Internet Security
If you have received any questionable or deceptive emails that claim to be sent from PATA, please contact security@PATA.org before replying or clicking on anything within the email. We will contact you at the earliest to verify whether the email was actually sent from the PATA office. Should any emails be determined to be fraudulent, our team will immediately carry out the necessary investigations.
Please also be aware that any emails claiming to sell our mailing lists are fraudulent. We advise you to disregard such messages to protect yourself from loss. PATA will never sell your personal information. To learn more about how we protect your privacy, please visit our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.
Recognise phishing and scams:
Scammers will usually attempt to acquire your personal information through emails or text messages that appear to be sent by legitimate companies or people that you know. Responding to these types of phishing messages or even just clicking anywhere on the email will allow the scammer to obtain your personal information or capture sensitive data. Scammers will also create storylines to convince the receivers that their help, usually through sending money, is needed to help a friend or acquaintance out of a difficult situation.
Phishing and scam emails have a few common storylines, such as:
Suspicious log-in attempts or activities recognised
Claims of a problem with your online accounts or payments
Requests for the receiver to confirm personal information
The sender urgently needing your help
Phishing emails will typically ask for:
Money
Your help in purchasing items (such as gift cards)
Usernames and passwords
Bank account information, credit card number, or other personal financial details
Answers to private questions that you might have used to guard your passwords
Avoid Phishing:
There are a few keys to help identify whether a phishing email is impersonating somebody from PATA:
Check that the email address was sent from --@PATA.org.
Ensure that the message you received fits in with the context of any prior communications.
Members of PATA’s Secretariat and Executive Board will never email you for personal financial assistance.
Emails from PATA’s Membership Team will only collect personal details during times of application and renewals through form documents, not directly in email messages.
Most in-person PATA Events will not require delegates to provide personal details through an email, such as your name or address. However, there are some destinations that require additional information from delegates as part of their visa requirements - these circumstances can be verified through credible channels
PATA will not attach suspicious files in our emails, especially if there were no prior communications.
Examples:
There have been a few instances of fraudulent emails that claim to be sent by PATA and/or an authorised agent. They may be presented as a variation of the example below. If you encounter such an email, please contact security@PATA.org to investigate.
Privacy Policy:
Unless otherwise agreed with you, we will only collect basic personal data about you, which does not usually include any special categories of personal information about you (often known as ‘sensitive personal data’). This information does, however, include the likes of your name, email address, business type, business name, work address, job title and any interests you have indicated you have.
All the personal data we hold about you will be processed by our staff members. Without your permission we will never send your data to any third parties except those who directly assist us to provide the services.
If at any point you wish to either confirm whether your personal data is being processed and/or access the data we hold on you, you can request to see this information free of charge, and we will respond to this request within a month.