Travel agent Lyne Barlow has been jailed for nine years after conning clients out of around £2.6m.
Durham Crown Court heard today that the InteleTravel agent had carried out one of the biggest frauds ever investigated by Durham police.
She initially took money from friends and family, using up their savings, before setting up an online travel agency with InteleTravel and advertising on Facebook and Instagram.
Barlow, 39, admitted the theft of £500,000 from her own mother, as well as 10 charges of fraud and one count of money laundering.
She was sentenced at Durham Crown Court on Friday to nine years in prison.
Police told the court that several hundred people had claimed they were ripped off by Barlow. In total, she defrauded around 1,400 people of £2.6m, leading to a loss of £1.2m.
Many of her victims discovered the holidays they bought through her business were never booked or paid for by her. After they realised they’d been ripped off, some resorted to visiting her at home to try to get money back, but she even claimed to have cancer to gain their sympathy.
She was arrested in September 2020, after which her business was shut down.
