A scandal has rocked the American airline Southwest Airlines: a former employee stole hundreds of flight vouchers with a total value of $79.000. The incident, which occurred at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, did not become public until August 2024, although the internal investigation was completed the previous year. This incident raises questions not only about security and control within the airline, but also about the integrity of employees and the potential impact on customers. On August 1, 2023, Southwest Airlines began an investigation after irregularities in the issuing of flight vouchers were discovered. It took almost two months for the airline to determine the extent of the theft on September 28, 2023. But it would take almost another year for the details of the incident to become public. It was not until August 8, 2024 that the information was revealed to local media in St. Louis. The perpetrator, a former Southwest Airlines customer service representative, used his position to steal and counterfeit flight vouchers. In a written statement, he confessed to using the names of previous passengers to print hundreds of fake flight vouchers, which he subsequently used for his personal gain. Scope of the theft and the investigation The investigation by the St. Louis District Attorney's Office revealed that the employee had stolen a total of $79.000 worth of flight vouchers. During a search of his work area by St. Louis Airport Police, the suspect returned 119 travel vouchers valued at $36.300. In addition, it was discovered that the employee had stolen the remaining vouchers in
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