SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Authorities in Seminole County say a suspected scam artist is at it again. Jeffrey Hirschkorn ran from WFTV's cameras last week after several families said he stole their credit card numbers when they bought cruises from him.
Hirschkorn is now facing 22 new charges. The alleged con artist now faces nearly two-dozen new charges for an old scam, allegedly ripping off customers and business partners alike. He was in court Friday to tell a judge he can't afford his own attorney.
"I'll tell you right now, the man has robbed people over a million dollars in his lifetime. And that's an underestimate," Eddie, a victim, said.
Eddie said he's one of those victims and didn't want to use his last name. He claims Hirschkorn, who ran Peabody Vacations at the time, bought $8,000 worth of data from him but paid with phony checks and stolen credit cards.
Many Peabody customers say Hirschkorn went on spending sprees with the credit cards they used to pay for vacations.
"I think he's a pathological liar. But he's a brilliant man, he's an intelligent man, and he's a calculating man. He knows what he's doing, when he's doing it and how he's doing it," Eddie said.
WFTV Googled Hirschkorn's name and found hundreds of rip-off reports over the past eight years. Just last week, WFTV exposed what investigators call Hirschkorn's latest scam. It's similar to Peabody Vacations, but this time it was called Global Vacations and was based in Orange County.
"Many, many people, they would like to take matters into their own hands, but they're sitting back and waiting for the law to do their thing," Eddie said.
After WFTV's story last week, Hirschkorn was sent back to jail when bondsmen canceled his bail. He was shipped to Seminole County because the newest charges take precedence.
State officials are trying to revoke Hirschkorn's travel license and shut down the Orange County company.
WFTV
