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Protect Your Vacation Ownership
Expert advice to help you stay vigilant and safeguard your ownership
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Follow our tips to protect yourself from timeshare fraud
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As we enter a new season and welcome Bluegreen Vacation Club Members to the Hilton Grand Vacations family, now is a good time to remind you to be vigilant about potential fraud schemes.
Timeshare fraud continues to impact many Members and usually begins with someone getting in touch to say they can rent, sell or advertise your ownership or exchange benefits. Many scams may seem legitimate at first glance, and it can be easy to fall prey to them if you don’t know what to look for. The good news is that there are key things to help you combat these fraudsters.
In this article, we look at some recent fraud examples and share our top tips on how to counteract them.
Fraud Example #1: Fake HGV Events
We have spoken to Hilton Grand Vacations Members who have been approached by companies claiming to be affiliated with HGV. The companies aggressively push Members to attend an event, often at a Hilton hotel far from their location. Members who have attended these meetings have reported they were asked to pay large upfront fees with the promise of transferring a timeshare out of their name, but this service is never delivered. In some cases, these Members have been enrolled in an entirely new travel program on top of their existing timeshare.
Remember, if someone is asking for upfront fees, it’s likely to be a scam. You should always be suspicious of calls asking for personal information that HGV already has on record. It’s also worth noting that Hilton Hotels are not operated by Hilton Grand Vacations and would therefore be an unlikely location for an HGV meeting.
Fraud Example #2: Buyback Schemes
HGV has become aware of fraudulent groups misusing our name and likeness to obtain Members’ personal details through an HGV stock buyback scheme. Individuals falsely claiming to be with real estate brokerages, title companies and even law firms working on behalf of HGV have contacted Members with fake offers to purchase their HGV stock. They even send fraudulent documents impersonating HGV staff with wire transfer instructions.
Remember that HGV will never initiate contact to purchase or repurchase stock shares in the company, either directly or through a third party.
How to Protect Yourself
We understand that the above examples can be deeply worrying for our Members, but there are steps you can take to look out for fraudulent operations:
- Verify All Communications: Always confirm the legitimacy of any communication from HGV by checking for consistency, proper grammar and official HGV or Hilton branding. Ensure that the email address is from a correct HGV source and is one that you are familiar with.
- Beware of Wire Fraud: Wiring money is like sending cash — once you send it, you usually can’t get it back. With wire fraud, scammers often impersonate legitimate companies and individuals to convince victims to send money. Signs of wire fraud include being asked to wire money to someone you don’t know well or to wire money to another country. The FTC recommends never wiring money to someone you have not met in person, no matter the reason they give.
- Be Wary of Unsolicited Offers: HGV does not authorize third parties to solicit our Members. Be cautious of unexpected calls or emails regarding your vacation ownership.
- Never Pay Upfront Fees: If you are contacted by an individual or company claiming they can rent or resell your timeshare for an upfront fee, do not pay it. It’s important to note that renting your timeshare is not permitted under HGV’s Club membership rules.
- Protect Your Personal Information: Never share sensitive personal or financial information with unverified parties.
- Research Before Engaging: Before working with any company, thoroughly research them by consulting the Better Business Bureau and reading online reviews.
- Report Suspicious Activity: If you encounter anything that seems suspicious, stop communicating with the fraudulent party and report it right away.
Stay vigilant and remember: If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Reporting Timeshare Fraud
Timeshare fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated and there is nothing embarrassing about falling victim to a scam. If you think you or a loved one might be at risk of timeshare fraud, it’s important to report this right away:
- Canadian residents: You can report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and the Provincial Consumer Affairs Regulator.
- European residents: Gather as many details of the scam as possible and email them to us at LegalReport@hgv.com.
- U.S. residents: You can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office in the state where you reside. Not sure how to find your AG’s office? Click here to find a location. You can also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by selecting File a Complaint in the menu at the top of the page.
- Worldwide: You can report the incident to your regional consumer protection division.
Finally, if you made any payments using a credit card, contact your card company and request a stop payment immediately.
For additional resources, including videos, flyers and other articles, visit our Timeshare Fraud Education page on the Member website and on the Bluegreen Member website.
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