Original Message:
Re: Help! Someone seems interested in my time share but it doesn't sound legit (by KC):
kathleenp72 wrote:Hi. I Posted my 2bd/2ba floating value season Westage Town center here on Redweek. I received the typicall emails from people asking me to donate (wish I could). I also received an email from someone who claims interest but I am extremely skeptical and here is why. First, the person I will call John Doe is using terrible spelling and grammar. That would be OK but he hasn't even tried to negotiate the price. He just wants to know what the final price is and where to send the check. Am I missing something here? Is there a new scam out there that I missed? Can someone please give me some advice. Is this some kid playing a prank or someone from Africal trying to send me one of those (you have just one the lottery deals....simply cash this check for 100,000. and send the difference heh heh) Appreciate any input Kathleen
Kathleen: I suspect that your instincts may be correct and that this may well be a would-be scammer. In the past, I've received several such very odd replies whenever advertising a timeshare for sale. No pertinent and important questions get asked about the facility itself, or about maintenance fees, special assessments, unpaid fees ---- all the things that a legitimate buyer would (or should) certainly need and want to know all about with some specificity. Very brief messages usually too, often with poor grammar and spelling (but not always). Also, more often than not, the inquiry originates from a non-descript "yahoo" address (no disrespect or negative connotation is intended in any way toward Yahoo in making this observation --- simply my own experience. Maybe it's just easy to get a (free) yahoo address with no actual identity verification).
My advice is to be CERTAIN to provide absolutely NO personal information of any kind by email to this "inquirer", as it may well be a "phishing" scheme in which the intrepid scammer is just trying to slowly extract bits of personal information from you in pursuit of enough info for a later identity theft attempt. Or, it could be the (now well-worn) Nigerian 419 scam, in which you get a convincing (but counterfeit) bank check overpayment, asking you to then "refund the difference" with a (valid) personal check. Weeks later, of course, your bank informs you that the "bank check" you received is no good, while your own good check has long been cashed and the scammer has long since disappeared back into the vapor cloud of the Internet. .And you STILL own your timeshare --- NOT good!
One approach which I have used is to ask the inquirer for a name and a phone number at which I volunteer to reach the inquirer (at my own expense) in order to answer any and all specific questions he/she might have about the facility (but not about me personally). Or ask for a street address where you can mail the inquirer an info sheet about the resort (not about you). iNine times out of ten, you never hear another word from them ever again. Scammers don't want to leave behind them any address or phone record trail which can later be traced. And if they are outside the U.S., of course, you now have them in a corner --- with no U.S. phone number or valid U.S. street address available to ever be able to give you in the first place.
Whatever you do, do NOT provide any personal information to the inquirer. They don't need to know a THING about you personally in order to ask about your timeshare facility. Also, if it proceeds toward sale, insist upon using a third party, well established closing company for the sale transaction. Closing company will escrow all funds, require certified check from U.S. bank (which they will hold until it clears), thereby helping to ensure that all funds presented are "real money".
Good luck, and be careful. Like those road signs say.... PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
On the other hand, people have to actually JOIN RedWeek in order to see the ads here in the first place, so this just MIGHT be a legitimate inquiry (although it sure doesn't sound like one, so far). If you get suspicious, contact RedWeek customer service directly and identify the inquirer by RedWeek user name to express your concern --- this person had to register with RedWeek one way or another to see your ad (but, of course, may have done so under a phony name). Unfortunately, it surely would not be the first time that a dishonest, thieving parasite has paid to join RedWeek in order to then ply their deceptive trade here....