A Toronto travel agent is now facing fraud charges after a Global News report last year exposing how she allegedly accepted money for planned vacations but didn’t provide actual tickets.
In August 2015, Carolyn Solomon was charged with one count of operating as a travel agent without registration under Ontario’s Travel Industry Act, but Toronto police said Friday they would be laying two additional criminal charges of fraud over $5,000.
Global News first became aware of issues at the travel agency by Judith Robinson of Brampton, whose family said in August they paid Solomon more than $10,000 for an all-inclusive vacation for 10 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
READ MORE: Toronto travel agent charged after Global News report
Although Solomon had been paid for travel in full using credit cards, the family found out close to their scheduled departure that they did not have airline tickets or reservations at the resort hotel.
Orville Skyers was a long-time customer at Blue Mountain Travel and said he frequently booked flights with Solomon before he said he paid for return travel for himself and his son to Jamaica in August and found out at the airport that his return flight back to Toronto was not valid.
Richard Smart, the registrar of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario, told Global News in August that Solomon was “acting illegally” and that his agency, which regulates the act on behalf of the Ontario government, brought the charge OTIA charge against her after receiving about 30 complaints about Solomon and Blue Mountain Travel on Jane Street.
WATCH: Toronto travel agent charged after Global News report
TICO told Global News that Blue Mountain Travel was not allowed to operate after July 31 and doing so is a violation of the Act.
Police said Friday Solomon sold travel services that were only “partially provided” and used customers’ credit cards to purchase legitimate travel services for people unknown to the credit card holder.
Police said Carolyn Michelle Solomon, 50, of Toronto, who was once an employee of Blue Mountain Travel prior to being the owner, is known to use the alias of Michelle Durant, Carolyn Durant and Michelle Solomon.
READ MORE: Family paid $10k for vacation, but travel agent didn’t deliver
Investigators said they believe there may be more victims.
Victims, or anyone with information, is asked to contact Detective Ruth Moran at 416-808-7319, by email at ruth.moran@torontopolice.on.ca, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at http://www.222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637).
Consumers who did not receive promised travel or who had to pay extra for additional flights are eligible to make a claim against the Travel Industry Council’s compensation fund.
WATCH: Travel agent took $10K for trips, didn’t deliver