Hawaii travel agent defrauded at minimum 45 Bay Area people, which includes mates, officials allege
A Hawaii vacation agent has been charged with approximately four dozen felonies for allegedly defrauding shoppers, such as loved ones friends and previous classmates, for hundreds of dollars.
Wendy Wong, the proprietor of the now-defunct Home of Aloha Hawaii vacation company, was charged past December with 47 felony counts — 45 of them for failing to refund her customers for trips that she unsuccessful to ebook, and two much more for withdrawing from a small business account “for unapproved functions.” She was arraigned March 18, and pled not responsible to all of the fees.
Santa Clara County Deputy District Lawyer Tamalca Harris told SFGATE that Wong appeared in court remotely with her lawyer owing to the ongoing pandemic.
In accordance to a KGO investigation, Wong detailed a litany of reasons for failing to refund her customers, citing terrible temperature and canceled flights.
Jennifer Sioxson, a single lady who labored with Wong and thought of her a family pal, claimed that she was left without a hotel by the time she arrived to Hawaii for a family vacation. She was pressured to spend for a lodge out-of-pocket, she advised KGO, but was unable to get a refund from Wong.
“She was a spouse and children close friend, our young ones are mates, she’s hosted my young ones at her property several moments, so you know it’s just, I considered she’d come all over,” Sioxson informed the news outlet.
An additional customer named Johnny Phan who allegedly booked a excursion with at least 80 men and women costing approximately $100,000 to renew wedding day vows, had their vacation canceled final minute by Wong, who yet again neglected to refund them for the journey. Phan informed KHNL in Hawaii that he trusted Wong for the reason that they had attended center college alongside one another in Milpitas.
She was not accredited by the condition of Hawaii to be a travel agent, KHNL documented. The Much better Small business Bureau also cited the agency, noting that the business “acquired a pattern of complaints about agreement and company troubles” from disgruntled prospects.
The Bureau also claimed that clients have been despatched pretend itineraries, primary prospects to imagine that journeys have been booked.
“If there is any one who thinks they’re a sufferer with Property of Aloha Hawaii, report it to their local regulation enforcement,” Harris told SFGATE. Santa Clara County residents can e-mail [email protected]. The up coming listening to for this case will be held May perhaps 3, Harris advised SFGATE.
“You enjoy what you sow. I necessarily mean all these people today place their have faith in in her and their money,” Sioxson told KGO.
