Submitted by Saskatchewan RCMP F Division Commercial Crime (Regina)

Saskatchewan RCMP have issued an advisory to the public to be on alert of a scam being reported across the province.

Reports have been received from Saskatchewan residents who have received calls from timeshare resale companies who offer to sell their timeshare for them. In some cases, the consumer advertised their timeshare for sale on the internet.

The suspect promises a quick sale with a high profit. Various fees are requested up front prior to the final sale for things such as maintenance fees, escrow fees or taxes. Documentation and correspondence with the victim is conducted on a professional level. The suspect provides the victim with official looking documents which are detailed and may require a signature or witness. This approach is used to provide a level of authenticity to convince victims of the legitimacy of the company and transaction to be carried out.

There are legitimate companies who offer this type of service but timeshare owners should do their homework before providing funds.

It is important to remember that people can easily represent themselves as a legitimate company on the internet. Consumers are recommended to check the company on the Better Business Bureau website or to perform searches on the internet looking for any related complaints. This can be done by querying the company name, phone numbers,
e-mail addresses, or any other company information. Many consumers post comments related to scams on websites and discussion boards.

Keep in mind, it is easy to cut and paste a picture of the Better Business Bureau's logo onto a fraudster's website. Just because it contains the logo does not mean they are a member.

The following websites contain information on current scams: www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ scams/index_e.htm or www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca