BUS.
>>> DREA VACATIONS, BIRTHDAY
GET AWAYS, PEOPLE WHO PLAN BIG
TRIPS LOST A LOT OF MONEY AFT
LEARNING THEIR BOOKINGS NEVER
EXISTED.
CHANNEL 2 INVESTIGATES TO THE
CASE AND DISCOVERED A TRAIL OF
FAKE COMPANIES LEADING RIGHT
HERE TO HOUSTON.
>> Reporter: YOU'VE GOT A WHOLE
BUNCH OF BUSINESSES UNDER YOUR
NAME.
I'M WONDERING WHY?
>> TONIGHT CHANNEL 2
INVESTIGATES EXPOSES THAT
NETWORK OF BOGUS TRAVEL
AGENCIES.
AMY DAVIS TRACKED DOWN ONE OF
THE OWNERS AND SHE'S REVEALING
HOW THE SCHEME WORKED.
>> Reporter: TELL US ABOUT YOUR
TRAVEL AGENCY BUSINESSES.
48-YEAR-OLD JESSE WAS NOT HAVING
A GOOD DAY WHEN WE RAN INTO HIM
AT THE HARRIS COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
DID YOU EVER -- HAVE YOU EVER
BOOKED A TRIP?
HE WAS THERE FOR A TRIAL,
CHARGED WITH HIS SECOND DWI.
BUT WE WANTED TO TALK WITH HIM
ABOUT A CARNIVAL CRUISE
JANUARY 9.
>> WE WERE READY TO GO.
>> Reporter: THIS WOMAN PAID
MORE THAN $1,300 TO RESERVE
SPOTS FOR HERSELF AND EIGHT
60th BIRTHDAY.
>> Reporter: BUT AFTER
WASHINGTON PAID HER MONEY, SHE
LEARNED THERE WAS NO CRUISE.
>> I SAID I WOULD LIKE TO GET MY
MONEY BACK.
THEY SAID OH, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY
OUT OF THE QUESTION.
>> Reporter: IT'S THE SAME STORY
ON MESSAGE BOARDS ALL OVER THE
WEB.
DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST
MORE THAN A DOZEN TRAVEL
AGENCIES SINCE 2012, ALL LINKED
BACK TO JESSE AND HIS EX-WIFE,
39-YEAR-OLD ISABEL.
AND YES, THAT'S HER MUG SHOT
FROM AN UNRELATED THEFT
CONVICTION LAST YEAR.
SHE'S CURRENTLY ON PROBATION,
BUT NOT EASY TO TRACK DOWN.
WE STOPPED BY EVERY ADDRESS SHE
REGISTERED WITH HARRIS COUNTY AS
A BUSINESS ADDRESS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW I COULD REACH
YOUR DAUGHTER?
>> SHE SHOULD BE AT WORK.
>> Reporter: SHE LISTED HER
PARENTS HOME AS THE MAILING
ADDRESS FOR HER COMPANY, TRUE
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DAUGHTER
DOES FOR A LIVING WITH JESSE?
>> JES, HE SELLS AND BUYS.
>> Reporter: LIKE WHAT?
WHAT DOES HE SELL AND BUY?
>> Reporter: COURT RECORDS SHE
HE PLEADED GUILTY TO
PROSTITUTION AND MANUFACTURING
AND SELLING DRUGS IN 1995.
SO HOW DID HE GO FROM DEALING
CRUISES?
>> I WAS TOLD ABOUT THE COMPANY
SOMEBODY WHO KNEW SOMETHING
ABOUT THE COMPANY.
>> Reporter: WASHINGTON CALLED
PARKWAY TRIP EXPERTS AND
SCHEDULED THE CRUISE.
SHE AUTHORIZED A PARTNER
COMPANY, TRUE MARKETING, TO
ELECTRONICALLY WITHDRAW HER
DEPOSIT FROM HER BANK ACCOUNT.
NEXT, SHE WAS ASKED TO SEND A
MONEY ORDER FOR BOOKING FEES TO
WORLD WIDE GET AWAYS.
ALSO REGISTERED TO HIM.
THAT MONEY WAS SENT HERE, TO
THIS UPS STORE OFF 1960 AND A
BOX RENTED BY HER.
WEEKS LATER, WASHINGTON GETS AN
E-MAIL FROM YET ANOTHER COMPANY.
TRAVEL GUARANTEED GROUP WROTE,
WE ARE AN INDEPENDENT COMPANY
HIRED BY ANOTHER COMPANY AND
VACATION OFFER.
>> THEY'RE TRYING TO DUPE YOU.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT THEY DO
THEIR NAMES.
>> Reporter: THIS IS THE
PRESIDENT OF VACATIONS TO GO, A
YEARS.
>> IF THEY HAVE MULTIPLE
COMPANIES AND THEY'RE SWITCHING
YOU FROM ONE TO ANOTHER TO
ANOTHER, THAT'S ANOTHER RED
FLAG.
YOU SHOULD B SUSPICIOUS.
>> Reporter: WE FOUND OF OWNER
OF TRAVEL GUARANTEED IN BAYTOWN.
HE'S A FORMER ATTORNEY WHO
RELINQUISHES LAW LICENSED IN
2002 SHORTLY BEFORE HE WAS
CONVICTED OF STEALING $60,000
FROM HIS LAW FIRM.
PEOPLE'S MONEY.
>> Reporter: WHY WOULD YOU HAVE
FIVE TRAVEL BUSINESSES IN YOUR
NAME IF YOU TONIGHT HAVE
AGENCIES?
MONEY?
NO ONE FROM ANY OF THE COMPANIES
E-MAILS.
BUT EMPLOYEES WILL STILL MAKE A
RESERVATION FOR YOU IF YOU CALL
NUMBERS.
WE'RE LISTING ALL OF THE PHONY
PHONE NUMBERS BY THEM ON
CLICK2HOUSTON.COM.
IF YOU LOST MONEY WITH THEM,
FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE HARRIS
OFFICE.