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Scam Call claiming to be from TUG

TUGBrian

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We are receiving reports of an individual making calls to owners and claiming they represent TUG...right before the pitch for the typical upfront fee scam (we have a buyer/renter for you).

just a friendly reminder that TUG will never...EVER contact you out of the blue via phone about your timeshare.

phone number for the call was 661-748-0240

google search for the number comes up as a generic skype number used in many scams.
 
DeniseM

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Should this be a universal sticky for awhile?
 
TUGBrian

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have to see how more reports come in. right now its just 3 today.
 
Sandy VDH

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I also got one from Hilton/Westgate. Like Hilton would ever market something with Westgate together.
 
DeniseM

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Are they calling phone numbers from the Marketplace?
 
TUGBrian

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didnt get an answer on that...the two emails this morning merely said that they got a call from someone claiming to work for TUG...in regards to selling their timeshare.
 
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Heard about people claiming to be from TUG from friends, too. Didn't think they were legit, though. Obviously a ploy to get people's info and money.
 
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Got a call last night from a lawyer who claims to be from TUGS and that he had a buyer for my timeshare. Talked to him today (Dick Walters) and he said he had a buyer and that everything had to be done today. He wanted me to pay the stamp tax on line, and then said I could send it to a para legal. When I told him I did not have the money and could not try to get it until tomorrow, he said he would call back and never has. He has called me from (661) 748-0204 and gave me his personal cell (305)600-2874. Some of the info he provided about my timeshare for sell was incorrect and that started the red flags and have not found anything out about this guy.
 
Rent_Share

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Do you have it listed somewhere with your number posted ?

Where ?

No offense, but TUG is a very small subset of the time share ownership community, using variations of the property name or RCI are common scams, but one could safely assume that less than 1in 10timeshare owners have heard of TUG
 
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I keep getting calls from some jerk saying he is from microsoft and they have identified a serious problem with my computer.

Of course he sounds like he is speaking English as his third language.


Sterling
 
TUGBrian

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talien said:
Got a call last night from a lawyer who claims to be from TUGS and that he had a buyer for my timeshare. Talked to him today (Dick Walters) and he said he had a buyer and that everything had to be done today. He wanted me to pay the stamp tax on line, and then said I could send it to a para legal. When I told him I did not have the money and could not try to get it until tomorrow, he said he would call back and never has. He has called me from (661) 748-0204 and gave me his personal cell (305)600-2874. Some of the info he provided about my timeshare for sell was incorrect and that started the red flags and have not found anything out about this guy.
Click to expand...

yes, the lawyer line was the same as the email reports we got of this earlier this week.
 
Rent_Share

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Is he working Tug Ads with the Tug Reference ? Other Ads ?, Random Cold Calls
 
TUGBrian

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id gander that the individual is working off a list of timeshare owners...and just using the TUG moniker during the "pitch" to add legitimacy to the scam.

the way the marketplace is setup now, I dont really see him going through each ad and contacting folks (besides, many ads dont even include phone numbers).

and if he were, I think we would have gotten alot more complaints/emails about it if he were merely going one by one in the marketplace.
 
TUGBrian

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got a few more reports of this today...will definitely put it in the newsletter.
 
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Kauai Kid said:
I keep getting calls from some jerk saying he is from microsoft and they have identified a serious problem with my computer.

Of course he sounds like he is speaking English as his third language.


Sterling
Click to expand...

I get these calls every few weeks. What a crock. I guess they get some folks to give them the info they want. Now I just say, "I don't have a computer." or "i don't have Microsoft" and that ends things.

How alarming because there is probably enough who jump at the bait (I am not sure what they are selling but I think they want your personal info) and then get scammed in the long run.
 
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Dick (Richard Walters)

I got the same phone call this morning..from generic skype number. 661-748-0240. Sounds like he is calling from a call center..claimed that he was calling from the orlando Convention center at a time share resell convention. Claimed he was from an "arm" of Tug2 that makes money financing timeshares. He had mine sold because a closing fell through He wanted me to pay my luxury tax to the state of Florida. $411.12 At that point my phone died.

He told me his bar number was 22108 at the Florida bar
 
simpsontruckdriver

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Seeing as I live in the Orlando area, I can say FOR A FACT that there is NO timeshare resale convention this week, although this weekend is the Fall Home Show (home renovations). Plus, there is no "Florida Luxury Tax" that I know of.

TS
 
Rent_Share

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Perhaps the Real Dick Waters will show up ?
 
TUGBrian

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id wager the chances hes actually a lawyer are between slim and none.
 
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Received call from same # / 3 times!

We received a call from this same number. It took us 20 minutes into the call to discover it was a scam. The guy claimed to be attorney Dick Walters and gave us his bar number. Because he was calling from a skype number the call kept breaking up - it's a poor quality line to call on. It was his third call before he mentioned that we would have to pay the document transfer tax of $2600+ to the title company of his choice. We asked for his address to come see him in person and he gave us a bogus address in Cutler near Miami. We called the real Dick Walters in Coral Gables and let him know someone was using his name, but who knows, he could be in on it. Dick never called us back.
 
Rent_Share

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Rent_Share said:
Perhaps the Real Dick Waters will show up ?
Click to expand...

I directed him to this thread from the Bar email, but it returned undeliverable, the Bar number and name agree, so who ever is impersonating did his homework
 
Beaglemom3

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auriasis said:
We received a call from this same number. It took us 20 minutes into the call to discover it was a scam. The guy claimed to be attorney Dick Walters and gave us his bar number. Because he was calling from a skype number the call kept breaking up - it's a poor quality line to call on. It was his third call before he mentioned that we would have to pay the document transfer tax of $2600+ to the title company of his choice. We asked for his address to come see him in person and he gave us a bogus address in Cutler near Miami. We called the real Dick Walters in Coral Gables and let him know someone was using his name, but who knows, he could be in on it. Dick never called us back.
Click to expand...

Gentle advice: Be careful what you put out in print. You may want to reconsider until all facts are known. You may even want to edit your post. Your call.



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