A Long Island travel agent has been arrested on multiple fraud and larceny charges after allegedly taking large sums of money from customers for trips that were never booked, including cruises, destination weddings and international holidays.
Nassau County police confirmed on 6th January 2026 that a 47-year-old woman from East Meadow, New York, was taken into custody following an investigation into a series of complaints from former clients.
Investigators say customers paid tens of thousands of dollars to the woman’s travel agency, only to discover that no reservations had ever been made and refunds were not issued.
Alleged Fake Cruise Booking Left Passengers at the Port
Police identified the accused as Tavia Thomas, the owner and sole operator of Destiny Travel, which was based at 1936 Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow.
One of the most serious allegations involves a group of nine cruise passengers who believed they were booked on a Royal Caribbean cruise departing from Bayonne, New Jersey, in July 2024.
According to police, the group paid Thomas a total of $35,753.98. When they arrived at the cruise terminal, they were informed that their bookings were fraudulent and had been cancelled because they never existed in the cruise line’s system.
Authorities say this was not an isolated incident. Thomas now faces three counts of grand larceny, three counts of scheme to defraud, and two additional grand larceny charges linked to separate cases.
Weddings and Family Trips Also Allegedly Affected
The investigation suggests the alleged fraud extended well beyond cruise bookings.
In one case, Thomas is accused of accepting $5,000 from two customers who believed she was arranging a destination wedding at an ALG Vacations resort. Police say no such booking was ever made.
Another reported case involves a family planning a 75th birthday celebration in the Dominican Republic, where investigators allege Thomas collected more than $10,000 without securing any travel arrangements.
Police said customers paid via cash, cheque or electronic transfer. Thomas was the only person operating Destiny Travel, and there were no additional staff involved.
Detectives are now urging anyone who believes they may have been affected by similar incidents to come forward and contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers.
Online Reviews and Business Claims Under Scrutiny
Destiny Travel’s website states that the agency had been serving New York City and Long Island since 2016 and promoted itself as offering stress-free planning for cruises, group trips and destination weddings.
The site also claims affiliations and certifications linked to major travel industry organisations and describes a team of “experienced travel agents”, despite police saying Thomas was the sole operator.
“I founded Destiny Travel NY to offer stress-free planning for unique and memorable destination weddings,” Thomas said in promotional material published online.
However, multiple online reviews paint a different picture. In a review posted on TheKnot on 19th August 2024, one customer wrote:
“Tavia Thomas is a scammer and she must be stopped. My group of 80 people were set to leave to Cancun, Mexico, for our wedding 07/17/24 and Tavia called us 07/16/24 stating the vendor cancelled. Which was a compete lie.
“She stole our money and she keeps doing this to multiple groups of people. She is a liar and a thief and she must be stopped and in jail!”
Other reviews from earlier years were positive, highlighting attentive service, suggesting problems may have escalated more recently.
The Better Business Bureau does not accredit Destiny Travel and has given the company an F rating, citing failure to respond to complaints and concerns related to its operating history. At the time of writing, the business address listed online was linked to a UPS Store location.
Police say the investigation remains ongoing and additional charges are possible as more alleged victims come forward.
Wherever possible, always book your travel with an agent you can trust – verify that they have genuine, independent reviews and that there are no similar issues of loss of unprotected funds such as in this case.
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