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I just noticed this today.. I couldn't post a link properly so here is the text. When you go to the log in page, there is a red box which opens a pop up that says the following:
You may have already been contacted by a company offering to sell or rent your timeshare. It is critical for ALL timeshare owners to be aware of the growing presence of individuals making fraudulent claims to offer resale and/or listing services. The details below are shared to keep you well-informed and well-prepared to respond to unsolicited offers of service from such callers.
If you receive a call offering to sell or rent your timeshare:
Be skeptical. If you are contacted by someone offering to resell your timeshare, immediately become skeptical. Despite any claims to contrary, no resale company can guarantee an owner a sale.
If the contact is by telephone, ask the caller if he is licensed as a telemarketer. If they answer yes, ask for which state and then contact that state’s consumer protection division and confirm. In Florida, call 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352).
If the caller claims to be a real estate agent or broker, ask for their license number and verify its legitimacy with applicable Department of Real Estate. In Florida, call (850) 487-1395.
Also, don’t be fooled by someone claiming to be associated with a branded company or their use of brand logos on materials. Scammers often use such items without permission to convince you their operation is legitimate.
File a complaint. If you are victimized, consider filing a complaint with the following agencies:
a. Attorney General’s Office of the state in which the consumer resides and the state in which the scammer is located. The State Attorney General’s websites are listed at www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php
b. The Federal Trade Commission – Federal Trade Commission
c. The Real Estate Division of the state in which the scammer is located; and
d. Better Business Bureau – BBB Consumer and Business Reviews, Reports, Ratings, Complaints and Accredited Business Listings - U.S. BBB
Common Resale Scams. Most resale scams involve an up-front fee. Below are some common scams:
Listing Fee. You are contacted by someone claiming they either want to buy your timeshare or they have a ready buyer (they may even put the phony buyer on the phone), but you must pay an up-front fee. In a legitimate resale, no payments are made by a seller until after the close of the transaction.
Appraisal Fraud. You are contacted by a person offering to list or sell your timeshare, but first you must obtain an appraisal from a list of appraisers offered – which are in fact, cohorts of the caller. The scammer offers to reimburse the appraisal fee at closing; unfortunately, there never is a closing.
Agency Refund Fraud. You are contacted by someone claiming to be an “ARDA agent” for the purpose of disbursing funds collected by an Attorney General in an action against resale companies, but he “agent” requires an up-front fee to process the claim. Although the Florida AG has pursued certain resale companies, any refunds should be from the Attorney General’s office and no fees would be necessary.
Overpayment /Nigerian Fraud. You are contacted by someone claiming they want to buy your timeshare. They send you a check for more than the purchase price, you deposit the check and then the buyer requests a refund for the over-payment. You remit the overpayment only to find out later that the buyer’s check bounced and you lost your money and possibly your timeshare too.
Phony Buy Back. You are contacted by someone claiming their in the area buying timeshares (to rent them or use them for employees, etc.). They request an up-front fee to reserve your spot on the list or they arrange an in-person appointment sometimes at a local hotel. The “buyers” offer to pay for your timeshare or your maintenance fees. Then they offer membership in their vacation club for a fee and offer to trade your timeshare toward the cost of membership. You typically receive a certificate with little to no value and you still own your timeshare and must continue to pay maintenance fees.
Recovery Service. Some unfortunate timeshare owners are being scammed twice. Owners who previously paid an upfront fee to a bogus resale company later get a call from someone claiming to be from a different company who can help recover a portion of the upfront fee previously paid. However, to do so the owner simply has to pay another an up-front fee. The latest version of this particular fraud has someone calling the original victim claiming to be from the company that scammed them. They now are offering to refund the victim’s money but need a credit card number to facilitate the transaction. Doing so will most likely mean that you will be victimized a second time.
Who is doing this? Often the persons behind resale or listing scams are not legitimate companies and the names they go by change frequently. However, state Attorney’s General have cited several companies as have consumer advocate sites of some common offenders. To see a few of those they list, follow the links below:
News Release - Attorney General Focuses Consumer Protection Initiative on Timeshare Resale Industry
Connecticut Better Business Bureau cautions timeshare owners about deceptive practices by resellers
Beware of Scam Artists | Vacation Rental Information
You may have already been contacted by a company offering to sell or rent your timeshare. It is critical for ALL timeshare owners to be aware of the growing presence of individuals making fraudulent claims to offer resale and/or listing services. The details below are shared to keep you well-informed and well-prepared to respond to unsolicited offers of service from such callers.
If you receive a call offering to sell or rent your timeshare:
Be skeptical. If you are contacted by someone offering to resell your timeshare, immediately become skeptical. Despite any claims to contrary, no resale company can guarantee an owner a sale.
If the contact is by telephone, ask the caller if he is licensed as a telemarketer. If they answer yes, ask for which state and then contact that state’s consumer protection division and confirm. In Florida, call 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352).
If the caller claims to be a real estate agent or broker, ask for their license number and verify its legitimacy with applicable Department of Real Estate. In Florida, call (850) 487-1395.
Also, don’t be fooled by someone claiming to be associated with a branded company or their use of brand logos on materials. Scammers often use such items without permission to convince you their operation is legitimate.
File a complaint. If you are victimized, consider filing a complaint with the following agencies:
a. Attorney General’s Office of the state in which the consumer resides and the state in which the scammer is located. The State Attorney General’s websites are listed at www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php
b. The Federal Trade Commission – Federal Trade Commission
c. The Real Estate Division of the state in which the scammer is located; and
d. Better Business Bureau – BBB Consumer and Business Reviews, Reports, Ratings, Complaints and Accredited Business Listings - U.S. BBB
Common Resale Scams. Most resale scams involve an up-front fee. Below are some common scams:
Listing Fee. You are contacted by someone claiming they either want to buy your timeshare or they have a ready buyer (they may even put the phony buyer on the phone), but you must pay an up-front fee. In a legitimate resale, no payments are made by a seller until after the close of the transaction.
Appraisal Fraud. You are contacted by a person offering to list or sell your timeshare, but first you must obtain an appraisal from a list of appraisers offered – which are in fact, cohorts of the caller. The scammer offers to reimburse the appraisal fee at closing; unfortunately, there never is a closing.
Agency Refund Fraud. You are contacted by someone claiming to be an “ARDA agent” for the purpose of disbursing funds collected by an Attorney General in an action against resale companies, but he “agent” requires an up-front fee to process the claim. Although the Florida AG has pursued certain resale companies, any refunds should be from the Attorney General’s office and no fees would be necessary.
Overpayment /Nigerian Fraud. You are contacted by someone claiming they want to buy your timeshare. They send you a check for more than the purchase price, you deposit the check and then the buyer requests a refund for the over-payment. You remit the overpayment only to find out later that the buyer’s check bounced and you lost your money and possibly your timeshare too.
Phony Buy Back. You are contacted by someone claiming their in the area buying timeshares (to rent them or use them for employees, etc.). They request an up-front fee to reserve your spot on the list or they arrange an in-person appointment sometimes at a local hotel. The “buyers” offer to pay for your timeshare or your maintenance fees. Then they offer membership in their vacation club for a fee and offer to trade your timeshare toward the cost of membership. You typically receive a certificate with little to no value and you still own your timeshare and must continue to pay maintenance fees.
Recovery Service. Some unfortunate timeshare owners are being scammed twice. Owners who previously paid an upfront fee to a bogus resale company later get a call from someone claiming to be from a different company who can help recover a portion of the upfront fee previously paid. However, to do so the owner simply has to pay another an up-front fee. The latest version of this particular fraud has someone calling the original victim claiming to be from the company that scammed them. They now are offering to refund the victim’s money but need a credit card number to facilitate the transaction. Doing so will most likely mean that you will be victimized a second time.
Who is doing this? Often the persons behind resale or listing scams are not legitimate companies and the names they go by change frequently. However, state Attorney’s General have cited several companies as have consumer advocate sites of some common offenders. To see a few of those they list, follow the links below:
News Release - Attorney General Focuses Consumer Protection Initiative on Timeshare Resale Industry
Connecticut Better Business Bureau cautions timeshare owners about deceptive practices by resellers
Beware of Scam Artists | Vacation Rental Information