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Holidaymakers paid a bogus travel agent thousands of pounds for non existent holidays, a court in Scotland heard.

Maureen Muir, 41, from Dundee admitted a series of fraud charges when she appeared before Dundee Sheriff Court on 17 October. She will be sentenced at a later date.

The court heard that Muir persuaded two acquaintances, Wayne O'Hare and Brian Archibald, that she was acting for a travel agent in Goa and that she could get substantial discounts on holidays.

As result the two men persuaded 25 other people to book holidays with her. Prosecutor Hannah Kennedy explained: "She duped Mr O'Hare and Mr Archibald into believing it was a bona fide venture that offered cut-price holidays.

"Mr O'Hare and Mr Archibald then persuaded their families and friends to book holidays, following which both men paid her a total of £33,930."

But when the holidays did not materialise police were called in and an investigation showed that neither the travel agent in Goa nor the holidays existed.

When interviewed by the police the court was told she said: "To be honest, it's just a mess. It was another person's idea to make some money and it just got out of hand."

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