pyramida Hotel please use the link that will be provided at the FQMT’17 conference www pages soon. Only when you use the official FQMT’17 reservation link, the Pyramida Hotel can guarantee trustworthy reservation of the room and the reliably hotel services. The rooms reserved by the FQMT’17 link are extra checked before the participant arrival to assure they meet the declared quality.
Room reservations made via the FQMT’17 special link (which is going to be open soon) are completely O.K. and safe. The software system of the Pyramida Hotel including the special link for the FQMT’17 participants and the software systems of the FQMT’17 conference have been thoroughly checked and it is sure that there is no leakage of any information from their databases – so both sides will be completely safe. No information on credit cards used for both accommodation booking and for conference fee payment will be accessible to the FQMT’17 organizers.
IMPORTANT: Following your reservation via the official conference link (from the FQMT’17 www pages) you should receive the confirmation e-mail sent by the bookassist system (using the Norton security system, which is considered as extremely secure). This e-mail is an official confirmation from the Pyramida Hotel.
Booking reference code you obtain from the bookassist system is your personal information which should not be passed to any other person or company except of the Pyramida Hotel.
In the case that you provide your booking reference code to somebody and agree with the cancellation of your original reservation and with possible arrangement of your accommodation in the Pyramida Hotel via different company, please be aware that the Pyramida Hotel cannot issue any confirmation of your accommodation and you should check status of your accommodation yourself.
In the case of any doubts or difficulties regarding your accommodation in the Pyramida Hotel, please contact Vaclav Spicka or even better directly Jindra Fiserova of the Pyramida Hotel.