‘I hope she gets what’s coming for her’: NYC women speak out after influencer took thousands from them for specialized training course — and then vanished. How to avoid a similar situation

Who is Melanny, and what did she promise?

Restrepo Herrera, or simply Melanny, is a Florida-based TikToker who paints a rags-to-riches story and promotes her permanent makeup business, The Luxury Ink, through her social media. Her since-deleted Instagram and TikTok accounts were filled with posts promoting her services and luxury lifestyle.

Restrepo Herrera said she went from a homeless shelter to earning $200,000 a month, and when advertising her courses, claimed she could teach students how to make $1 million a year.

Although the course was initially priced at $6,000, Melanny offered steep discounts and payment plans. Landin said she saw others take the course and believed it was legitimate.

But the night before the class, Restrepo Herrera canceled, saying she needed emergency surgery. She told students they could either request a refund or take another course she was offering in Miami, with travel covered if they gave 30 days’ notice.

Echeverry asked for a refund but was blocked on social media. Landin tried to accept the Miami offer but never heard back. As of May 11, when the CBS News New York aired its story, Restrepo Herrera was still promoting a course set to take place in Dallas in June.

Upon further investigation by both CBS’s New York and Miami affiliates, the Florida Department of Health said that Restrepo Herrera does not have the necessary licenses or permits to teach the courses she promotes.

“I hope she gets what’s coming for her,” Echeverry said.

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How to avoid being misled by college or training scams

Unfortunately, bogus college and training course scams are common. To protect yourself, you can:

• Look up the college or influencer’s full name and verify their credentials.
• Check for required licenses and permits if they’re offering services or teaching a skill.
• Be wary of vague refund policies and unclear course details.
• Search for reviews or testimonials from past students — outside of the college or the teacher’s social media.
• Use a credit card to make purchases, which can help you dispute a charge if things go south.

And most importantly, act fast if you feel something’s wrong — whether that means asking for a refund or filing a dispute with your bank. If it’s too good to be true, it most likely is.