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Bogus travel agent Lyne Barlow jailed for £2.6m holidays scam
Published
13 hours ago
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Lyne Barlow
IMAGE SOURCE,DURHAM POLICE
Image caption,
Lyne Barlow used money from existing bookings to offset discounts for new customers
A bogus travel agent who conned hundreds of holidaymakers in a £2.6m scam has been jailed for nine years.
Lyne Barlow, 39, formerly of Stanley, County Durham, left more than 1,400 customers out of pocket when she failed to book trips between 2019 and 2020.
She admitted stealing £500,000 from her mother, 10 counts of fraud and a money laundering charge involving £1.6m.
Durham Crown Court heard she also lied to clients about having terminal cancer while carrying out the scam.
The holidaymakers stung in a £2.6m luxury break con
Unscrupulous Barlow initially preyed on her family and friends, plundering their savings to set up an independent travel agency in which she lured victims with the promiseJailing her, Judge Jo Kidd said Barlow had "an extraordinary talent for dishonesty" after hearing that she had stolen from her own mother following the death of her father in 2015.
She also said she had "mercilessly abused the trust" of her family and friends.
Emails Lyne Barlow sent
IMAGE SOURCE,DURHAM POLICE
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Barlow told people she had cancer "in her bones"
The judge added: "I take the view that you are a thoroughly callous individual.
"As your house of cards began to collapse your lies became more extravagant."
She said Barlow's behaviour was "callous" as she funded her "relatively lavish lifestyle" and "gallivanted" while her mother struggled to pay bills due to the money being stolen.
Barlow told friends, family and angry customers she was terminally ill with cancer in order to "emotionally blackmail" those she owed money to.
The court heard the married mother of two further deceived customers by telling them their bookings were protected by the Atol insurance scheme and she was a member of the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta). of cut-price deals.