Nearly 100 Kazakhstanis have fallen victim to a scam involving tour packages advertised on TikTok, leaving them without vacations and burdened with loan repayments, according to KTK TV channel.
Victims said they saw ads for a travel agency on TikTok offering attractive prices for trips to Georgia. One client, Perizat Musabayeva, paid in full for a tour with friends. A day before departure, she was told the trip was canceled.
“We were promised tickets within five business days. But on the morning of July 19, they wrote: 'Dear tourists, sorry, I have a cash flow gap. I used your money to cover expenses from the previous tour. So your tour won't happen, and I cannot send you,'” said Perizat Musabayeva.
According to victims, the average cost of one trip was about 500,000 tenge. Some took out loans or used installment plans to pay. Some learned of the cancellation before departure, while others faced problems only after arriving abroad.
“Some actually flew out. But upon arrival, they found no hotel, no place to eat or sleep. They were simply abandoned,” said another victim, Talshyn Abai.
Preliminary estimates put total damages at around 15 million tenge. After failing to recover their money, 80 people filed complaints with the police. Almaty police said a suspect was detained at the airport upon returning from abroad.
“A criminal case has been opened under Article 190, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan – fraud on an especially large scale. The suspect has been placed in a temporary detention facility,” said official representative of the Almaty Police Department, Saltanat Azirbek.
If found guilty, the woman could face up to seven years in prison. Meanwhile, victims are demanding refunds for the failed vacations. Many admit they cannot afford a holiday this year as they continue repaying loans taken out for the trips.