Travel Agent Allegedly Scammed Clients Booking Cruises That Didn't Exist and Pocketing Thousands: Police By Marina Watts

A travel agent was arrested after allegedly scamming customers out of tens of thousands of dollars.

Tavia Thomas, a New York-based travel agent and owner of Destiny Travel NY, was charged on Jan. 6 with three counts of grand larceny in the third degree, three counts of scheme to defraud in the first degree, and two counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree, according to the Nassau County Police Department.

The Nassau County PD reported several incidents where Thomas, 47, defrauded customers dating back to 2024.

According to the police department’s release, in July 2024, Thomas allegedly received $35,753.98 for a Royal Caribbean Cruise from nine victims. When the would-be travelers arrived at the port in Bayonne, N.J., an employee informed them that the tickets they had were for a cruise that did not exist.

That same month, she allegedly received $5,000.00 from two people for a destination wedding to an ALG Vacations resort. The venues, meanwhile, were never booked, per the release.

According to the police, Thomas also allegedly received payments for bookings for other members of the wedding party, and the victims were never refunded.

Two months later in September 2024, a victim claimed that she booked a birthday trip for their mother to the Dominican Republic through Thomas’s agency, paying $10,034.16 for herself and 50 family members, per the release.

Thomas allegedly never paid for the accommodations and the family was never refunded.

She was arraigned on Jan. 6 in the First District Court of Hempstead, N.Y. According to CBS News, Thomas pleaded not guilty. She is expected to appear in court again on Thursday, Jan. 8.

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According to Thomas’s website, Destiny Travel NY has been in business since 2016. Among the destinations and vacations the travel agency offers are the Maldives, French Polynesia, Croatia, Italy and Vietnam.

The agency claims to offer services including destination wedding planning, comprehensive travel support, and group travel booking and planning. Destiny Travel NY also claims to be endorsed and certified by the American Society of Travel Advisors, Sandals Resorts, and Disney Resorts, among other groups.

Reviews on Google and TheKnot similarly accuse the travel agency of scamming customers out of thousands of dollars and failure to provide refunds.

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Additionally, the Better Business Bureau, which helps customers find trusted businesses and report scams, graded Destiny Travel NY with an F for “failure to respond to 3 complaint(s) filed” against the business.