€6,000 holiday scam: Travel agency owner placed in 30-day detention
Maria Munteanu, the administrator of the travel agency Travel Express, was accused of defrauding hundreds of clients by selling fictitious holidays in Turkey. She was placed in preventive detention for 30 days. This decision was made by Chisinau Court in Ciocana on Friday, July 24.
The facts being investigated allegedly occurred between April and July 2026.
Authorities assert that a 25-year-old woman promoted attractive holiday offers at appealing prices, requesting cash payments for stays that were ultimately not organized.
One documented case involves a woman who reportedly paid over 120 thousand lei for a vacation for herself and her family at a five-star hotel in Kemer, Turkey, scheduled for July 22-29, 2026.
According to prosecutors, the promised services were never provided.
Initial estimates indicate that approximately 300 people were affected by this scheme, and the exact amount of financial damage will be determined later.
The criminal investigation is ongoing to identify all individuals involved and recover the lost funds.
Prosecutors urge anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to this scheme or similar activities to report it to law enforcement.
Additionally, authorities recommend that citizens thoroughly verify the credibility of tourist offers before making any payments.
We remind you that several families from the Republic of Moldova paid nearly one million lei for vacations, but the services were not provided by a travel agency located in Chisinau. The founder and administrator of this agency was detained on July 23.
According to Ion Alexa, the president of the National Association of Economic Travel Agents of Moldova (ANAT), the clients who were deceived were allegedly attracted by discounts ranging from 30% to 50% below the average market price.
