A New York travel agent is facing multiple charges after allegedly swindling families by selling them nonexistent vacation packages. Tavia Thomas, 47, operated Destiny Travel from East Meadow, Long Island, where she is said to have convinced customers to pay for holidays including cruises, destination weddings, and birthday trips that police claim were never actually booked, as PIX11 reported.
In one instance, according to police, Thomas collected more than $35,000 from nine individuals for a Royal Caribbean Cruise that should have sailed from Bayonne, New Jersey, but upon their arrival passengers were informed by cruise employees that their tickets were not real, and the booking was a sham and they were understandably shocked and upset, as reported by News 12 Long Island. Within a week of this, Thomas allegedly defrauded two other customers who handed over $5,000 to book a resort for a destination wedding, with additional payments from the wedding party summing up to $7,660; these reservations were reportedly never made.
The alleged scams did not stop there, as Thomas is accused of taking over $10,000 from a family of 50, claiming to reserve a trip to the Dominican Republic for a 75th birthday celebration—the accommodations were never booked, and no refunds were offered, as detailed by PIX11. Thomas now faces multiple counts of grand larceny and scheme to defraud.
Authorities have called on anyone else who believes they may have been victimized by Thomas's operations to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers, with local police stating, "Detective’s request anyone who feels they may have been a victim to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911," as per News 12 Long Island's coverage.
