Queens Travel Agent Accused Of Bilking Clients Out Of Money
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Victims were speaking out Tuesday night about an alleged travel agency scam, in which the dreams vacations they paid for sometimes never got off the ground at all.
As CBS2's Tony Aiello reported, travel agent Adriana Olivar-Munoz set up shop in the heart of immigrant-rich Jackson Heights, Queens, at a desk inside a real estate office. She is accused of taking dozens of clients for a ride.
"Everybody is very upset with her," said Marina Cristina Arismendi, who rented office space to Olivar.
Arismendi has kept a file of unhappy victims who stop by looking for refunds.
"She really played us good," said one young woman who asked to remain anonymous. "She would show us, like, tour guides, and we were all like really happy. And we would look at the books, and we were convinced."
The woman said her father made payments to Olivar-Munoz totaling $10,000 for a family vacation in Europe.
"And then she just disappeared on us," the woman said.
The Queens District Attorney's office claimed that Olivar-Munoz made fraudulent charges on clients' credit cards, and left many stranded airports when travel plans were canceled for non-payment.
"When we went to the airport, our name doesn't show up, like, at all in the system," said Ruth Garcia of Jackson Heights.
Garcia said she was stuck in Minneapolis for three days because of Olivar-Munoz. She said Olivar-Munoz promised her a refund, but she did not get that either.
"Oh my God, never," Garcia said.
Olivar-Munoz is charged in what is sometimes called an affinity scam. She is Hispanic, and so are most of her alleged victims, Aiello reported.
"My parents speak English, but not as well," the young woman who did not want her name used said. "So I guess she thought they weren't, like, fit to testify against her or say anything against her."
Victims are out $80,000, and Olivar-Munoz faces 15 years behind bars if convicted, Aiello reported.