New York – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that Victoria Scardgigno, a former sales agent for Continental Airlines at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, was arrested this morning on wire fraud charges stemming from a $1 million scheme involving the sale of hundreds of fake ticket vouchers.
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According to the Complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court:
While employed at the airline, Scardigno misappropriated from its offices hundreds of vouchers that the airline uses to compensate customers who had already paid for travel on Continental Airlines for flight delays, cancellations or situations in which customers were denied boarding due to, for example, overbooking. After taking the vouchers, Scardigno hatched a scheme to sell them to prospective passengers, on the fraudulent pretext that they could be redeemed for a round-trip ticket anywhere in the world. Scardigno sold over 1,750 such vouchers, at a purchase price of approximately $500 to $600.
Scardigno took in approximately $1 million from the fraud, which was deposited directly into her personal bank account.
In fact, Continental Airlines offers no such voucher program, and SCARDIGNO’s representations that the vouchers could be redeemed for air travel were false. When passengers attempted to redeem their vouchers through SCARDIGNO, she used some of the fraud proceeds to purchase tickets for these passengers, in order to keep the fraudulent scheme going. As a result, since the cost of the tickets far exceeded the cost of the vouchers, most of the voucher purchasers were unable to redeem their vouchers.
Scardigno used at least some of the illicit proceeds to pay off personal debts and to purchase thousands of dollars of luxury goods from stores such as Louis Vuitton and Coach.
Scardigno, 32, of Weehawken, New Jersey, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, and restitution.
United States Attorney Preet Bharar said: “Victoria Scardigno allegedly tricked hundreds of unsuspecting air travelers, promising them the benefits of a plan that turned out to be nothing more than a frequent fraud program. Instead of the tickets they paid for, the would-be passengers received worthless pieces of paper, while Scardigno allegedly got nearly a million dollars of their hard-earned money in return. This Office will continue to work closely with the FBI and corporate security departments like Continental’s to make sure those who hatch predatory frauds like this one do not go unpunished.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Joseph Demarest, said: “When it comes to dreaming up fraudulent schemes, it seems the sky is the limit. Would-be swindlers keep devising new ways to attempt to defraud. But they all make the same age-old mistake: they don’t think we’ll catch them.”
Something on this HALF story stinks……..and to her and her friend, thanks again for stealing my money
being that someone was caught will the money be returned?
Is this connected to all the vouchers sold in Lakewood this past summer ??????
Unfortunately many frum Yidden in the tri state area lost a lot of money through this scheme.
Is this the person that sold the tickets to the guy in lakewood?
I am one of the many who lost their money from this scam along with friends of mine. We all bought the vouchers from a frum man from Lakewood. Now the question is was he involved in it as well.
Will there be any compensation for the victims of this scam who innocently purchased these “tickets” ?? How can we apply?
Where do we line up for a refund? I purchased 7 of these through someone in Lakewood! They are totally worthless!
I have one word for people who do these kinds of schemes where they will for sure be caught:
Idiot!
alot of frum yiden lost monsy on this scam
Does this mean that the Kolel couple in Israel that was selling these will not have any problems now?
If Yes, this makes me happy, because they got duped into selling these “vouchers” and were just trying to make a living while staying in eretz yisroel.
Fact: when its to good to be true, ITS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE
FINALLY!!
There were Lakewood ppl involved
Please don’t post HALF stories like this when u know u are willingly causing pain to countless yidden who were scammed by this!! U know we don’t care if SHE gets arrested or not!!
Why were people buying vouchers in the first place? Clearly this was nit legal.
I am one of the many who lost their money from this scam along with friends of mine. We all bought the vouchers from a frum man from Lakewood. Now the question is was he involved in it as well.
To all of you who purchased this – if a person on the street offers you a genuine Rolex for 1/3 of the price, you know that it is hot goods. What made this any different? As soon as I was offered this, I realized that something was fishy. Don’t try and cut corners. If it is too good to be true, it probably is.
no body was scammed . anyone who got these illegal tickets derserved to lose it because they new there was genava involved .
I got around 25 tickets from the lakewood family. They should give back our money. They took responsibility!
Poor bubbeles. Thought they had another good chap and they got out chapped. Sounds like the typical outcome of learning in Lakewood. They’ll all learn the hard way.
All of you go out ant earn an honest living and stop trying to cut corners , all of you who tried to cut corners got what you deserved.
The guy in lakewood got screwed just like the rest of us. Only its messing up his life.
lets wait and see what will happen next.
The frum man in lakewood was the one who brought in the FBI. So before we all start talking learn facts!
I’m wondering this: I understand that this LKWD family are also victims of this scam. Question is why can’t they pay everyone back all the profit that they made on this deal? What happened to all that money?
i was not aware of any lawsuit. who is the lawsuit against and how do become part of the class i purchased 10 tickets
To #25 . The article pretty clearly says that the Continental employee got the money, and most of that went to the airline. Sounds to me like Continental should be paying back everyones money.
Sounds like #25 has a personal problem. Maybe take your problems and handle them in private. Even Goyim have a Klall inocent until proven guilty. I guess Stam Lashon Hara is OK in your Shulchan Aruch.
I was called by the FBI and questioned, when I asked about the “Lakewood family”, I was informed by the feds that the Lakewood family and all the other people reselling the vouchers were scammed like the rest of us.
To all those who purchased these vouchers:
Nu, say the Emess.
When you say that the Lakewood guy was assuring you that they would be honored, was your only concern that the gimmick would “work,” whether or not there was geneivah involved?
what about the profits ?
To all you people who lost money or are just bashing this family in Lakewood let me tell you all something.
They have been screwed just like you have been, I have been involved and have been responsible for a lot of the evidence gathered against the employee in continental and she was not the only one, there are more employees involved.
As for the person that is asking for the money back, they legal fund is costing him almost as much as what he made. And just so you know some facts the family from Lakewood is the one that called the FBI and continental security so all you bashers shut your mouths before you say a word.
I was there and I sew the evidence, the Lakewood family is 1000 percent innocent.
We were a victim from this! She promised us the tickets. We never got the tickets nor the money back. Now we truly learned from this experience!
There’s no reason people should have known that these deals were not valid. There are often good deals to be had on airlines. Remember Carl Icahn’s TWA vouchers? Those were 100% valid, and sold at a steep discount.
Question for all those who who were reassured that these tickets would work: Why on earth did you believe it? What proof did you have of purchase? What proof did you have of the reassurance? What proof did you have that they took responsibility?
The Lakewood family is far far from innocent. If they called the authorities, they did it to try and call first and stay ahead of the curve. They sold the vouchers-they are responsible for them, period. Do the math, they definitely made a profit, which there is no excuse for not returning. If they decide to spend money on lawyers to try and keep themselves out of jail that shouldn’t come out of the victim’s pockets. Can you think of a bigger chutzpah than how they are making money off everyone else’s loss?
To all you who lost money, when will you learn? I needed a ticket, and refused to buy a “voucher” because I usually buy a “ticket.” Who buys “vouchers?” There was clearly something not legit about this shady offer. Any fool would have picked up on it. So if you bought a “voucher” thinking you beat continental, then you have no one to blame but yourself. I challenge any honest person to say “I thought it was legit and I got messed over.”
Oh, and which genius is upset at continental being compensated for the flights they provided? That will really fly in a court! Sue the lady who took your money!
Think of it as if you gave money to madoff to invest, and he used the money for a lavish party. Would you now go after the caterer for money? Go after bernie!
So I’m happy that continental didn’t get rooked. Next time, try to be honest. It pays.
I would like to publicly ask forgiveness from the yid in lakewood who I bought the vouchers from, I called and yelled at you countless times and you always paitently and calmly told me how you were also screwed and doing the best you can to bring justice, and though I doubted you at first I now see you were telling the truth and you are a good man. I hope this ends quickly and happily for you.
To all the people who bought these vouchers and thought they would work, I have a bridge in brooklyn to sell you. It cost $800 but you need to get a check from a G’mach that’s made out to another G’mach and send it to a PO Box and I will give you a paper that says that you own the bridge.
If you are skeptical, be assured, I am from Lakewood, so you can be assured that I am a top notch Jew who would never do anything to cheat a fellow Jew (I only cheat nisht fun unzerers) and I have already sold many of these papers so you can be sure it is legitimate.
If your interested, go to said bridge and jump.
i knew this is gonna happen from second i heard of this scam… the lakewood family was actually her only agent and all victims are only frum yidden bcse the N family and the agent worked this out together. I spoke to N while he was selling them and he told me that they sat down and worked out a deal. they knew that this might end up >> so they actually protrcted themselves from day 1 in case of todays situtatiom. but as long as they had a chance to make a quickBIGbuck lets try it and risk it. N Family is guilty 10000pct and they are the once who ripped of our commuinty not Victoria Scardgigno. she was the gonev but they actually brought us to all be victims. cut the balony they they are innocent,, please, he told me more details when i questioned Mr N how this cant be scam. arrest them no beetter then maddof. innocent ppl including melamdim and kollel ppl where folled in to this only bcse there was a so called frum family from lkwd selling them. Now they will be play innocent ..and we are also victims….please its to late. YOU ARE THE SCAMMERS you are guilty from day 1. you should be arrested and your D from israel for helping out . sorry but this is the TRUTH>
to #44
who wrote “join the class action suit and let the courts decide whether mr lakewood did something wrong”
Uhh! Assuming you are a frum jew, isn’t there something about going to a beis din and not court. = “Arko-ois”
They lw family made money they should pay that money back
I know this family and I have faith in them……..you should too!
HHow can I join the lawsuit
You obviously didn’t deal with the
family in any way, because although i bought a lot of vouchers, and was originally
EXTREMELY upset at them for the money i had lost, anyone
who spoke to them directly would agree that they felt a little more at ease after, just
from the patience and the fact that he would stay on the phone until
he answered and satisfied our every single question about what was
going on, no matter what we didnt understand about the situtaion or how long it took.
I cannot possibly believe that anyone saying that the family is guilty actually
BOUGHT vouchers or delt with them at all.
When you say that there were melamdim & kollel people fooled,
THIS FAMILY was fooled as well by victoria scardigigno.
Also,
the reason why you would be DEFENDING this goy baffles me to no end, notice
that noone else had mentioned her at all,
I am quite sure that 90% of what you wrote is made up,even just from the fact that there
is NO WAY anyone could sit with him, a truly honest man, and leave with such feelings to write
such a disgusting peice of garbage.
By the way do you think your little nonsense outrage is smarter then 4 months of an investigation by the FBI?
May hashem bless you with all the brochos that come to baalei motzei shem-ra.
They were still selling the tickets to some parties AFTER some people who already bought tickets were already told that they can’t get the tickets anymore and at the same time they were selling together with the D in israel after they already “knew” that it was going down and they were still taking the cash
Now noone will believe people from lakewood
I’m willing to bet half the people commenting are not even involved and are connecting the dots themselves in a way that can stir up more hock. if you actually thought this out though you would see some points you overlooked.
1- frum jews are so quick to point fingers at other frum jews because they cant take responsibility for their own actions. all you wonderful people are saying how you trusted the family and they steered you wrong. sorry to disappoint you they didn’t they were steered wrong themselves and answered all the questions as they were told by an agent from continental. If they were in on the scam don’t you think the FBI would have arrested them as well? the post madoff era has zero tolerance for fraud. Trust me the FBI doesn’t care about arresting frum jews as all of you know. so for all the simple people that have been running their mouth ill make it easy for you so you would not have to strain yourself to add more dots to your concocted etch a sketch of a story the FBI must be in on the scam also. what else could be the possible explanation there?
2- you want them to return the profit. a) what makes you think they won’t? clearly its a pending legal issue that won’t be resolved by them handing out the money they made. the profits would not cover the losses incurred by people. courts would need to decide the proper appropriation of the funds.
3- as we have seen in the past frum jews that run scams in their own communities dont sit around and wait for the blowback, they run. did they run? did they stop taking phone calls? from all your comments it seems that they are still answering questions and still in lakewood.
Everyone is so quick to judge but no one looks at the other side of the coin. they only see what they want to see. if continental would honor the vouchers i doubt anyone of you would say no its not ehrlich and i want to return the voucher for my money back, you would all be using the vouchers right and left. the N family was a victim as much as you were. do the math on the tickets they didnt make millions. do any of you think the stress they have was worth whatever they made?
be dan lkaf zchus before jumping to conclusions, and focus on real problems within our communities.
I have a friend who bought tickets from el-al about 3 years ago in early winter. It was a 2 day deal, totally legal and she paid $400 a ticket including taxes. In the summer the same tickets were going for more than double that price. So it is no naska mina that because it’s cheap, it’s not legal. Sometimes there really are deals out there to be had.