Dozens of people claim to have been harmed after buying plane tickets from a man who posed as a flight attendant and who allegedly had access to fares well below market prices. The case is now being investigated by the authorities, after several customers reported the loss of thousands of euros and the disappearance of the person responsible for sales.
According to , the man claimed to work for airlines, such as TAP and Ryanair, and promoted trips at prices considered unusual. The offer was enough to gain the trust of several people, some of whom had already managed to travel previously through the same contact.
Among the reported cases is that of Gleiciete Carvalho, who intended to bring relatives from Brazil to Portugal. The client handed over around 2,600 euros to guarantee the trips, believing that she was faced with a legitimate opportunity. Other customers transferred even larger amounts, with reports of losses that, combined, exceed several tens of thousands of euros.
Money transferred to personal account
Payments were made directly to the alleged seller’s bank account, a practice that, according to the testimonies collected, was presented as a normal part of the reservation process. Guilherme Barbosa stated that he transferred around 5,000 euros to secure the desired places.
The situation changed when the man stopped responding to contacts. According to the same source, the disappearance occurred this week, leading several customers to seek answers from the suspect’s family company.
Authorities are already investigating
In light of the complaints presented, the GNR collected statements from the injured parties and forwarded the case to the Judiciary Police, as there was evidence of the crime of embezzlement.
According to SIC Notícias, dozens of people went to the location associated with the alleged flight attendant’s family in an attempt to recover the money or obtain clarification on the whereabouts of the person responsible for the sales. So far, they have not been able to make any direct contact.
The television station also says that it tried to listen to the targeted man and his family, but received no response. TAP, the company where the suspect allegedly worked, also did not respond to requests for clarification made by the report.
Cases multiply
The number of potential victims continues to grow as new testimonies emerge. Many customers say they trusted the scheme because they knew people who had already traveled through the same intermediary, which helped create an appearance of credibility.
Now, the focus is on the investigation conducted by the Civil Police, which must determine the destination of the amounts transferred and clarify whether the tickets sold corresponded to real reservations or were part of an alleged fraudulent scheme.
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