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FBI looks for more potential victims in travel agent scam
The FBI is digging into complaints about a local travel agency.
CHICAGO - The FBI is getting involved in an alleged travel agent scam, after a Chicago couple claimed FlyGirl World Travel stole more than $180,000 from them.
What we know:
FBI's Chicago Field Office is currently investigating a travel agent scam that South Side couple Iris Smith and Dedric Vaughn had employed to help plan their long-awaited wedding day in July.
The office is looking for any other potential victims of FlyGirl World Travel. If you believe you are a victim of this scam, fill out a form here.
The backstory:
The couple hired Laticha Douglas, owner of FlyGirl World Travel LLC, to help coordinate their destination wedding.
According to Smith and Vaughn, guests RSVP'd and paid Douglas directly through her now-deactivated website. The payments were supposed to cover travel, hotel rooms, and more.
Instead, the couple said they received excuses and eventually, silence.
"I had been trying to contact her for days, and she hadn’t responded," Smith said. "… When we calculated everything, over $180,000."
They said only 2% of their guests received refunds. The couple was forced to cancel the wedding entirely.
One email to Smith, allegedly from someone claiming Douglas was hospitalized, suggested guests should dispute charges with their banks and re-book their travel. The email assured her a refund system was in place, but most guests never saw a dime.
"The dates on all of this stuff won’t match anymore," Smith said, glancing at her wedding favors.
"What do you do? Just keep it? Pass it out still?" said FOX 32's Tia Ewing.
"I think… pass it out. Everyone kind of knows what happened. It’s so unfortunate," Smith said.
RELATED: Chicago couple claims wedding dreams were stolen by travel agent in $180K scam
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has received at least five separate complaints against FlyGirl World Travel LLC:
- One traveler paid $2,300 for a trip to Jamaica, only to find there was no reservation.
- Another made monthly payments for a $3,900 trip to Egypt. That trip never happened.
In both cases, Douglas stopped responding, and her website disappeared.
According to state records, FlyGirl World Travel LLC was terminated earlier this year by the Secretary of State, then later reinstated.
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office confirmed it is now working to mediate multiple complaints.
"We are attempting to mediate consumer complaints we have received about this business," the office said in a statement.
What's next:
The Chicago Police Department confirmed an investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, Smith and Vaughn, both city employees, are left with heartbreak and debt.
"I still find myself in shock sometimes," Smith said.
Now, they just want accountability.
"At this point, just turn yourself in," Smith said in a direct plea to Douglas. "You took a lot of people’s money. A lot of people are angry—including us."
The Illinois Secretary of State's office said that FlyGirl World Travel LLC is currently listed as "not in good standing" as of July 1.
The company failed to file its required annual report on time. If the report is not filed by Jan. 1, 2026, the business will be automatically dissolved.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX 32's Tia Ewing.