A 46-year-old woman from Portsmouth has been sentenced to 33 months in prison after running a holiday fraud scheme that left over 90 victims out of pocket by approximately £280,000. Shelley Simpson, of Westwood Road, operated a company called Sphere Events Limited between March 2019 and November 2022, during which she took payments for holidays and events that were never actually booked.
Following an investigation led by Portsmouth City Council‘s trading standards team and supported by the National Trading Standards Tri Region Investigations Team, Simpson appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on 6 May 2026. The court heard that she used money from new customers to pay off debts, cover personal expenses, and fund private school fees for her children. To maintain the illusion of legitimate business, she forged bank statements and booking confirmations, including falsifying a British Airways flight booking on three separate occasions.
The scam had a significant impact on victims, with some losing tens of thousands of pounds. One customer paid £37,000 for a luxury family holiday to Barbados that was never booked, while another couple, John and Terry Ross from Hedge End, lost £15,000 after booking three trips. The UK Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that Sphere Events falsely displayed protected travel logos to appear legitimate, despite having no connection to those organisations. Victims also noted that they were often pressured to pay via bank transfer, which prevented them from using standard credit card protection methods to reclaim their funds.
With the summer holiday season approaching, officials are reminding residents to remain vigilant against travel deals that appear too good to be true. As part of the ongoing efforts to address the harm caused, the local council is now using the Proceeds of Crime Act to pursue assets with the aim of providing compensation to those affected. Those concerned about the legitimacy of a travel company are encouraged to verify credentials through official industry tools before making any payments.
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