A travel agent pled guilty after admitting to scamming friends, family, and hundreds of customers who purchased vacations from her in a £2.6 million scheme.
Lyne Barlow assured her clients that she was insured and a member of the Association of British Travel Agents, a reputable travel brand.
The 39-year-old was investigated for two years after victims reported to police in 2020 that they had not received the paid-for vacations.
She guilty to stealing £500,000 from one individual, 10 charges of fraud, and one act of money laundering, for a total of £1,688,223.
Durham Crown Court heard that Barlow also claimed to be suffering from a fatal illness while marketing vacations.
Following the investigation, Durham Police stated that the frauds involved loans, investments, and vacation sales.
Lyne Barlow assured her clients that she was insured and a member of the Association of British Travel Agents, a reputable travel brand. (On the left is Lyne Barlow)
Her initial victims were family and friends, and she used their cash to establish an independent travel firm from which she falsely offered vacations claiming ATOL and ABTA protection, according to the police.
But several of her customers discovered that she never paid for the vacations they booked via her company.
A local travel industry insider indicated that Barlow will offer packages such as a five-star, all-inclusive week in Dubai for only £500.
According to the source, she caused incalculable harm to local travel agencies, which could not compete with her exorbitant charges.
We attempted to persuade a number of individuals that what she was doing was unethical, but they refused to believe us because some people were traveling and purchasing vacations at these costs; she was evidently paying the shortfall with other people’s money.
We even reached out to her and attempted to confront her, but she was unfazed and really tried to recruit us to work for her.
Her initial victims were family and friends, and she used their cash to establish an independent travel firm from which she falsely offered vacations claiming ATOL and ABTA protection, according to the police. (Pictured: a beach stock photo) She lied about possessing the necessary business licenses.
We phoned the police, who advised us that there was nothing they could do because people were on vacation.
Literally, people were throwing money at her.
According to a source in the business, Barlow told her customers that the reason her vacations were so inexpensive was because reputable travel agencies were charging high markups, while in fact it was her pricing that were too good to be true.
The prosecution asserted that the overall amount of criminal activity amounted to £2.6 million, but the defense will contest this figure.
Tony Davis, in his defense, stated that some clients did receive their holidays and experienced no loss.
He asked the court for permission to prepare a psychiatric report and mentioned that Barlow had informed certain persons she had a fatal illness.
The judge granted her bail, but stated that she will be imprisoned on December 12 when he hands down his punishment.
He stated, “It’s prison, and a lengthy prison term.”
Some of the victims may choose to read comments at the sentence hearing, and a half-day has been set aside for the case.
Prior to her arrest in September 2020, Durham Police reported that Barlow’s travel agency was no longer active, and its social media page was removed shortly thereafter.
According to the police, “several hundred” individuals came forward with allegations against her.
After the investigation, Detective Sergeant Alan Meehan of the force’s economic fraud squad stated, ‘Fraud is a heinous crime with such severe repercussions for its victims.
So many people’s lives have been irrevocably altered as a result of her acts, and some are still feeling the ramifications today.
This is one of the largest fraud cases ever handled by Durham Constabulary, and I would like to thank everyone who came forward for their patience and understanding while we conducted a comprehensive investigation.