“Black Market” Minnesota Travel Agent Admits to Stealing Credit Card Info from Hundreds of People

Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Twin Cities woman described by federal officials as a “black market travel agent” has admitted to stealing from hundreds of customers. 

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A news release issued Thursday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Minnesota says she pleaded guilty in the federal case on Monday. 

Court documents alleged she conducted the scheme from at least April through June of last year. 

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Minnesota "Black Market" Travel Agent Admits to Booking Hotels, Cars with Stolen Credit Cards

23-year-old Reginae Calhoun of Brooklyn Center pleaded guilty to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says. 

Calhoun was accused of using the dark web to buy credit card information of 216 victims. 

The information she was accused of purchasing included names, addresses, card numbers, expiration dates, and CV2 codes, the news release says. 

She then used the stolen information to book rental cars and hotels for her customers at a fraction of the cost, court documents say. 

The transactions between Calhoun and her customers were done with cash payments and with peer-to-peer payment applications. 

“The ingenuity of Minnesota’s fraudsters seems to know no bounds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.  “Calhoun stole hundreds of victim identities and used them to conduct a black-market travel agent fraud scheme—stealing from others to enrich herself.” 

The news release says Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Police shut down the scheme last June, when Calhoun attempted to buy airline tickets using multiple credit cards. 

Police confirmed with the victims that Calhoun was not allowed to use their cards, the news release says. Calhoun’s sentencing date has not been announced.