# Someone trying to fraudulently rent my timeshare



## rcsouza

I recently found out that someone has fraudulently been trying to rent my timeshares through TUG.  They are using my name, with a different address saying that “I” was out of town and requesting that the renter only send them a check.  Please be very careful, I have contacted TUG, but no one has gotten back to me.  Please let me know if this has happened to anyone else and how they’ve handled it.  Thank you.  I’m extremely distressed over this whole situation.


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## Makai Guy

What do you expect TUG to be able to do about this?  How are these fraudulent contacts being made?


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## rcsouza

I don't expect TUG to be able to do anything about it.  I just wanted to make people aware that this could happen to them too.


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## DeniseM

Please provide more Info:

-Does this other person actually have an Ad *posted on TUG?*

-How did you find out about it?

-Do you have an Ad posted on TUG, or anywhere else where they could have stolen your information?


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## rcsouza

TUG is the only place I have an ad posted.  I have always found them to be the best place to get my units rented.  They're helping me now to try to get to the bottom of this so it doesn't happen to anyone else.


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## TUGBrian

just from what I have gathered sofar....someone contacted the OP about a rental she had listed and pretended to be a renter.  Then copied her rental agreement with her info/week/etc and then tried to use that to rent the unit to a 3rd party using a different name.

thankfully this tactic doesnt pass the sniff test of our "how to verify a rental" tips...so the other member did not fall for the scam.


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## geekette

This is really confusing.  Did you change usernames recently?


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## rcsouza

No, I never changed my user name.  It was a blatant scam and he knew exactly what he was doing.  But you're right it did not pass the sniff test, thankfully or the renter would've been out quite a bit of money since he would only take a bank check and I use paypal.


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## Egret1986

*OP, thank you so much for posting this.  I am sure that you are distressed.*



rcsouza said:


> I recently found out that someone has fraudulently been trying to rent my timeshares through TUG.  They are using my name, with a different address saying that “I” was out of town and requesting that the renter only send them a check.  Please be very careful, I have contacted TUG, but no one has gotten back to me.  Please let me know if this has happened to anyone else and how they’ve handled it.  Thank you.  I’m extremely distressed over this whole situation.



This could potentially happen to anyone that lists rentals and I never considered this angle for rental scams. 



TUGBrian said:


> just from what I have gathered sofar....someone contacted the OP about a rental she had listed and pretended to be a renter.  Then copied her rental agreement with her info/week/etc and then tried to use that to rent the unit to a 3rd party using a different name.
> 
> thankfully this tactic doesnt pass the sniff test of our "how to verify a rental" tips...so the other member did not fall for the scam.



I'm so glad the OP posted and that TUG is investigating this.  

The initial response "What do you expect TUG to be able to do about this?"
Hmmm.   

When I read the OP's post, I saw it only as a warning and that they were trying to notify the "powers that be" about what happened.  It was a TUG listing.  Simply a warning and notification.  I didn't see anything about expectations.


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## TUGBrian

I finally got a copy of the email conversation between the 3rd party and the potential scammer.

it contains all of the classic red flags of a scam just in the conversation itself including:

1. broken english
2. refusal to accept any payment other than a cashiers check
3. asking for a huge deposit upfront
4. name doesnt match the name on the ownership or rental agreement
5. asking to pay a "3rd party accountant" vs the owner
6. asking price was WELL below any other for this resort rental for a 2br

literally every red flag in the book...so its great that the potential victim was easily able to spot all of this.

that said, what is still confusing is how this scammer got in touch with the renter...going off the email chain it would appear even the renter is confused at the change of language...as it shows the original contact email originated regarding the actual OPs ad number posted on TUG....and then suddenly she is now talking to the scammer.

the renter even specifically asks "is this the same person I was talking to earlier about the rental" at the beginning of this change.

so its super confusing as to how this scammer injected herself into the conversation...and I have suggested to the OP to change their password immediately just in case the scammer somehow has access to their login info.


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## rcsouza

Thank you, however, TUG is investigating and this person had been flagged as a scammer awhile back and his postings removed.  However, as they say, where there's a will, there's a way.  I suppose we all become targets as soon as we post anything on the internet, especially when we give out personal information, which in our case is necessary.   I find the phone call test to be the best way to weed through all this.  It gives you more information regarding the renter and it puts the renter at ease after they've had a real live conversation with you.


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## rcsouza

Brian,  that part still has me baffled, but I am going to continue to look into it.  Thank you so much for your help, I will continue to recommend TUG to all of my timeshare owner friends.


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## TUGBrian

the one email you gave was a known scammer from many months ago, but they never had any ads posted in the marketplace.

the 2nd email provided (the one that was doing all the communicating with the renter in this story) is not a TUG member.


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## Tank

we are told to provide proof of our reservation, whats the best way to do this that the potential renter does not steal it ?

I'm thinking to take a picture of it maybe. When I copy / paste everything is changeable


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## geekette

Tank said:


> we are told to provide proof of our reservation, whats the best way to do this that the potential renter does not steal it ?



Tank, who is telling whom to provide proof to whom?

I provide a confirmation number to my renters and they can call the resort themselves to find whose name is on it.  After deposit, they can call back and confirm that I changed the name on that confirmation to theirs.


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## geekette

rcsouza said:


> No, I never changed my user name.


I only wondered because post count is very low, about number of posts in this thread.  I was thinking, dang, stole your "TUG Identity" too!


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## DeniseM

geekette said:


> Tank, who is telling whom to provide proof to whom?
> 
> I provide a confirmation number to my renters and they can call the resort themselves to find whose name is on it.  After deposit, they can call back and confirm that I changed the name on that confirmation to theirs.



Most resorts will not talk to a renter, unless the reservation is in their name.  

It is a violation of the owner's privacy for the resort to give a stranger info. about the owner's reservations or account.

A prudent renter will ask to see proof that a reservation exists, before they send any money.

_*Even if a scammer does get someone's confirmation and alters it, they still do not have access to the owner's account, unless the owner gives them access.  So the owner really isn't at risk, because the scammer can't actually make changes in the *Acct. or reservation.* _

The person who is at risk is the person who rents a phony reservation, but if they take the standard precautions, it is easy for them to find out that it is a phony reservation.

That being said, if you send a pdf of the reservation, instead of forwarding the original, you will make it far more difficult for them to alter it, and make it look "real."


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## A.Win

This happened to me when using Craigslist. I was renting a house. A scammer copied all the details from my ad and had a similar listing that was much cheaper, well below market value.

But I'm surprised that it can happen with TUG too.


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## DeniseM

A.Win said:


> This happened to me when using Craigslist. I was renting a house. A scammer copied all the details from my ad and had a similar listing that was much cheaper, well below market value.
> 
> But I'm surprised that it can happen with TUG too.



It could happen anywhere you can post a rental Ad.  

The TUG Marketplace is open to the general public.  You have to be a member to post Ads, but anyone can respond to Ads.


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## geekette

DeniseM said:


> Most resorts will not talk to a renter, unless the reservation is in their name.


I can't say as to what most resorts do, but mine will absolutely talk to a renter or potential renter (they want new meat but direct them to public rentals site) or look up a confirmation to see if name of caller matches what's on ressie.  I have never provided a copy of a reservation, only a conf #.   No one but owner can change name attached to conf # and not via resort itself.  It's not personal info so I don't care if someone that shouldn't have it has it as there is no damage can be done.  Renter can check front desk number I provide against what comes up on google search to decide if I'm yanking them.


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## DeniseM

What if the renter is actually a stalker who wants to know when you are visiting the resort?  

It is completely inappropriate for the resort to give out ANY info. about owners.

*If your renter wants to call the resort upfront, and you are OK with that, you can do a conference call with them.


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## geekette

DeniseM said:


> What if the renter is actually a stalker who wants to know when you are visiting the resort?
> 
> It is completely inappropriate for the resort to give out ANY info. about owners.
> 
> *If your renter wants to call the resort upfront, and you are OK with that, you can do a conference call with them.



Agree, owner info shouldn't be given, but resort knows conf + name, there isn't more info to give.   The head office has my info but that's not the number of the resort.  A ressie is hardly personal info, it's a number referring to a spot reserved.  There is a name attached, mine or whomever I designate.  

It's hard for me to imagine a stalker working that hard to find me.  Far easier to harrass me at home or work, where I have a fairly regular schedule.


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## DeniseM

Back to the original situation:  

If I'm the scammer, and I know you have a reservation in your name, so I direct the renter to call the resort and confirm the reservation.  

If the reservation is at a resort that will release this info., then the front desk will confirm the reservation for the renter _who is being scammed._

Then the renter thinks all is well, and pays the scammer for your rental.

In the situation in this thread, the scammer is impersonating the real owner, so that could happen.


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## TUGBrian

indeed, and its becoming more and more common for scammers to create fake rental agreements to lure more unsupecting owners into paying.

the telltale signs are still listed above, and any rental agreement that has different names on it than the person you are talking to...and or they ask you to send payment to a different person should tingle your spidey senses.


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## Tank

no I'm good, but I always am cautious about giving to much info. 

The renter is cautious  about giving up to much $$ till they have proof.

I miss the good old days when you could actually make a deal with a good shake of the hand and know your word was as good as gold .


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## DeniseM

Tank said:


> I miss the good old days when you could actually make a deal with a good shake of the hand and know your word was as good as gold .



In situations in which you have personal contact with your renter, I think this still holds true in most cases - but when you are doing business with complete strangers over the internet, there is no hand shaking and no looking each other in the eye, so you have to take all the precautions.


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## Timeshare Von

DeniseM said:


> In situations in which you have personal contact with your renter, I think this still holds true in most cases - but when you are doing business with complete strangers over the internet, there is no hand shaking and no looking each other in the eye, so you have to take all the precautions.



I agree.  I've done a couple of verbal deals through here on TUG . . . on both ends of the deal.


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## csxjohn

Do we have a name or phone number of the scammer here?


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