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Unauthorized Soliciations:

Unauthorized Solicitations and Possible Scams are now joined together to reinforce the importance of being alert. We don't want to be paranoid, but we do want to be careful.

Cold calling is fine. Sales personnel have to generate leads somehow, and sometimes, the cold call is the appropriate way to reach out.

However, there is a big difference between selling legitimate products and services and trolling for naive, unsuspecting individuals. Taking advantage of a person's naivete for the sake of bilking that person out of his or her money is unconscionable.

There is a fine line between wanting, trusting, releasing personal information on blind faith and conducting a meaningful level of due diligence. Sometimes, gut reactions are alright. But other times, it could cost you money that you will never see again.

Part of the service we provide is to offer a database of sorts. This particular page provides a listing of companies that, through their representatives have presented themselves as legitimate companies who want to buy your timeshare. Interesting stories...yes. But very dangerous. Do not fall into temptation....

Please send us your experiences and company names so we can post them here and in the Possible Scam pages.

Thank you for your participation. Without it, this would be a blank page!

Date

Comments


2022-09-15 From Jimandshiela:
Angelo Lisboa 914-246-2303 1964 GLOBAL INVESTMENT
Angelo claims we own 70 shares worth $850/share of VIDANTA that will be cancelled soon to achieve SEC compliance for a public offering. He says to call VIDANTA Financial Department at 888-653-1042 for more information on preserving our "rights". Only thing is that VIDANTA does not own that phone number, per conversation with VIDANTA accounting department person I checked with.


From Tom and Karen:
Has anyone been contacted by a company called global investments of New York, offering to sell your timeshare stocks that you have earned through your investment in Vidanta. The claim is that the parent company Desarrollo Marina Vallarta is trying to go public in the US. In doing so legally they have to purchase back our shares in the property. This does not mean you give up your ownership just that you have a percentage of the company that they have to buy back from you before they can go public. Supposedly this transaction has to take place by September 16 of this year, and we should have received a registered letter from Said company. If anyone else has received this information or done any more research about it or by any chance sold back their share we would be very interested in knowing this. Just trying to find out if this is a scam or for real. Perhaps you could send out a quick letter on Aimfair to see if others are getting this info too. They’ve given a lot of numbers to call etc. etc. Scams can also look real doll too.

Thank you for getting back to me. You provide such a fabulous service.

Desarrollo Marina Vallarta

Thank you,
Our conclusion: Thank you for your note and letting us know about this potential scam.

There are a number of Global Investment Group companies, some of which are reportedly scams.

There is no evidence that Vidanta is going public. At least, it will not offer rights to its members without full disclosures. Very strict securities laws govern the issuance of securities, and Vidanta is not about to violate them.

Furthermore, there is no way an offer would be extended with a "drop dead date”.

Please send us the address, telephone number and website address, and we will look into this a little more. That said, this is a scam!

Cheers!


2022-09-11 We received an invitation to send information to Timeshare Contract Review. It is a domain that is about 36 days old. The sender states if you purchased a timeshare or vacation membership with Vidanta, you may be entitled to compensation that includes a partial or total refund.

This is unusual. Why? Because our Aimfair member received a postcard in the mail. It is pretty interesting because to date we have not seen any potential scams using the US Postal Service.

We looked up the address given. It appears to be a space in an industrial park in Houston where the tenant offers mailboxes for rent. So, if you wanted to meet someone from Timeshare Contract Review in person, you would not be able to.

Once again, the person requesting personal information is not traceable or verifiable. There is no basis for placing your trust in a new operation that asks for your personal information.

Needless to say, we don't feel this enterprise, if that is what it is, is worthy of your consideration. It is our opinion nothing good will come from working with this organization.

Thank you Rich for sending us this information. Remember everyone - the only way to stop scammers is to not send them money!!

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2022-08-31 An Aimfair member sent us a note asking about repeated calls received from individuals claiming to be working for the Mexico Secretariat of Public Safety. The question raised by the Aimfair member was could this caller be legitimate because the telephone number traces to Álvaro Obregón near Mexico City, which is where the Secretariat of Public Safety was headquartered.

What we found out is this department of the Mexican Federal Government was dissolve by President Enrique Peña Nieto on January 3, 2013. It is no longer in existence. The department was replaced by the "National Security Commission" (Comision Nacional de Seguridad), a department under the Secretariat of the Interior.

Wikipedia article about Mexico Secretariat of Public Safety
Wikipedia article about Mexico Secretariat of Public Safety

Clearly, the calls are from an unknown contact and should not be taken seriously. The telephone number is 52-55-416-42367.

Thank you for letting us know about this new scam. Remember, only YOU can help stamp out scams - don't send money!

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2022-08-26 National Real Estate Investors is 158 days old. It was created on 2022-03-21 and expires on 2023-03-21.

Needless to say the entity is not trustworthy. Why? First, the domain is only 158 days old. That is a major red flag.

Second, the address given on the company's website is not traceable. There is no suite number, which means neither the postal service or any other postal service would be able to deliver mail to the address. Bottom line, you would not be able to find anyone in the company.

Third, the building listed as the address where the company is residing is nearly if not totally empty. That's right; 117,000 sq Ft of office space is available.

No, don't fall for this offer. The only thing you will get is a massive headache over losing the money you paid to sell your contract.

Here is the offer. You be the judge:




2022-08-17 This just in...The Covid Bonus - 15 Weeks from Vidanta

You know this is erroneous! No facts here! Just a return to the false offer of bonus weeks. Don't fall for this. It is a Scam!!

Dear Vidanta World Member:

In these uncertain times we want you to be able to do something with your vacation time that is not being used because of COVID-19, your account shows that you have 15 bonus weeks that you have not used and are about to expire, we understand that at this point it would be almost impossible to even think about vacationing, that is why we have an excellent option, you can rent the weeks through us and get $2,400 dollars for each week, there is a $965 dollar usage fee that has to be paid in advanced for every week you decide to rent. We have a large group of people coming and that is why and how we can guarantee the rental.

If you are ready to take advantage of this offer please call us to assist you,

VIDANTA HEADQUARTERS: 1-833-VIDA-123 (1-833-8432-123) USA & CANADA TOLL FREE

VIDANTA MEMBER SERVICES: 1-888-75-MAYAN (1-888-75-62926) USA & CANADA TOLL FREE

- Member can only rent once per year, as many weeks as you want but only at one time.

- Rental is 100% guaranteed and is all in writing.

- Please reply to this email with your contact information and the best time to call you.

NOTE: THE USAGE FEE HAS TO BE PAID IN ADVANCED, WE DO NOT DEDUCT IT.

Best regards

Juan Hernandez
Member Services Manager

Paseo de las moras S/N Fraccionamiento Náutico Turístico
Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, 63735 México
USA & CANADA TOLL FREE & FAX 1 888 75 MAYAN (62926)
México & Other Countries: +52-1-984-184-5653 & +52-1-998-385-1534
members at vidanta-members.com.mx

This mail (including attachments, if any) is intended for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, proprietary, confidential and exempt from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately. The Electronic Commutations Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. Sections 2510-2521, covers this E-mail and is individual or entity named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Copyright © 2002-2025 VIDANTA WORLD VACATION CLUB all rights reserved.

Pretty convincing don't you think? You better not sign up for this scam, because you will loose your money.
Scams are everywhere! Don't think you can outsmart these people. They know their limits, just as our Vidanta sales staff knows their limits.
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2022-08-16 This article is a repeat of the same article that appears in Current News. However, the difference is we want you to know the name of the company and beware of callers associated with this company.

Since CBS News in Chicago published this article, chances are we will not hear from International Realty ever again. However, the sale person doesn't care. He received a big bonus check from collecting $300,000 from a timeshare owner.

Here are the details.

CBS in Chicago ran a segment hosted by newscaster Dana Kozlov about a timeshare owner who believed an offer to buy was true, which was against his initial reaction that the offer was too good to be true.

We all want our timeshare contract to be worth at least what we paid for it. That is what the sales staff tells us. As the narrative goes, our purchase is an investment, and our definition of an investment is something that makes (OR LOOSES) money. We think MAKE money is what the investment will do. Why would a sales person say: "This purchase is an investment that looses money". He would not last long on the Sales Floor, would he?

Additionally, we all are contacted daily by scammers wanting to buy our contract or rent our weeks. The prices offered are in the realm of a "Good Deal"! They are also in the realm of "Too Good to be True"!

Well, this article is about an individual who did not listen to his inner voice. The scammer sales person had all the answers, and once the hook was set, the timeshare owner could not let go. The timeshare owner ultimately paid out $300,000 and received nothing in return!

The alleged company is International Realty. The history of the domain life is:
Dates 425 days old
Created on 2021-06-11
Expires on 2023-06-11
Updated on 2022-05-31

Enjoy this article, and take heed at the same time.

Offer to buy timeshare for over $1 million turns out to be elaborate scam using phony business address


BY DANA KOZLOV
AUGUST 8, 2022 / 10:36 PM / CBS CHICAGO

CHICAGO (CBS) — An offer sounded too good to be true – in what should have been a victim's first clue that something wasn't right.

The offer came from a company claiming to be from Chicago, and presented prospects for a heavy profit for his timeshare.

CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov dug into it and found an elaborate scam, a local road to nowhere, and a man who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Timeshares can quickly go from heaven to headache. So when someone with a purported Chicago-based company called Intercontinental Realty called the owner of a Cancún, Mexico timeshare – saying they could sell if for $1,081,218 – he was interested.

But he was also skeptical.

"At the time, it sounds like a scam. It sounds like there's something fishy," the owner said. "You need to know upfront – I'm suspicious."

But that employee started providing the owner – who does not want to be identified – with documents and guarantees that finally convinced him to go ahead with the deal.

"Next thing you know, we got a phone call that, 'In order to process this thing, you need to pay a fee,'" the owner said.

The owner says the business sent him elaborate emails and documentation, but the requests for money went on and on – until the owner found himself out more than $300,000."Foolishly – I mean, I have to tell you, Dana – greed drove this thing. I kept – the little voice in the back of my head kept saying, 'There's something not right here,'" the owner said. "But that million dollars kept waving at me."

Since the company's website says it is located at 7 W. Madison St. in the Loop, the owner hired Chicago private investigator Joe McGreal to do some digging.

"Immediately within the first hour, I knew it was a scam," McGreal said.

McGreal began talking with Intercontinental Realty's supposed employees.
"I offered to meet with them. We set up three different meetings," McGreal said. "They never showed."

So McGreal went to 7 W. Madison St. – the address listed on Intercontinental Realty's website.
"There are no real estate agents there," McGreal said. "There's no office there."

CBS 2's Kozlov checked out that address too. She found 7 W. Madison St. is a dorm for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Kozlov confirmed with an SAIC spokesperson that no tenant or business called Intercontinental Reality is located there.

So she tried calling the number on the website for the business. There was a voicemail claiming to be for Intercontinental Reality, but no one returned our calls.

But it doesn't end there. The documents in the owner's case repeatedly reference funds being wired to or being handled in Mexico.

"Everything comes back to Mexico," McGreal said.


So McGreal took the documents given to the owner to the Mexican Consulate. He says a consulate official confirmed they were forged.

"It looks legitimate, and it's difficult for victims to determine that it's fake," McGreal said.

"It was a very, very elaborate scam," the owner added.

And he is not the only victim. Seven other complaints have been filed with the Illinois Attorney General about Intercontinental Realty, and some of those victims are out thousands and thousands of dollars too.

"We'd like to make everyone aware of the scam," McGreal said.

Both McGreal and the scammed owner believe there are many other victims out there. McGreal hopes they will come forward to help catch the scam artists.

He says Mexican Consulate officials are also investigating, but no one from the consulate replied to Kozlov's emails or calls.

If an offer is too good to be true....then it is!!



2022-08-04
The FAKE Vidanta offer is a SCAM!
The FAKE Vidanta offer is a SCAM!

This is beautiful!
First of all, this is a rehash of offers that date back to 2016. Of course, Covid was not around then, but Vidanta was. And so was the group that keeps offering us the same fraud scheme and scam.

Following is an email we received last week and again today, August 5, 2022.

Dear Vidanta World Member:

In these uncertain times we want you to be able to do something with your vacation time that is not being used because of COVID-19, your account shows that you have 15 bonus weeks that you have not used and are about to expire, we understand that at this point it would be almost impossible to even think about vacationing, that is why we have an excellent option, you can rent the weeks through us and get $2,400 dollars for each week, there is a $965 dollar usage fee that has to be paid in advanced for every week you decide to rent. We have a large group of people coming and that is why and how we can guarantee the rental.

If you are ready to take advantage of this offer please call us to assist you,

VIDANTA HEADQUARTERS: 1-833-VIDA-123 (1-833-8432-123) USA & CANADA TOLL FREE

VIDANTA MEMBER SERVICES: 1-888-75-MAYAN (1-888-75-62926) USA & CANADA TOLL FREE

- Member can only rent once per year, as many weeks as you want but only at one time.

- Rental is 100% guaranteed and is all in writing.

- Please reply to this email with your contact information and the best time to call you.

NOTE: THE USAGE FEE HAS TO BE PAID IN ADVANCED, WE DO NOT DEDUCT IT.

Best regards

Juan Hernandez
Member Services Manager

Paseo de las moras S/N Fraccionamiento Náutico Turístico
Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, 63735 México
USA & CANADA TOLL FREE & FAX 1 888 75 MAYAN (62926)
México & Other Countries: +52-1-984-184-5653 & +52-1-998-385-1534
members at vidanta-members.com.mx
Here is the interesting fact: The domain called vidanta-members.com.mx is 7 days old. Source: whois.domaintools.com

Registration Status:
*Dates - 7 days old
*Created on 2022-07-29
*Expires on 2023-07-29
*Updated on 2022-07-29

Definitely stay away from this group. They remind us year after year that fake offers are all over, and we should be diligent and not accept their offers.

Remember - Only YOU can help prevent scams - DON'T SEND MONEY!



2022-07-20 July 30, 2022 - We received this email:

Dear Vidanta World Member:
In these uncertain times we want you to be able to do something with your vacation time that is not being used because of COVID-19, your account shows that you have 15 bonus weeks that you have not used and are about to expire, we understand that at this point it would be almost impossible to even think about vacationing, that is why we have an excellent option, you can rent the weeks through us and get $2,400 dollars for each week, there is a $965 dollar usage fee that has to be paid in advanced for every week you decide to rent. We have a large group of people coming and that is why and how we can guarantee the rental.

If you are ready to take advantage of this offer please call us to assist you,

VIDANTA HEADQUARTERS: 1-833-VIDA-123 (1-833-8432-123) USA & CANADA TOLL FREE

VIDANTA MEMBER SERVICES: 1-888-75-MAYAN (1-888-75-62926) USA & CANADA TOLL FREE

- Member can only rent once per year, as many weeks as you want but only at one time.

- Rental is 100% guaranteed and is all in writing.

- Please reply to this email with your contact information and the best time to call you.

NOTE: THE USAGE FEE HAS TO BE PAID IN ADVANCED, WE DO NOT DEDUCT IT.

Best regards

Juan Hernandez
Member Services Manager

Paseo de las moras S/N Fraccionamiento Náutico Turístico
Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, 63735 México
USA & CANADA TOLL FREE & FAX 1 888 75 MAYAN (62926)
México & Other Countries: +52-1-984-184-5653 & +52-1-998-385-1534
members at vidanta-members.com.mx

This mail (including attachments, if any) is intended for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, proprietary, confidential and exempt from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately. The Electronic Commutations Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. Sections 2510-2521, covers this E-mail and is individual or entity named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Copyright © 2002-2025 VIDANTA WORLD VACATION CLUB all rights reserved.

IF YOU READ THIS FAR, CONSIDER THIS:

Registrar Status:
Dates 1 days old
Created on 2022-07-29
Expires on 2023-07-29
Updated on 2022-07-29

That's right! This domain is ONE DAY OLD!

This is a SCAM!
Remember - Only YOU can help stop scams....DON'T SEND MONEY!
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2022-07-19 Its baaaacckkk. Yesterday, we received an offer to rent bonus weeks we do not own. It was sent to us by an impersonator of Grupo Vidanta. It is a reminder that Scammers are active. The offer is a repeat and has been around for many years - at least since 2014. But the domain for the sender is new - 12 days old to be exact!

How do we know this? We type in the sender's domain into the address bar at whois.domaintools.com. You will then be taken to an official record for the domain. This record displays a lot of information, including the domain's age and the domain's formation and expiration dates. You can do your own due diligence on any suspected scammer domain by visiting and entering the full name of the domain in the address bar at whois.domaintools.com..

In this case, we find the domain is called VIDANTA-MEMBERS.COM. When that name is typed into whois.domaintools.com, included in the record is the following information:

Dates 12 days old
Created on 2022-07-08
Expires on 2023-07-08
Updated on 2022-07-08

These dates tell us that the domain was formed 12 days ago. It is owned by an entity that has access to our email addresses. There is no clear reason for the email, other than to maybe entice you to communicate with them to provide information about your ownership and even to send money to them.

Don't fall for this offer, even though it is tempting to try to rent weeks for extra money. There is no credibility to this offer at all!

Scams are everywhere...Don't Send Money....
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2022-07-01 Our intrepid Scam Investigator sent us a warning about Luxury Travel Consultants Inc. It turns out he knows one to the other agents who contacted him last year. Isn't it amazing so many good people are in the business of scamming honest people like ourselves? Here is what he had to say:

Hi Bob,

This is the one I told you about in a previous email that was going to send me a rental agreement on Vidanta letterhead. I didn’t receive it. He probably knew that I was on to him.

I just spoke to an excellent Vidanta customer service representative, Carmen.

Carmen was very knowledgeable of these scammers and offered the following information that I think will be helpful for the Aimfair members:
  • Vidanta does not offer rental programs on behalf of its members
  • Vidanta will not accept payment via wire transfer, as this Mr. Bucerra suggested was necessary for “legal reasons”. Vidanta will only accept payment via credit card.
  • If Vidanta were to call a member, the display number will not be the 1-800-292-9446 main customer service number. Rather it will be a phone number with a Mexican format.
  • Vidanta customer service should be able to transfer you to any Vidanta employee – whether customer service, admin, or corporate. This Manual Bucerra said that he would not be reachable via customer service when I asked him what his extension is. Rather he gave me a Mexican phone number where the receptionist answers as Vidanta Corporate. The number is 52 322 980 0581.

Recall that I spoke to this Manuel Bucerra last year when International Travel Services offered to rent a week – whose website is now down. This guy is very smooth, speaks good English, and is very knowledgeable regarding Vidanta and the various types of contracts. I suspect that he is either a former sales rep, or is receiving information from a Vidanta sales rep. I’m going to keep on this guy until I get to the bottom of how he is operating.

Thanks and regards,

Scam Investigator

The conversation evolved from the following discussion.

From: Scam Investigator - Scam Investigator at msn.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2022 8:36 PM
To: events at luxurytravelconsultantsinc.com
Subject: RE: GRAND LUXXE / LUXURY TRAVEL CONSULTANTS INC.

Hi Ashley,

I received a call today from a Manual Bucerra with respect to the rental opportunity that you contacted me about.

He said that he works for Vida Vacations. Mr. Bucerra also called me last year with respect to another broker looking to rent a week – International Travel Services – that turned out to be a scam.

I just got off the phone with Vidanta. They said that Mr. Bucerra does not work for Vida Vacations and that Vida does not participate in any rental programs on behalf of its members.

You seem like a nice young lady. I suggest you go find yourself an honest job.

Scam Investigator

His note was sent after he received a call from the "agent" and in response to her letter requesting access to weeks he owns so she could rent them during a Mayakoba Resort golf championship.

From: events at luxurytravelconsultantsinc.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2022 5:43 PM
To:
Subject: GRAND LUXXE / LUXURY TRAVEL CONSULTANTS INC.

July 5th, 2022

Dear xxxxxxxx,

We, Luxury Travel Consultants Inc. would like you to consider the following proposal for the rental of your VIDANTA VACATIONAL membership. Luxury Travel Consultants Inc. is a leading international event planner with a reputation for delivering success in world class events.

To view our next event 2022 MAYAKOBA GOLF CLASSIC please click on the secure link below:
https://wwtchampionshipatmayakoba.com/

Kindly review the proposal thoroughly and let us know if any changes are needed. If the offer meets your expectations simply return a duly signed copy along with proof of ownership in order to start your rental transaction so a representative from your resort Vidanta will contact you.

In case you have any queries or need additional information, Please feel free to contact us at 346-201-4700 our office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (CST) or visit us online at www.luxurytravelconsultantsinc.com.

We look forward to working with you and to earn your business.

Best regards,
Ashley M. Miller | Agent

As you can see, your Scam Investigator was very straight forward with the callers. Too bad such nice people have to make a living by scamming honest people.

Scammers are everywhere today. The only way to stop them is to not pay them money!
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Thank you for keeping us updated....

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