[ 2025 ] Scam offers to purchase your timeshare

[rmarywendy1]

Have been contacted by several fraud companies saying they will buy my timeshare for a high price. BEWARE of them. One is called Providence International Realty located in Houston Texas. One is near Guadalajara in Jalisco Mexico and claims to be an acquistion office for Accor. It is not. If someone is offering you a high price for your timeshare that seems too good to be true, it IS TOO GOOD to be true. Do not take the bait.

 

[RX8]

I haven't seen it in awhile but just wanted to touch upon scammers reinstating old corporations, like Realty 5, Inc did in 2014.

The scammers will choose a state with a low cost fee to reinstate a corporation (Minnesota’s is only $65 by mail, $85 online). They will then find an old dissolved corporation and file the reinstatement. I assume that the states process the paperwork without any vetting. Once up and active again, the scammers will point to decades of existence based on the incorporation date to fool their victims. The first time I came across this was with a scammer reinstating a Georgia corporation (only $100). The only other state I have seen this was with Colorado (also $100 to reinstate). The low fee to reinstate is an investment for the scammers.

I haven’t come across scammers lately that have opened dormant corporations. Now that I think of it, I haven’t really seen many scammers lately using a real address of an office building (but aren’t there). Every previous scammer that I remember activating an old corporation used a real office building address. Most recent scammers are using a Mail Drop address (may not actually have a Mail Drop there). I think the scammers for the most part have evolved beyond finding a nice multi-story office on Google and creating a whole scam business around that address because it is too easy to determine they aren’t at that address.

 

[ScoopKona]

This scam also works with wineries -- reinstate a corporation in an high-dollar appellation like Napa. Or simply buy a failing winery. All that matters is the label.

And then sell cheap-ass table wine in bottles which read Napa/Sonoma. Since the average person judges a book by its cover, and a wine by its label, this scam works.

 

[Sandy VDH]

if it sounds too good to be true, it is a scam

 

[DeniseM]

These posts have been separated from the 2015 thread...

 

[Snezz1e]

I’ve been contacted by providence with an offer on something I’m trying to sell. The person who contacted me has an active real estate license but I guess they could be committing identity theft as well. I’m curious about how their scam works.

 

[TUGBrian]

the goal of all of these scams is the same. bait the hook with a very attractive if not unbelievable offer on your timeshare to convince you to send them money in advance to "facilitate" the transaction.

 

[WorldT]

I’ve been contacted by providence with an offer on something I’m trying to sell. The person who contacted me has an active real estate license but I guess they could be committing identity theft as well. I’m curious about how their scam works.

If you are actually trying to sell the unit, here is the steps to follow.
1. Provide the details such as week #, size, etc. The same info you will post here. Do not provide the account number or your personal details.
2. Tell the individual the transfer will have to be handled by a company you choose. Preferred company on here is LT Transfer. I haven't found someone cheaper other doing it yourself.
3. Even if you are paying for the transfer, it is good to have them put some amount of earnest money. LT transfer usually requires about $100. Let them pay that and the contract should include you will return that to them.

Do not agree to use their transfer agency or brokerage company. You lose control of you do and any money you spend will likely walk unless of course it is an agent that people on this forum are familiar with.

 

[rmarywendy1]

There are a number of scammers who have contacted me offering to buy my timeshare for $45,000 or more even though I am offering it for sale for merely the cost of transfer and title search (total about $750).... They claim that they want to buy it to rent out as a travel company or that someone wants it to own in the US to help get an American visa or some such. These scammers all are located in Mexico. One claims to be "Globetravelling" company and has a website. One claims to be be Providence International Realty. One claims to be an office which buys in behalf of Accor . I called Accor headquarters and of course they said that office had no affiliation with them and wanted the info to get them for using Accor's name in their email address etc. BEWARE!!!

 

[WorldT]

You are offering to give it to them for $750 and they want to buy it from you for $45,000. If anyone falls for a scam like that, what do you call such a person?