MISSISSAUGA — Durham Regional Police have arrested and charged Tarcia Craig Brown of Whitby, Ontario with charges related to fraud when selling travel.

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) collaborated with Durham Police on their criminal investigation.

It is alleged that Tarcia Craig Brown used a variety of aliases and falsified a TICO Certificate to gain employment at TICO registered travel agencies and then engaged in fraudulent activities.

In January 2020, TICO alerted the industry to the alleged conduct of Tarcia Craig Brown and the known aliases at the time that had been allegedly used to secure employment.

Says TICO: If there are any registrants or consumers who were impacted by the alleged conduct of Tarcia Craig Brown who have not already contacted TICO or the Durham Regional Police, we encourage you to contact: tico@tico.ca and Detective Constable Middleton of the Financial Crimes Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5321.”

Travel agencies are reminded that TICO certification indicates only that someone has completed either the travel counsellor and/or supervisor/manager exam successfully. Certificates are not an indication of past good conduct. Under provincial legislation, the Travel Industry Act, 2002, individuals are not registered with TICO, only businesses are registered.

Travel agencies are encouraged to always exercise due diligence during the hiring process, including background and reference checks.

Says TICO: “You can also review the charges and convictions section on TICO’s website. For more information about the arrest and charges related to Tarcia Craig Brown and the list of aliases, please click here.”