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INFO WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BUENOS AIRES 000008 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR CA/FPP 
WHA/AND 
DS/ICI/CR 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO KCC 
POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFRD CVIS ASEC SMIG PE AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: VACATIONS724 BREAKS ITS SILENCE TO INTIMIDATE 
TRAVELER; POST MEETS WITH GOA ON ADVERTISING ISSUE 
 
REF: BUENOS AIRES 12958; GUAYAQUIL 328 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Argentine traveler Carolina Millone reports that 
on-line travel agency Vacations724.com tries to intimate her after 
she goes public with their scam. Per reftels Buenos Aires FPU shares 
new information on Vacations724.com and its alleged owners. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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Uncovering Who is Behind the Scam 
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¶2. (SBU) Refs A and B outline the travel scam perpetrated by the 
virtual travel agency, Vacations724.com.  During its preliminary 
investigation (reftel A), FPU interviewed Argentine traveler Carolina 
Millone, who posted multiple complaints in online travel forums such 
as Trip Advisor describing how she was scammed.  In November, a 
former Vacations724.com employee contacted Millone, claiming that she 
had worked for Vacations724.com in the U.S. for two years before 
returning to Argentina, and that her cousin still works for them. For 
security concerns, Millone would not share the woman's name with FPU 
but did share the following information. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Vacations724.com's legal name is "Premier Destino." It is 
currently located at 600 NE 36 St, Miami, Suite C1, FL 33137.  The 
alleged owner, Amaury Ciro Martinez, born on December 9, 1961, is 
married to illegal resident Soledad Martinez (Vacations724.com web 
domain is registered under her name).  They reside at 4500 Sabal Palm 
Road, Miami, FL, the same address listed on several letters presented 
to post by Vacations724.com visa applicants.  The former employee 
said that Vacations724.com hires illegal residents who use false 
names to sign their letters and emails.  Employees include the 
following allegedly illegal aliens: Colombian national and signing 
manager Frida Mabel, alias Mabel Munera; and Peruvian nationals Sandy 
Rivas and Lourdes Cedeo (mother and daughter). The Miami Dade 
Criminal and Civil infractions web page shows that Amaury Martinez 
was convicted for assault and battery, grand theft in the 1st degree, 
burglary, cocaine possession, and resisting arrest. 
 
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Vacations724 Intimidates Ms. Millone 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) In December, the alleged vice president of Vacations724.com 
Gustavo Garcia (also known as "El Che") contacted Millone via email 
telling her he would reimburse her money, if she agreed to remove all 
previous adverse posts on the internet within 24 hours and cease 
posting further complaints.  Millone agreed and provided Garcia with 
a credit card number to process the reimbursement, which never 
arrived. She reported this through the online forum and received 
threatening responses from the agency through the forum.  A few days 
later, Garcia called Millone telling her he knew that she had 
contacted the U.S. Embassy, and sent two emails to FPU which bounced 
back because of the wrong email address.  He also knew that their 
previous employee had contacted her, and that she had made travel 
plans for January 2010.  As this information is true, Millone 
believes Vacations724.com had hacked into her computer. Garcia 
threatened her that "La Liga" would be waiting for her when she 
arrived in Miami because she had posted in a public forum that 
Vacations724.com staff were illegal aliens. Millone then began 
receiving late night phone calls from men requesting sexual services. 
 One of them referred her to the Miami-registered web page where her 
contact information was posted as someone offering these type of 
services.  Millone had to contact the webmaster to have her 
information removed.  After these incidents Millone told FPU that she 
was afraid and would stop posting information against 
Vacations724.com. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Meeting with GOA Produces Cooperation 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) On December 30, FPM and Senior FPU investigator met with 
Ricardo Maldonado, director of travel agency licening at the GOA 
Secretariat of Tourism to discuss the scam and to seek advice for 
scammed applicants.  Dr. Ricardo stated that travel agencies that 
wish to advertise in Argentina must have a local, legal business in 
Argentina and must receive permission from his office.  He suggested 
that Vacations724.com could be accused of false or misleading 
advertising, which constitutes a crime under Argentine penal code. 
He recommended FPU meet with the Argentina equivalent of the Better 
 
BUENOS AIR 00000008  002 OF 002 
 
 
Business Bureau, Defensa del Consumidor, to discuss further.  He also 
offered to post information on his department's official website 
warning potential travelers to be careful when purchasing travel via 
the web.  FPU will meet with Dr. Maldonado and a representative from 
Defensa del Consumidor after they have reviewed FPU information. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Given Vacations724.com intimidation tactics and 
questionable business practices alleged by Ms. Millone, Buenos Aires 
wished to share this information with FPP and posts in case more such 
scams come to light.  END COMMENT. 
MARTINEZ