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Crooked travel agent funds luxury holidays with customers' money after jail release
Travel agent Rebecca Waterfall used customers' money for luxury trips after being freed from jail over £10,000 scam.
In brief
Travel agent Rebecca Waterfall used customers' money for luxury trips after being freed from jail over £10,000 scam. Rebecca Waterfall, 37, admitted using customers' money to fund luxury holidays after being freed from jail over £10,000 scam. Originally reported by Dailymail.
Rebecca Waterfall
37-year-old travel agent Rebecca Waterfall admitted using customers' money to fund luxury holidays after being freed from jail over £10,000 scam.
“Rebecca Waterfall, 37, conned bosses out of more than £10,000 while working at a Cheshire travel agency”
Scam details
Waterfall used customers' bank card details to pay for luxury holidays for herself, including a £3,467 hotel trip.
“She was motivated by wanting to give her family a 'nice life', Manchester Magistrates' Court was told”
Previous fraud
Waterfall previously stole £5,250 from a family for a Disney World trip using her employer's credit card.
“They had handed £5,250 to Waterfall but were left out of pocket after they learned she was a scammer”
Suspended sentence
Waterfall was initially spared jail but breached her suspended sentence by using customers' money for luxury holidays.
“She was eventually exposed after booking a holiday to Antalya, in Turkey, using one customer's bank card details”
Court admission
Waterfall admitted to five new fraud counts after using customers' money for luxury holidays on Facebook.
“She was caught using customers' money to fund her own luxury breaks again, a court heard today”
Motivation
Waterfall claimed she wanted to show her family she had the means for a 'nice life'.
“She was trying to show her family she had the means to give them a nice life”
Money laundering
Waterfall laundered £3,530 into a third-party account after stealing customers' money.
“Waterfall also laundered £3,530 into a third-party account”
Previous convictions
Waterfall had previous convictions for fraud and was in court in 2017 for a similar scam.
“Waterfall has previous convictions for fraud and was previously in court in 2017”
2017 court case
In 2017, Waterfall was found guilty of using her employer's credit card for a Disney World trip.
“They had handed £5,250 to Waterfall but were left out of pocket after they learned she was a scammer”
2019 sentence
Waterfall received a nine-month sentence after breaching her suspended sentence in 2019.
“A nine-month sentence was activated in 2019 after she breached the terms of a suspended sentence”
2021 admission
Waterfall admitted to five additional fraud counts in 2021 after using customers' money for luxury holidays.
“Waterfall admitted a further five counts of fraud in 2021”
Current case
Waterfall is now facing sentencing after admitting to new fraud and money laundering charges.
“They opted to send the case to Manchester Crown Court, where she will be sentenced next month”
Victim impact
Some victims received text messages claiming there were 'errors' in their payments.
“Some victims received text messages telling them there had been 'errors' and the payments would go on their holidays”
Fraud method
Waterfall used customers' bank card details to book trips abroad for herself.
“Once she had obtained customers' bank card details, Waterfall instead used them to pay for trips abroad for herself”
2018 fraud
In 2018, Waterfall used a customer's credit card to book a £1,400 holiday to Menorca.
“She had used a customer's credit card to book a luxury £1,400 holiday to Menorca while working at a Manchester hotel in 2018”
2023 fraud
Waterfall was charged with seven counts of fraud by false representation and one count of money laundering between January and May 2023.
“Waterfall previously pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud by false representation and one count of money laundering between January and May 2023”
What it means
Rebecca Waterfall, 37, admitted using customers' money to fund luxury holidays after being freed from jail over £10,000 scam.
