(HURON COUNTY, ON) – Last week a resident from Howick reported to police she was victimized by a timeshare rental scam that cost her $652. The victim reported to police that last winter she entered into a contract with a company in Florida that would assist her in marketing and renting her timeshare property. The company claimed to have the expertise and connections to rent out her property to large corporations that were looking for timeshare rentals.
The victim received the occasional email from the company however nothing ever materialized with her renting out her timeshare until she received a call a few weeks ago. A smooth talking female scammer called and claimed to have an offer to rent out her unused vacation weeks from a large corporation called the “MDM Corporationâ€. The scammer had detailed knowledge of the victim’s timeshare property and was able to gain the victim’s trust.
The scammer then asked the victim to pay some upfront “exchange†fees to complete the transaction. The victim was assured she would receive a cheque from “MDM Corporation†to cover the remainder of the exchange fees. The victim was provided contact information and was instructed to send the fees using a money transfer service. The victim followed through and sent $652 to the scammer. The victim attempted to contact the scammer however all attempts at contact have been unsuccessful. The victim was successful in contacting the rental service agency she had been dealing with and they advised her that this was a common scam and that they had been receiving multiple calls every day about the scam.
There are many different types of scams related to the timeshare industry. These scammers can be very imaginative and manipulative. Do your homework and protect yourself from being the next victim.
Some golden rules to follow:
Always get independent advice if an offer involves money, personal information, time or commitment.
Do not agree to offers or deals right away. If you think you have been offered a great opportunity, insist on time to get independent advice before making a decision.
Do not hand over money or personal information, or sign anything until you have done your homework and checked the credentials of the company that you are dealing with. An online search can be done in a matter of seconds and it can often alert you to a possible scam. Contacting the Canadian Better Business Bureau at www.ccbbb.ca or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre.ca can help you identify possible scams
Never send money (especially through wire transfer services) or give online account details to anyone you do not know and trust.
Also, please remember if you are the victim of a scam please notify the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre.ca or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. Alternatively, you may contact the Huron County OPP Detachment by calling 1-888-310-1122 or (519) 524-8314.