Travel agent duped Californians out of $100,000 on bogus Hawaii trips, prosecutors say

A former Hawaii-based travel agent faces 47 charges of defrauding customers, most from California, for trips she never booked, prosecutors say.

Wendy Wong, formerly of House of Aloha Hawaii, has been charged in Santa Clara County with failing to return money to travelers who discovered their Hawaii vacations were never booked, KGO reported.

“We’re talking about 45 victims who have lost over $100,000,” Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Tamalca Harris told KGO.

Wong has pleaded not guilty to the charges, Hawaii News Now reported.

In 2019, a group of 100 people who booked a 25th wedding anniversary trip to Hawaii with Wong reported losing $100,000 when no travel arrangements were made, KTVU reported.

“I’m still in shock,” Cassandra Bernal, a friend of the couple, told the station at the time. “I’m numb and I don’t know how to feel. How can anyone do this?”

Client Jennifer Sioxson told KGO that she discovered after arriving in Hawaii that Wong had failed to book her hotel reservation, forcing her to pay out of pocket for a place to stay.

Ana Santiago told KTVU in 2019 that she had planned to take her children to Hawaii for their first visit and lost $5,000 to Wong.

“They had just finished packing and for me to tell [them] we are not going that was heartbreaking,” Santiago told the station.

Wong did not have a travel agent’s license in Hawaii, according to Hawaii News Now.

Wong’s attorney declined comment to KGO, the station reported.

This story was originally published March 28, 2021 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Travel agent duped Californians out of $100,000 on bogus Hawaii trips, prosecutors say."