The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has identified digital travel scams as a systemic global issue following several reports from travelers involving unfulfilled bookings. A group of Brazilian travelers reported that Rafael Bessa, a travel agent known for luxury social media content, accepted payments for European vacations that resulted in unpaid hotel bills and invalid transit tickets upon arrival.
One traveler, identified as Maria, reported losing approximately $30,000 after discovering her pre-paid hotels in the Alps and France had not received payment. Another client, Ana Jalenna, stated her second booking with Bessa resulted in invalid reservation numbers despite previous successful trips. A third client, Adriane Trofin, reported that a group of 14 travelers was left stranded in Athens after Bessa failed to secure a pre-paid resort booking.
In response to the allegations, Rafael Bessa told the BBC that there had been pricing "problems" with specific hotel packages and provided copies of transit bookings that travelers alleged were duplicates. Bessa stated that he had reimbursed certain clients for cancelled trips, though those clients disputed receiving any funds. Legal representatives for Bessa reportedly offered a $20,000 settlement to one client in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement, which was refused.