HOUSTON – Just two weeks before Bob and Lisa Moran’s luxury destination wedding in Mexico, they learned their longtime travel agent had pocketed nearly half a million dollars meant for their big day.
“I almost didn’t have a wedding,” Lisa Moran said in an interview only with KPRC 2. “I’m still in shock … It’s just a sickening feeling to find out a couple weeks before your wedding, it’s probably not going to happen.”
The couple from the Phoenix area had trusted their Houston travel agent, Sunita Hedaoo, for years and relied on her to plan previous extravagant international trips.
The Morans, with help from Hedaoo, spent months planning their picture-perfect wedding at a luxury resort along Mexico’s Pacific Coast. But they faced a last-minute nuptial nightmare when they discovered that hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for the venue and travel were missing.
“I got duped,” said Bob Moran, the former CEO of PetSmart. “It was a breach of trust and that’s a shame.” Hedaoo, who operated under the business name “Kora Journeys,” had boasted in a 2021 Instagram post about being named a “top travel specialist” in the Condé Nast Traveler magazine.
She worked out of a Galleria-area office building in a flexible coworking space, but staff told KPRC 2 on Thursday they hadn’t seen her in months, and she owes money for her office rental.
Now charged with theft, Hedaoo is accused of stealing more than $423,000 that was intended to cover some of the costs of the Morans’ 80-person wedding that included a buyout of the luxury eco-resort, Cuixmala. A warrant has now been issued for her arrest in Harris County.
“She didn’t pay any of it. Zero. She kept the whole amount,” Bob Moran said.
The couple sent Hedaoo three wire transfers to cover some of the wedding costs, only to learn days before the ceremony that the resort hadn’t received the money, according to court records. They were threatened with canceled reservations by the resort, forcing them to spend a small fortune a second time to salvage their big day.
“The day I caught her that the wires weren’t coming through, all of a sudden, she said her mom died,” Lisa Moran said.
The Morans do not believe that story. Adding to their shock, they discovered that the honeymoon they had also paid for had never been booked.
“They are the victims of somebody who created a relationship of trust over time and then abused that trust,” said Houston attorney Rob Wilkins, who represented the Morans in a lawsuit against Hedaoo last year.
In an email to Wilkins disclosed in court records, Hedaoo expressed regret, stating, “It is extremely unfortunate and totally my fault.”
But, records show she did not participate in the court process, and the Morans won their case through a default judgement. Despite a judge ordering Hedaoo to pay them more than $860,000, they have yet to see a dime.
“Trust but verify and I think that’s more important now than ever before,” Wilkins said.
The Morans do not expect to recover their money at this point and believe Hedaoo may be in India.
“The amount doesn’t matter. Everybody works really hard for their vacations,” Lisa Moran said. “Now I really don’t trust people.”
They have decided they will not pay a travel agent directly again and their biggest goal is to prevent Hedaoo from striking again.
“We wanted to take her off the street so that she wouldn’t do this to anybody else,” Bob Moran said.
In addition to the Morans, another alleged victim reached by phone from out of state claims Hedaoo stole thousands from them as well, but no lawsuit or criminal charges have been filed in that case.
KPRC 2 has reached out to Hedaoo, but so far we have not heard back.
Contact law enforcement with any information on Hedaoo’s whereabouts.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) provided tips of things you can do to find a good and reputable travel agent. Here is a summary of what you should do:
- Verify the travel agent’s reputation by visiting BBB.org for accredited agencies, reading client reviews, and seeking recommendations from trusted contacts.
- Ensure the agent takes time to understand your travel needs, does comparison shopping for best deals, and stays updated on travel industry developments.
- Check the agent’s knowledge of popular destinations, local customs, and their ability to inform you about travel restrictions or alerts.
- Confirm that all agreements are provided in writing, with ample time to review the terms, and that payment options include credit card for dispute protection.
- Prioritize dealing with local agents, assess their professionalism and willingness to listen, and verify their credentials, including membership in professional organizations.