Fake Travel Agent Scammed People Out Of $400,000 For Fake Trips

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Authorities in Pennsylvania have arrested a travel agent accused of scamming her customers out of $400,000Christine Hayes, 38, is facing 12 charges, including theft, identity theft, and access device fraud.

Authorities said that Hayes used multiple aliases to trick 82 people throughout the state into buying discount travel packages from July 2017 until February 2019.

She gained her clients' trust by coming through on initial deals before scamming them on a more expensive package the next time they tried to book a vacation. 

She allegedly used credit card numbers from some of her clients to pay for the flights of other customers. In one case, she lied about having breast cancer when a family confronted her about their concerns over their upcoming trip to Disney World.

“This defendant defrauded 82 people who thought they were booking vacations with their friends and family, only to find out they had tickets to nowhere, their money stolen by this fake travel agent,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement.

Officials said that Hayes had repaid most of the money to the people she scammed. She was released on a $30,000 bond and has yet to enter a plea.

Photo: Getty Images


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