Another Timeshare Scammer Caught

Another success story of scam defeat can be told as of last Friday, November 19, in Green Bay-area, Wisconsin.

Photo Curtesy of the Green Bay Press Gazette

Photo Curtesy of the Green Bay Press Gazette

A federal judge ruled to sentence scam show-runner Mark Parks to nine years in prison after he and a crew of collaborators stole almost $2.5 million from elderly timeshare owners.

The scheme, committed in the Green Bay-area, defrauded more than 3,000 victims in all 50 states and Canada out of about $2.5 million through a number of fraudulent companies ran by Mark Parks and his wife Mindy Parks, who will be sentenced on January 5. Six other conspirators will be sentenced through December and January.

Although this is a success story, it’s also full of tragedy for the 3,000 victims of Parks and his schemers. Employees have testified, saying that they were given scripts that lied to property owners about having buyers, they received commission on up front fees, and they even lied about their names so that disgruntled victims couldn’t call back and reach the “agent” that proposed the initial deal.

These tactics are nothing new. In fact, it’s shocking that timeshare owners are still falling for these age-old tricks. Parks’ scheme focused on elderly owners, which is partially why they were so successful. The owners rarely had any outside knowledge about the dangers of timeshare scams and were unable to do sufficient research or stop by the company’s “office.”

We warn our readers about NEVER PAYING UPFRONT FEES all the time, but there are other ways timeshare owners can protect themselves against fraud.

bag o cashDoing your research is an important tip that will save you a lot of heartbreak. You should not only thoroughly research the companies website before making any deals, but research the company on the Better Business Bureau’s website. You should also research the selling or buying agent you’re working with. Never sign a contract or pay a fee without going through a licensed agent.

These simple tips could have saved thousands of people from losing millions of dollars. In Parks’ scheme, victims were asked to pay hundreds of even thousands of dollars up front to secure the fake buyer. Remember, you should NEVER PAY UPFRONT FEES.

Premier Timeshare Resale will never ask for an upfront fee and does not get paid commission until you do. Our agents are licensed real estate agents, working under a licensed broker, and we bare it all out front so you can see before even contacting us.

One of our missions at Premier Timeshare Resale is to promote safe timeshare shopping and selling, as well as work to legitimize the industry. Our trained team of experts is ready and willing to help, and through the process we hope to save thousands of timeshare owners from falling into timeshare scams and fraud. This is why we encourage satisfied customers to volunteer their testimony on our website and Facebook page. PTR aims to be a beacon of hope in the timeshare industry.

Source: www.greenbaypressgazette.com

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