Florida widow scammed out of funeral flight; airline warns of rising ticket frauds
By CAROLINA BORGES
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ORLANDO, Florida (WSVN) — A Central Florida widow missed her husband’s funeral after being scammed out of nearly a thousand dollars while attempting to book a last-minute flight, a problem airlines say is increasingly common.
Joanne Stainer, 79, reminisced about her 59 years with her late husband, Joe, known for his humor and vibrant personality. Joe passed away in March, and his funeral was set in the family cemetery in Wisconsin.
Stainer was initially scheduled to depart from Orlando Sanford International Airport but was unable to make the flight due to a medical emergency. She then sought to book a new flight the night before the funeral. Lacking technical proficiency, Stainer dialed 411 for assistance in contacting Allegiant Airlines and spoke with a man claiming to represent the carrier.
The scammer charged her $988 for a round trip that typically costs between $50 to $200, according to Allegiant’s website. He exploited her circumstances, claiming increased prices due to the urgency of her travel to a funeral, and issued what appeared to be a legitimate boarding pass.
On the day of her flight, after checking in and being assisted through TSA, Stainer was stopped at the gate. An Allegiant supervisor informed her that her ticket was a fraud, part of a pattern of similar scams the airline has faced.
“I was so intent on I’m going to be there to watch him be put in the ground. I owe him that,” she said.
Allegiant confirmed that the fraudulent ticket went undetected due to the close timing of the purchase to the flight departure, complicating their usual verification processes. Stainer’s baggage was sent on the flight to Wisconsin, but she was left behind.
Allegiant advises customers to book directly through official channels to avoid such scams, highlighting an increase in fraudulent activities involving flight bookings in recent years.
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