Bogus travel agent Lyne Barlow jailed for £2.6m holidays scam

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 promise of cut-price deals.

Jailing 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.

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).

Barlow offered people cut-price holidays to places such as Dubai

News of her bargain holidays quickly spread on social media, seemingly endorsed by glowing reviews.

However, many of those who took the bait were to find their holidays had either not been paid for at all or only part of their booking had been made.

Some were confronted about the shortfalls while abroad and had to pay extra for their hotels and flights home.

Others turned up at airports to discover they did not have seats on their flights or their bookings had been cancelled because of non-payment.

Barlow would offer "too-good-to-be-true" deals such as a five-star, all-inclusive week in Dubai for £500, one local travel industry source said.

They told the Press Association: "She did much untold damage to local travel agents who simply could not compete at the unrealistic prices.

"We tried to tell numerous people it wasn't right but as some people were travelling and getting the holidays at these prices - she was clearly funding the shortfall with other people's money - they wouldn't believe it.

"We even contacted her ourselves and tried to call her out but she wasn't fazed in the least and actually tried to recruit us to work for her."

Barlow pretended she was having chemotherapy and losing her hair to "emotionally blackmail" customers, family and friends

As Barlow's Ponzi-style scheme began to unravel she told some customers she was behind on bookings because she was having treatment for stage four cancer.

It is believed she cut off her hair to make it look like she was undergoing chemotherapy.

The judge added: "You have obviously presented yourself to those who knew you as a charming and engaging woman.

"You are clearly a woman of significant intellectual abilities but you have an extraordinary talent for dishonesty."

Barlow also "mercilessly" abused people's trust, the judge said, going on "exotic holidays", enjoying having a Range Rover and designer goods.

"The extent of the betrayal of your mother is truly breathtaking," the judge said.

"As you gallivanted, your mother's utility bills went unpaid and county court judgments rained down on her and that led to bailiffs visiting her home.

"I take the view you are a thoroughly callous individual."

Lyne Barlow (left) used money from existing bookings to offset discounts for new customers

The judge said Barlow convinced her mother her cancer had returned, having previously been nursed through it before.

She then urged her mother to look after her husband Paul and their children if she died.

When victims began reporting the rip-off in September 2020, the stories began circulating on social media.

Soon Durham Police's control room was overwhelmed by a torrent of calls from irate victims.

Police took the unusual step of directing complainants to an email address to prevent 999 calls being delayed.

An investigation started, which became one of the biggest fraud cases in the force's history.

Used a crutch

Det Sgt Alan Meehan, from Durham Police's economic fraud unit, described Barlow's actions as "appalling".

He said she presented herself as being frail, used a crutch and wore a headscarf when she was arrested in September 2020.

Investigators made checks on her health to ascertain if she was well enough to be questioned and her medical records revealed she had never had cancer treatment.

Mr Meehan said: "She was using the cancer to delay answering questions.

"It's our understanding that the family believed she had cancer and it was only as a result of her being arrested that we informed her family and they became aware."

The detective said Barlow's husband was "very surprised and shocked" to discover the truth, as relatives had been taking her to hospital appointments.

Barlow's barrister, Tony Davis, said she was now a "broken, beaten and penniless woman".

"She apologises to each and every victim and of course there are many," he said.

He said 80 hours of counselling had not revealed a motive, but her business was doomed to fail and stemmed from her desire to be liked.

Mr Davis added: "Once she got into debt, riding that monster, it was inevitable it would come crashing down."

Barlow sobbed as she was led from the dock.

An Abta spokesperson said cases such as Barlow's were "extremely rare" but urged people to check travel agents' membership on the organisation's website.

"Holidays can be a target for fraudsters which is why we encourage people to be vigilant," they added.