Parents Victimized In Alleged Scam

LaVERGNE, Tenn. -- A group of high school seniors in Rutherford County may not be able to take a class trip with their friends after a woman allegedly took their money.

Alleged Trip Scam Robs Students' Families

The trip they were planning to take has imploded and now police are looking for a woman who may have stolen thousands of dollars from unsuspecting parents.

For many seniors in high school, it's become a rite of passage for every student to be able to go on one last trip with their classmates before graduation.

But some students from LaVergne High School are learning that their dream vacation has become a nightmare.

"My son came home and was telling me about a trip that was being scheduled. Initially, I was under the impression that it was a school sponsored trip, so I started sending in money and whatever deposits he needed," said parent Uvonne Gooch

Over the past nine months, Gooch sent more than $500 to a woman named Cynthia Anderson, who said she was organizing a senior trip to Jamaica.

Last month, Gooch learned the tour company that Anderson was supposed to be paying the cruise to hadn't received a dime.

"YTB told me themselves, 'We didn't know anything about a trip, but let us research and see what's going on.' They got back with me and said, 'Yes, Cynthia is affiliated with us, but we didn't know anything about the trip,'" said Gooch.

Not only are Gooch and the other parents out of their money, but the graduates now have no place to schedule a vacation to in such a short period of time before graduation.

"The trip is off. It's cancelled. I have the e-mails. It's cancelled," said

What concerns Gooch the most is that some parents still think the trip is on and may still be making payments to Anderson.

The alleged scam seems to have affected more than just LaVergne High School. Anderson had reportedly approached every high school in Rutherford County with the same offer.