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Re: Second raid by SWAT Team in Orlando .... Upfront Fee Timeshare Resale scam company (by R P.):
SWAT Raids Two Orlando Timeshare Businesses Police raided two timeshare businesses right next to each other, and both have the same owners. (02/14/11)
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Two neighboring timeshare telemarketing operations were raided on Monday, Orlando police told WFTV. A SWAT team executed a search warrant on the two South Magnolia Avenue.
The search warrants indicated that the businesses had the same owners. Police said the company bilked hundreds of people all over the country out of at least $1 million over the last six to eight months.
Orlando firefighters were backed by a swarm of Orlando police investigators with the economic and property crimes units. They used a sledge hammer and a crow bar to rip the door off at the nondescript office space that was no bigger than a studio apartment.
Warrant information confirms they were looking for Lisa Canada and Max Chilson of Lake Mary. Instead, they found boxes of files, paper shredders, mafia posters and enough computers for 15 employees. Investigators said they were operating a sham timeshare company under two different names: "M and l Marketing Concepts" and "Maximum Properties."
"It's a huge rip off!" said Barbara Jones of the Orlando Police Department.
Investigators said, somehow, they got the names of people who owned timeshares at places like Disney, Wyndham and Westgate resorts, and offered to sell the properties for them. Police said they convinced the customers to send between $1,800 and $2,200 for closing costs, but they pocketed the money and timeshares were never sold.
Investigators found a board inside that shows exactly how much they were making: $82,000 just last week.
"That's small potatoes. I've gone into rooms where they are making $200,000 a week," consumer investigator Sasha Velez told WFTV.
WFTV found that Orlando and Palm Beach counties are hot spots are for the illegal set-ups.
"How big of a problem is this in Orlando?" WFTV reporter Daralene Jones asked Velez.
"It's huge." Velez said. "We have over 40 to 50 cases unlicensed right now that we are looking into. That's just the ones we know of."
Investigators also recovered $169,000 from nine different accounts at Bank of America.