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Woman says church member scammed her out of thousands for cruise

By Carl Willis
By Carl Willis

ATLANTA — A local woman said she's been paying a travel agent for months for a long-awaited vacation with her family.

Now, one month out from the trip and with it paid in full, she told Channel 2's Carl Willis the agent has vanished.

Kanesha Ivory showed Channel 2 Action News the receipts for thousands of dollars in payments for a cruise that leaves in August. She was going to hop on a plane, jet down to Miami and sail away to the Bahamas.

"The mailbox is full," Ivory said. "Can't even leave a message. It's ridiculous."

The dead-end of a message is as far as Ivory has gotten in the past three days trying to track down the travel agent.

"I thought I knew this person. I know of her," Ivory said.

The false sense of trust comes after sitting in the same pews with the woman at church, but it appears the trip will not happen.

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"I just want my money back because I work hard for this. I haven't had a vacation since last year," Ivory told Channel 2 Action News.

Ivory began paying the woman monthly installments for her family of nine -- a total of $6,000.

Ivory said the woman hung up on her Saturday and has not responded to calls, texts or emails since.

"We called the Carnival cruise line, and they said there's no booking for this family group. Absolutely no record of it at all," Ivory said.

Ivory said she's sharing this pain and disappointment to keep it from happening to others.

"It's unfortunate that when you think you know somebody and you are trying to help their business because they're a small up-and-coming business just like I am, and It's just not fair," Ivory said.

If you're planning a summer trip, the Better Business Bureau encourages you to:

  • Do your homework by asking friends and family to recommend a travel agent or website.
  • Get trip details in writing before making a final payment.
  • Consider travel insurance to cover trip cancellations.
  • Pay with a credit card to give yourself additional protection.

Cox Media Group

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