A Sweetwater woman is being held in the Miami-Dade County Jail, accused of posing as a travel agent and selling worthless plane tickets to unsuspecting travelers.

 

Police said they believe Ruth Morales, 49, swindled thousands of dollars from people by selling bogus plane tickets to Nicaragua for the holidays.

 

"It's a sad thing because these people earned their money, they saved their money all year to visit their families," said Sweetwater police Chief Roberto Fulgeria. "These are working people in order to visit their families and take gifts from the United States down to Nicaragua, and all of a sudden, they show up at the airport and their ticket is no good."

 

Police said Morales was offering big discounts on tickets to Nicaragua on Taca Airlines from her Sweetwater travel agency, but only for customers who paid cash.

 

"This was premeditated by her because Saturday was the first day tickets sold by her were to be used, and by Friday she had cleaned out her office. There was nothing left in it," Fulgeria said.

 

Morales' bags also were packed, and she had a reservation to leave the U.S., police said. Now, she faces grand theft charges. She is being held on $150,000 bond because authorities believe she is a flight risk.

 

Police said most of the alleged victims will not be going anywhere, either, because they cannot afford a plane ticket after being scammed.

 

"There was lines of people to buy tickets there. It was a good discount, I understand," Fulgeria said. "But, hey, if it sounds too good, it's not."

 

More than a dozen people have filed police reports reporting losses of more than $5,000. Police said they think there are many more victims who have not tried to fly on their phony tickets yet, and that the alleged scam might have netted more than $25,000.

source: JustNews.com

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