The other contact information used was a phone number ( 717-204-4493) and the following PayPal address
https://www.paypal.me/Waddell227
You can google search “Donna Waddell scam” and see a recent report on BBB.
Additionally, I know that the things I posted were big red flags. These were the odd things I saw which is why I brought them up (I’m grateful you took the time to confirm these oddities) but this guy is GOOD at this. Amongst all these “flags” there were also things he did right, which was so confusing. In the end, I felt guilty breaking the transaction even though I knew he was lying through his teeth. Until the actual owner and I did a three-way call with him, he did not back down, shy away or even act like he was getting caught in his game. But the three way call sealed the deal and was satisfying...I’m sure he thought I was calling back to reconsider and take his word.
For the reference of future buyers, here is a summary of his game....
#1 He was very professional and accommodating by phone. He knew about the property (Marriott Maui Ocean Club) and knew their procedures for renting(I’ve been to this property several times and my parents are owners so I wasn’t going in blind either). He was willing to talk about it and didn’t seem skiddish at all. He is convincing & confident. If anything, the phone conversations made me doubt my doubts! He willingly communicates though text, by phone, and email.
#2 He provided a good looking rental agreement and asked me to sign it. FLAG-I google searched the address he gave me and it is a home, but all public records list someone else as the owner.
FLAG-He specified within the contract that the rental $$ was to be paid to his trust though his accountant (Mavis Choate). I thought, odd, but maybe he is trying to be upfront about this in the beginning?
I couldn’t confirm his identity through a google search or social media. I’ve rented through other avenues before and have always been able to find some online presence that the person existed but couldn’t find anything for him! I found a person by the same name on the opposite coast who also has a limited online presence and because he is in the medical profession, his office information is public.
#3 He emailed me what appears to be the real reservation confirmation from MMOC. I called Marriott and they confirmed His ownership, the reservation, unit, etc. Everything checked out. How did he get the actual reservation? (He was posing as the owner)
#4 After I confirmed that I had varified the reservation, he sent me his bank name, account #, and routing number and requested payment(FLAG) I called him and asked if he would consider PayPal and he said he would talk to his accountant and setup an account. He said he had been renting for 9 years and hadn’t had any issues with using bank transfers but was happy to try to accommodate if it gave me peace of mind about the transaction. He wasn’t upset and didn’t try to push the account too far.
#5 (FLAG) He sent a PayPal address that was for yet a different 3rd party (a “trusted friend”). A google search later linked her to timeshare rental scam on BBB.
So I called the office of the man(on the opposite coast) that had the same name. He was confused but confirmed he had a timeshare for that week on Maui. He got ahead of me with a few questions So I knew he was a true owner. He was pretty upset. I relayed all the info I could about the person who was using his identy.
I hadn’t gotten back to the renter and he did start getting impatient. He claimed he had someone else who was waiting and out of consideration to please let him know and to not hesitate to call if I had any concerns.
I finally answered his call and told him I had been talking to the real owner. He seemed confused and said there must be an explainarion. He knew who he was and has all the documents to prove it. He said, “Marriott has a strict process to verify people and it would be impossible for this to happen.” He wanted me to give him the other owners number so that he could work out the misunderstanding and I would see there was a mistake somehow. I told him that I’m sorry but I couldn’t proceed when there were 2 people claiming to own 1 reservation. Why would I apologize? He was good!
Shortly after, the real owner called me and asked if I would be willing to do a 3-way call to his imposter. We did and the renter(imposter) immediately hung up when the real owner identified his presence on the call