Rita Hunter – Police probe reports of bookings fraud
Convicted fraudster Rita Hunter is facing fresh allegations of defrauding holidaymakers.
Merseyside Police confirmed it was investigating six reports received relating to flights and accommodation booked through a third-party company but not supplied or paid for.
Police have not named the company or suspects involved, but have urged victims to come forward.
The six complainants, from the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Merseyside and Yorkshire, said they paid for flights and hotels and either did not receive tickets or arrived in destinations to find accommodation had not been booked.
In a statement, a police spokesman said: “An investigation into the fraud reports are ongoing.”
Travel Weekly has spoken to two complainants who alleged they paid Rita Hunter for holidays which turned out to be bogus or had not been paid for, so had to pay twice.
Both were issued with paperwork indicating flights, accommodation and transfers had been booked.
When contacted by Travel Weekly to discuss the new complaints, Rita Hunter acknowledged she had taken bookings which had not been supplied but strongly denied any suggestion she had defrauded holidaymakers or acted improperly.
She said she was “wholeheartedly sorry” for not being able to pay back monies owed to clients and said she was a victim of circumstance.
Rita Hunter, who had been operating as a sole trader under the name Platinum Travel, said she had now closed her business.