Travel World Sydney agent Zahra Rachid has avoided more time behind bars despite admitting to eight counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception involving more than $77,000.
The Arncliffe-based travel agent cancelled customers’ flights and pocketed thousands of refunded dollars, blaming global events, in a fraud that ran for more than eight months, as she struggled to keep her ailing business afloat.
At least one of the victims arrived at Sydney Airport ready to fly to Europe, only to be told their plane ticket didn’t exist, the Downing Centre Local Court was told.
A Sydney Morning Herald report said that the victim had to pay more money on the spot to book new flights and keep their holiday plans.
All up, eight victims were defrauded of amounts ranging from $2000 to $50,360 before Rachid’s arrest in August 2024.
“The total amount that she gained is significant,” magistrate Susan Horan said. “Two thousand dollars to one person may be significant life savings, as $50,000 might be to people in other financial circumstances.
“People were trusting her with their money.”
In all but one case, Rachid booked the customer’s flights, cancelled them and then passed on the cancelled booking to the customer as though it remained valid.
Magistrate Horan jailed Rachid for a minimum of six months, noting guilty pleas to eight counts of fraud, her lack of criminal history and “deep and genuine” remorse.
The former travel agent has spent 255 days in custody on remand since her arrest, and another 11 months on strict bail conditions.
With time served, she walked from court on Friday.
The former agent was also ordered to repay $44,800 to the victims who had not already been compensated by their banks.
The Australian Travel Industry Association said it is a reminder to consumers to always book through ATIA Accredited travel businesses.
The fraud was revealed following a segment aired on A Current Affair, with officers from St George Police Area Command in Sydney’s south established Strike Force Bail to investigate the reports.
NSW police later released footage of Rachid’s arrest.
The background
Travel World Sydney’s accreditation was cancelled in July 2019 after the business failed to meet renewal requirements, including the provision of financial documentation.
“There’s no place in our industry for fraud or criminal behaviour,” ATIA CEO Dean Long said at the time of her arrest. “No one like this is welcome in our industry. We hope the penalty reflects the seriousness of the offences and that the book is thrown at this individual.”
The ATIA Accreditation Program is the largest and most trusted accreditation scheme for travel businesses in Australia.
Accredited members must meet rigorous financial, ethical and professional standards. Of all applications, 16 per cent are rejected each year, reflecting the program’s strong oversight and commitment to maintaining consumer confidence.
“This case serves as a reminder of why travellers should always look for the ATIA Accredited symbol when booking their travel. Accreditation demonstrates that a business meets strict financial, ethical and professional standards and is subject to ongoing oversight,” Long said. “It’s about trust, transparency, and accountability, the core elements consumers deserve.”
“The overwhelming majority of Australian travel businesses operate with integrity, and ATIA Accreditation helps ensure those high standards are maintained and makes it really easy for consumers to know who to book their travel through.”
“Anyone who is not accredited is making it difficult for consumers to find businesses they can trust, which is why we encourage all travel businesses to take immediate steps to become accredited.”
