A Brighton and Hove man is being hunted by police who believe that he may have defrauded hundreds of thousands of pounds from people booking holidays over the internet.
Sussex Police urged anyone who knows the whereabouts of Carlo Bulley, 38, to help catch him.
He is suspected of ruining the holidays of dozens of innocent families by duping them into booking non-existent villas.
It is thought that he placed adverts on genuine websites but families have been turning up in France, Spain and Portugal to find that they have paid out for villas that don’t exist.
Bulley lived in the Brighton and Hove area from September 2009 to May this year.
The victims entered into a contract, believing it to be genuine, and were asked to pay by bank transfer into accounts in the name of either C Bulley or J Kettunen.
They booked flights and only learnt that the villas did not exist when they reached their destinations.
It is believed that Bulley has also been using the names Richard Ingle, Conrad Bulley and Casper Bulley.
Detective Constable Tracey Dixon, from Brighton CID, said: “There are many people that have been duped by Bulley and we are anxious to find him as soon as possible so these cruel crimes can be stopped.
“Many of the victims have families with young children who have been left stranded in Europe at the height of the summer season.
“It’s caused considerable stress and upset as they try to find alternative accommodation or get back home.”
Other forces across England, including the Metropolitan Police, are also trying to locate Bulley for money laundering and fraud offences and he is currently on bail with Essex Police.
Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Dixon on 0845 6070999 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
