June 9, 2013
Scams are becoming an increasingly troublesome problem. Aimfair members report to us instances of cold calls from people with fictitious names and companies. Some have been unable to retrieve money they sent these people in good faith.Grupo Vidanta has issued two warnings in the last three months.
Now we see the US Department of Consumer Affairs and the FTC increasing pressure on scams in the Timeshare Industry. "The Federal Department of Consumer Affairs issued a warning about travel scams, what the agency is doing to curb them and what to look out for. You can read the article in its entirety by following this link: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/ftc-cracks-down-on-timeshare-resale-travel-scams-060613.html?goback=.gde_159828_member_248105574
The FTC claims there have been 191 separate actions taken, including three FTC cases, 83 civil actions filed by 28 states and 25 actions taken by law enforcement in 10 other countries. Also, 184 individuals are facing criminal prosecution by federal and state prosecutors.
The following image is an excellent reminder of how Advance Fee scams work:
Timeshare Resale Scams - FTC
Keep this image firmly in mind! These people are very convincing. Do not fall for their promises. Listen again to this recording of a conversation between a scammer and the person he has impersonated to increase his credibility with his prey: