Key facts

Verdict: 28 May 2026 — Tribunal de Instancia San Bartolomé de Tirajana, two years' imprisonment for continued fraud

Agency: Aray Tours Canarias S.L., incorporated in 2014, Centro Comercial San Fernando in Maspalomas

Known victims: around 70 people from the La Palma case (February 2026), 24 with formal complaints filed; a further 20 people from a cruise case (2023, around €30,000 in losses); more complaints pending

Method: complete travel packages sold via WhatsApp, staggered payments to a private account, falsified booking confirmations, no real flights or hotels

Repeat offender: proceedings ongoing since at least 2023, multiple parallel criminal cases

Sources: elDiario.es Canarias Ahora, Canarias7, La Provincia

In February of this year around 70 people stood at Gran Canaria airport ready to fly to the Los Indianos festival on La Palma. They had booked trips for 13 to 17 February. Direct flight, hotel in Los Cancajos, all through Aray Tours Canarias at the San Fernando shopping centre in Maspalomas. €150 per person deposit, three instalments of €115 over several months — around €600 per person in total, some paid up to €1,900.

They never flew.

When they called the airlines and hotels, the answer was always the same: «There is no booking in your name.» The WhatsApp confirmations they had been receiving for months — fakes. The reservations — never made. The money — transferred to a private account in the manager's name, not the company account.

Contents

  1. What the court ruled yesterday
  2. How the pattern works
  3. How to protect yourself — general rules
  4. What victims can do
  5. Frequently asked questions

What the court ruled yesterday

On 28 May 2026 the Tribunal de Instancia of San Bartolomé de Tirajana sentenced the owner of the agency — identified in court documents as B.M.A.P. — to two years in prison for continued fraud. The verdict relates to a cruise case from 2023, in which 20 customers paid more than €30,000 in total for a supposedly booked Mediterranean cruise. According to the complainants, after receiving €17,670 the owner told them the cruise had been cancelled because other passengers had pulled out of their reservations — but they received no refund, or only partial: €950 to one customer, €500 each to two others.

The La Palma case from February 2026 is being handled in a separate proceeding. Police arrested the manager on 18 February in the middle of Las Palmas on a public street; she was released under conditions the next day. Reports indicate she has been running similar fraud schemes for at least ten years.

How the pattern works

The sequence is practically identical in every documented case and instructive for anyone booking travel through smaller local agencies in the Canary Islands:

1. Contact through personal recommendations. Victims almost always arrived via acquaintances who themselves had recommended the agency — often months before their own problem began.

2. Everything handled via WhatsApp. Terms, confirmations, travel documents — all digital, nothing on the agency's letterhead, no contracts with a stamp.

3. Staggered instalments. Instead of one full payment, several instalments spread over months. That lowers the psychological barrier and, from the fraudster's perspective, spreads the risk.

4. Transfers to a private account. Instead of going to the Aray Tours Canarias S.L. company account, money went to an account in the manager's personal name. In the event of insolvency or criminal proceedings, private assets are harder to recover than company accounts with corporate liability.

5. Evasion when questioned. Requests for flight numbers and booking codes («Localizadores») were met for months with the answer that everything was «secured» — without ever sending real documentation.

Only shortly before the travel date, when customers checked directly with the airline and the hotel, did the fraud come to light.

How to protect yourself — general rules

Aray Tours is not the first and won't be the last case of this kind in the Canary Islands. The key points for any travel booking through smaller local agencies:

  • Transfer to the company account, not to a private account. If the bank details show a private individual's name instead of a company — warning sign.
  • Written contract with the agency stamp, not just WhatsApp. Travel contracts in Spain are subject to form requirements and should include provider details, tax identification number (CIF), cancellation terms and specific services.
  • Demand real booking codes. For flights, the Localizador (PNR); for hotels, the reservation number. Both can be verified instantly with the provider — a quick call to the airline or hotel clarifies in minutes whether the booking exists.
  • Check even when something has been recommended by friends. Personal recommendations are no substitute for formal protection. In the Aray Tours case, recommendations from acquaintances were the main route of spread.
  • Read the Google reviews. Negative reviews describing similar incidents were publicly visible for Aray Tours well before the latest cases.
  • Be wary of extreme instalment plans over many months. Reputable agencies typically take a deposit and a final payment before travel — not ten small instalments spread over half a year.

What victims can do

Anyone who has been a victim and has not yet filed a complaint: filing one with the Policía Nacional is still possible. All evidence is important — WhatsApp threads, bank transfers, falsified booking confirmations, any written communication. Anyone with an ongoing case should ask their lawyer to invoke Spanish consumer protection law (Art. 154 ff. Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2007) — the EU Package Travel Directive gives travellers clear rights of recovery.

For UK and EU customers: the European Consumer Centre (ECC) in Madrid offers free initial advice. For flight-related fraud, the Spanish aviation authority AESA can also be approached.

Two years' imprisonment is yesterday's verdict. How much money actually comes back depends on what assets remain enforceable against the convicted owner.

Frequently asked questions

Which trips specifically were faked?
Known cases include a Mediterranean cruise in 2023 (around €30,000 in losses, 20 people) and a La Palma package in February 2026 (around 70 people, around €600 per person). Further complaints from earlier years are being processed.
Am I affected if I haven't filed a complaint yet?
If you booked with Aray Tours Canarias and received no service: very likely yes. A complaint to the Policía Nacional can still be filed.
Will I get my money back?
The criminal verdict sets damages, but actual payment depends on what assets the convicted owner still has that can be enforced. Where company insolvency is confirmed, recovery may be limited.
What are the warning signs at travel agencies more generally?
Transfers to private accounts, communication only via WhatsApp without a written contract, missing booking codes, extreme instalment plans, and poor online reviews.
Where can UK and EU victims turn?
To the Policía Nacional for the complaint, to the European Consumer Centre (ECC España) for initial legal advice, and to a Spanish lawyer for damages.
Are there other cases pending?
Yes. Yesterday's verdict relates to the 2023 cruise case. The La Palma case from February 2026 is being handled separately, and further complaints from older cases were recently reopened.