A British mother from Essex, Laura Joyce, has been charged in connection with a major holiday scam that defrauded hotels in Majorca, Spain, out of an estimated £9.5 million. The scheme allegedly involved persuading tourists to fabricate food poisoning stories in order to make fraudulent compensation claims.
The Scheme and the Accused
Laura Joyce, 42, and her brother, Marc Cameron, are accused of leading the scam as part of a "profit-driven organized crime group." The pair allegedly posed as representatives of a Spanish company, Elite Project Marketing SL, to deceive British tourists into participating in the fraud.
Joyce and Cameron are now on trial alongside five other Britons who are also accused of being involved in the scam. These individuals include Ryan Bridges, Simon Robert Flanagan, Tegan Jewel Sumerlee, Susan Amanda Lyle, Nicola Marie Sanderson, and Peter Carl Murphy. Additionally, a UK-based businessman is said to have overseen the entire operation. The group has been charged with fraud and being part of a criminal organization.
How the Scam Operated
According to a court ruling in Majorca, the group targeted British tourists staying in all-inclusive hotels across the island. They allegedly persuaded the holidaymakers to falsely claim that they had fallen ill due to food poisoning during their stay at the hotels. By filling out fabricated forms, the group ensured that these tourists were able to pursue compensation claims in the UK.
"The gang specialised in obtaining the details of British tourists in all-inclusive hotels in Majorca it convinced, through a form they themselves elaborated, to falsely claim they had been ill during their stay in one of those hotels and be able to claim compensation in the UK," the court decision stated.
The Financial Impact of the Fraud
Detectives have confirmed that the fraudulent activities resulted in significant financial losses for the affected hotels. The total amount defrauded from three hotel chains in Majorca between 2016 and 2017 is estimated to be £9.5 million.
A hotel association in Majorca has estimated that fraudulent claims cost its members around 45 million euros in 2016. As a result, many hotels in Spain and Turkey have decided to eliminate all-inclusive packages due to the financial burden of these mostly false compensation claims.
Laura Joyce’s Involvement
Joyce, who was heavily pregnant at the time of the arrests, was taken into custody in September 2017 and appeared in court in May 2018. Her attorney, Gabriel Llado, has stated that Joyce admitted to providing contact information of vacationers for a fee, but he defended her actions by claiming that it was part of a legitimate market research project. Llado further denied that Joyce or her associates encouraged tourists to falsify food poisoning claims using pharmacy receipts.
Refuting the Scam Allegations
Despite the charges against her, Joyce maintains that she was not involved in orchestrating the scam. According to her attorney, Joyce participated in the scheme for a brief period before deciding to leave due to insufficient earnings. Joyce, who is facing charges under her maiden name, Cameron, has consistently denied any involvement in encouraging tourists to fabricate food poisoning allegations.
