Elderly couple scammed out of $1 Million dollars by Timeshare Exit/Resale scheme.

[TUGBrian]

GBI Arrests Florida Man in Multi-State Cyber Fraud Investigation – AllOnGeorgia

The GBI was requested to investigate an online timeshare scam that targeted an elderly couple in Newnan, GA. The investigation revealed that over the course of four years, the couple lost over $1 million.

allongeorgia.com

this is unbelievable! i hope a future article provides more details

 

[davidvel]

The article states "that over the course of four years, the couple lost over $1 million." Most likely the reality is that over the course of four years, the couple gave over $1 million to the scammer. This isn't really a timeshare story.

Any elderly couple willing to not involve family and part with $1 million over four years, likely would have given the money to someone else, having nothing to do with timeshare. I would not be surprised if some type of mental illness or diminished capacity is involved as well.

Families should work with their elderly to have multiple checks and balances on any accounts with any meaningful amount of assets.

 

[WorldT]

The article states "that over the course of four years, the couple lost over $1 million." Most likely the reality is that over the course of four years, the couple gave over $1 million to the scammer. This isn't really a timeshare story.

Any elderly couple willing to not involve family and part with $1 million over four years, likely would have given the money to someone else, having nothing to do with timeshare. I would not be surprised if some type of mental illness or diminished capacity is involved as well.

Families should work with their elderly to have multiple checks and balances on any accounts with any meaningful amount of assets.

This is true. I use to work in resale and have seen multiple elderly individuals come in to buy gift cards for their supposed grandkids/niece/nephew etc. There was always a story usually fed to the victim by the scammer.
Also, because I have worked in retail and I know how this plays out, I am always alert even when I am not at work. Once I was at Target in line behind an elderly woman who was trying to buy a couple thousand dollar gift cards for a "family member". The cashier said she had exceeded the max for a single card and was in the process of splitting the transactions as a work around. I had to step up, told the cashier to stop and told her to call loss prevention. When loss prevention came, I told him what was going on and I don't believe the family member is legit based on the story she was telling the cashier. Besides, splitting the transactions to get around the limit is a no no.
Unfortunately, getting your older relatives to agree to the checks and balances is not always easy.

 

[pedro47]

IMHO, we need more details about this scams.

 

[AnnaS]

Not many details in the article . Sad stories we read/hear about everyday.

 

[dioxide45]

Is the article link not working for others? I can't get the page to load.

 

[Sloane S]

It loaded OK for me just now.

 

[TUGBrian]

not loading for me right now either, though it was an hour or so ago as I reached out to the GBI public relations department in hopes of getting some additional details.

 

[Sloane S]

This link should work - http://archive.today/Y8wmf

 

[RX8]

GBI Arrests Florida Man in Multi-State Cyber Fraud Investigation – AllOnGeorgia

The GBI was requested to investigate an online timeshare scam that targeted an elderly couple in Newnan, GA. The investigation revealed that over the course of four years, the couple lost over $1 million.

allongeorgia.com

this is unbelievable! i hope a future article provides more details

Arrested for scamming one elderly couple over four years. No way that this was his only victim.

 

[TUGBrian]

well i did assume there were plenty of victims involved, just that particular one paid out over 1m

 

[TUGBrian]

few more details here, though still pretty thin on them

Elderly couple loses $1 million to online fraudster

For four years, they thought they were making legitimate payments. It was all a scam. Find out how one arrest exposed a multi-state fraud operation

geekspin.co

 

[rickandcindy23]

I get a lot of ads on my FB page for Newton Group and several others. Such scam artists.

 

[davidvel]

few more details here, though still pretty thin on them

Elderly couple loses $1 million to online fraudster

For four years, they thought they were making legitimate payments. It was all a scam. Find out how one arrest exposed a multi-state fraud operation

geekspin.co

I would love the details personally, but the details being released likely will not protect any other people who would do what this poor couple did. Anyone who gives away $1 million to a cold caller, thinking this is in some way to their advantage, really cannot be helped by a million notices and warnings. Sad, but reality.

 

[TUGBrian]

while the amount is extremely rare, id bet the strategy/tactics used by the scammer are not!

every time these stories make it into mainstream media publications potential victims will read it and hopefully it triggers a bit more research before they send any money. The scams arent going away as long as there are victims out there who arent able to sniff these things out ont heir own.

 

[RX8]

while the amount is extremely rare, id bet the strategy/tactics used by the scammer are not!

every time these stories make it into mainstream media publications potential victims will read it and hopefully it triggers a bit more research before they send any money. The scams arent going away as long as there are victims out there who arent able to sniff these things out ont heir own.

Unless I am missing it I don’t see any reference to a company name. The individual’s name doesn’t come up with any association to a timeshare related company. In fact, he is a ghost on the internet. Scammers usually have a fancy company name and glitzy website for their scam. I wonder how this guy operated. Was just a cold call and he convinced these people that he was legit? If that is the case, it appears that these people did zero due diligence.

 

[jp10558]

while the amount is extremely rare, id bet the strategy/tactics used by the scammer are not!

every time these stories make it into mainstream media publications potential victims will read it and hopefully it triggers a bit more research before they send any money. The scams arent going away as long as there are victims out there who arent able to sniff these things out ont heir own.

I was waiting at a Branson Wal-Mart to return something we'd purchased that didn't work. Customer service also offered several ways to send money. On one of the BIG TVs behind the desk was a warning about don't send money or gift cards to people that you don't know, and that no legit business asks to be paid in gift cards.

BTW - how do the gift card schemes work anyway? Are they just visa ones, or do they somehow sell on the gift cards (maybe via those sales platforms online) and get some percentage of the face value that way in "cash"?

 

[RX8]

BTW - how do the gift card schemes work anyway? Are they just visa ones, or do they somehow sell on the gift cards (maybe via those sales platforms online) and get some percentage of the face value that way in "cash"?

Could be any gift card but Target, Walmart and Best Buy are common. A scammer may have a runner who immediately heads into the store after obtaining the numbers and uses the gift card to buy expensive, and easily sellable merchandise.

 

[winterski]

Unless I am missing it I don’t see any reference to a company name. The individual’s name doesn’t come up with any association to a timeshare related company. In fact, he is a ghost on the internet. Scammers usually have a fancy company name and glitzy website for their scam. I wonder how this guy operated. Was just a cold call and he convinced these people that he was legit? If that is the case, it appears that these people did zero due diligence.

Why is there an aura of invincibility concerning timeshare fraud? Do any government agencies do anything?

 

[davidvel]

Why is there an aura of invincibility concerning timeshare fraud? Do any government agencies do anything?

You can't do anything about what you can't find. Many of the bigger outfits aren't in this country and use untraceable email & phones.

 

[TUGBrian]

Why is there an aura of invincibility concerning timeshare fraud? Do any government agencies do anything?

local law enforcement would have no real ability to pursue this as there is probably a zero % chance the criminals are local.

federal law enforcement would have to have a large number of victims to put forth the effort in resources to pursue it, or if it made a big enough headline! (like the mexican scams run by the cartels etc).

can think of it as trying to empty a pool with a teaspoon.

 

[RX8]

local law enforcement would have no real ability to pursue this as there is probably a zero % chance the criminals are local.

federal law enforcement would have to have a large number of victims to put forth the effort in resources to pursue it, or if it made a big enough headline! (like the mexican scams run by the cartels etc).

can think of it as trying to empty a pool with a teaspoon.

And the scammers know this. They also know that they will have a few years head start before there is any interest in stopping them. The timeshare industry is perfect for their scam because it allows them to collect THOUSANDS of dollars from each victim.

 

[emeryjre]

In my experience with people being scammed, (not real extensive),
The victim has suffered some sort of mental decline and loss of cognitive ability
The extent of watching friends, relatives, and acquaintances losing mental capacity as they age is terrifying
Some have gone from lucid, bright, and aware to noticeable loss of mental capacity in less than 6 months
These people are all in their mid 70s to early 80s as I watch it occurring
I have said it before
Let me say it again
Be aware of your friends, neighbors, relatives and this loss of mental capacity
Be aware that they are the target of all sorts of scammers
If they will answer calls from people they do not know and engage in conversation
They are a prime candidate for multiple scams calls and scenarios

 

[easyrider]

Be aware of your friends, neighbors, relatives and this loss of mental capacity

My neighbor had visible signs of dementia in her last years. Long story short, the church she was associated with ended up with all of her assets when she passed away. It was about 7 million dollars and some properties. None of her relatives received a cent. Her relatives think she was scammed by the church but after living next door to her for 30+ years I think she didn't really like anyone, especially her relatives, lol.

Bill

 

[easyrider]

Easy Rider AI says this. One thing the ai brought up was that Mexican drug cartels are involved with this type of scam which we already knew.

Bill


An elderly Georgia couple was scammed out of over $1 million by a Florida man in an online timeshare fraud scheme that was uncovered in 2025. This is one of many cases of timeshare fraud that targets older adults. The FBI and other government agencies have warned that Mexican drug cartels are now involved in these scams.

Details of the $1 million scam

• Victims: An elderly couple in Newnan, Georgia.
• Suspect: Charles Henry Williams, 63, of Trinity, Florida, was arrested on August 29, 2025.
• Method: Williams allegedly ran an online timeshare scam over the course of four years.
• Charges: Williams faces charges of theft by deception and exploitation of an elder person.
• Scope: Authorities say additional victims were also identified during the five-month investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and other agencies.

Common timeshare resale and exit scams
The scam that cost the Georgia couple $1 million is a specific type of fraud, but it reflects a broader pattern of timeshare deception. Scammers often use the following tactics to defraud owners who want to get rid of their timeshares:

• Targeting public records: Scammers find victims by searching public records and other industry data that contain timeshare owners' information.
• Luring with promises: They contact owners with unsolicited offers, claiming they have a buyer ready or can guarantee a quick sale.
• Demanding upfront fees: The victim is told to pay advance fees for things like taxes, closing costs, or escrow services. Once the money is wired, the scammer disappears.
• Using high-pressure tactics: Victims are pressured to act immediately to avoid losing the supposed "deal." Scammers may even threaten legal action to scare people into paying more.
• Creating fake identities: Some operations have evolved to involve sophisticated criminal enterprises. Federal authorities have indicted members of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) cartel for running large-scale timeshare fraud operations out of Mexico.
• "Recoupment" scams: After defrauding a victim, scammers may call back and pose as officials or law enforcement, promising to help recover the lost money for an