Possible scam

I have received an offer on my time share via email from a private party. After we agreed on a price which was a bit less than I was asking, and that he would pay closing costs. He said he said he wanted to close immediately and had a broker to do the closing. I gave him my address and phone number for the broker to contact me. The following day, he sent me an email that he had to go away for several weeks due to a health problem, but still wanted to buy the timeshare. He had tried to contact his broker, but found that he was out of the country on business. So he left a message for him with all the information, including how to contact me. Then, to insure that I did not sell to anyone else, he had gone to the bank and had a cashier's check sent to me for the purchase price PLUS his closing costs. He asked that when I received this check, I deposit it and wait for the broker to contact me, whereupon I could then deduct my deposit and send him the rest for the escrow and closing costs. I would then receive the balance due me when the closing was finalized. This was quite disconcerting to me for several reasons. First I was disturbed that he would do this without checking with me first (although he did say it was an emergency situation and he had to make speedy arrangements). Secondly, why would this total stranger send me a cashier's check for several thousand dollars and trust me to do the right thing? Next, not only did I not feel comfortable being an intermediary in making the escrow payment, I was also concerned about being held responsible if the check got lost. Since he said he would be available by email, I sent him an email with my concerns and asked if he had sent the check by registered mail. I also realized that the only information I had was his name and email address. So I asked for the name of his bank and the name of the broker's company. (He had given me a person's name and city, but that's all). His response was that although he had sent the check by regular mail, he was sure it would not get lost. He did not answer my other questions. I have not yet received the check although it has only been two days. So it would likely not be here until next week. In the meantime, it all seems a bit fishy to me. My bf thinks this is a scam and that if the check comes, I should return it and cancel the deal. I think that if the check arrives, I could contact the bank to insure that it is good, and if so, should hold it until I hear from the broker. Meanwhile, in trying to find out if this is a scam, I wondered if anyone has had a similar experience. Thanks.

annetter60 wrote:

I have received an offer on my time share via email from a private party. After we agreed on a price which was a bit less than I was asking, and that he would pay closing costs. He said he said he wanted to close immediately and had a broker to do the closing. I gave him my address and phone number for the broker to contact me. The following day, he sent me an email that he had to go away for several weeks due to a health problem, but still wanted to buy the timeshare. He had tried to contact his broker, but found that he was out of the country on business. So he left a message for him with all the information, including how to contact me. Then, to insure that I did not sell to anyone else, he had gone to the bank and had a cashier's check sent to me for the purchase price PLUS his closing costs. He asked that when I received this check, I deposit it and wait for the broker to contact me, whereupon I could then deduct my deposit and send him the rest for the escrow and closing costs. I would then receive the balance due me when the closing was finalized. This was quite disconcerting to me for several reasons. First I was disturbed that he would do this without checking with me first (although he did say it was an emergency situation and he had to make speedy arrangements). Secondly, why would this total stranger send me a cashier's check for several thousand dollars and trust me to do the right thing? Next, not only did I not feel comfortable being an intermediary in making the escrow payment, I was also concerned about being held responsible if the check got lost. Since he said he would be available by email, I sent him an email with my concerns and asked if he had sent the check by registered mail. I also realized that the only information I had was his name and email address. So I asked for the name of his bank and the name of the broker's company. (He had given me a person's name and city, but that's all). His response was that although he had sent the check by regular mail, he was sure it would not get lost. He did not answer my other questions. I have not yet received the check although it has only been two days. So it would likely not be here until next week. In the meantime, it all seems a bit fishy to me. My bf thinks this is a scam and that if the check comes, I should return it and cancel the deal. I think that if the check arrives, I could contact the bank to insure that it is good, and if so, should hold it until I hear from the broker. Meanwhile, in trying to find out if this is a scam, I wondered if anyone has had a similar experience. Thanks.

This sounds like a new twist on the infamous Nigerian scam ... heed your boyfriend's advice. The fact that all this was done via email and not by phone is another red flag AND the fact that the supposed buyer changed all the arrangements without your permission .... too many red flags.

What do you advise me to do? A couple of options I thought of: 1. Send him an email that if he does not immediately send me his address and phone number, the name of his bank and of the title company, the deal is off.(If the check comes, I can call the bank to see how to properly void it). 2. Wait to see if the check comes next week. If it does, hold it until I hear from the broker to see if the deal is real. In the meantime, I have not spent any money or signed anything. So I can still cancel the deal at that time.

This has scam written all over it. First, how did he get your email address ? If a check arrives it's a fraud. He expects you to deposit the check and send him money before you find out it's a bad check. The usual Nigerian scam. Check the email and you'll probably find a lot of miss spellings and bad grammar. Another tip that it came from someplace like Nigeria. If it's too good too good to be true then it's not true.

Thanks for input. I have sent him an email saying that I am rescinding the decision to sell him my time share, and that should a check arrive, I will not accept it.

Update: Today, I received an email from the buyer's broker apologizing for the " delay", but stating he was in Mexico at a conference. He outlined the process for closing, but gave a different amount for the deposit than what was given by the buyer! He also said the closing would be handled by a national time share transfer company in Chicago, but with no address or contact info. He asked me for information about whether the time share was fully paid for and if the fees for 2012 had been paid. His email address had the extension "timesharetransfers. com" I immediately sent him an email (with a cc to the buyer) that I had already notified the buyer that the deal was off!

Later today, I received an envelope in the mail which looked suspiciously like a check. My address was typewritten. But there was NO return address. The postmark was Salem, Ore. I did not open it, but held it up to the light and could see that it definitely was a check. But I was unable to read anything on it. I called the local P.O. to ask how to handle suspected mail fraud. I told her I just wanted to refuse it, but since it had no return address, I wondered what they would do with it. At first she suggested I open it to see what it was. But I told her I was already quite sure what it was, and I did not want to do that. After I described the situation to her, she agreed that it was a scam. She then said to bring it in, and they would turn it over to the Postal inspector. I asked if I could have a receipt that I had refused it, and was told that she would give me a copy of the envelope with REFUSED on it. After speaking with her, I tried again to see more of what was in the envelope, and finally could make out the large letters in the upper left corner TRUVEST. I went on line, and found a TRUVEST LLC in Florida that (of course) offers to sell your time share!!! No address other than Kissimmee, Fl is given on the web either! Very clever set up, and I hope this tale will serve as a warning to others about this type of scam!!

Good job Annetter. This is how we prevent these low lives from preying on others. Let's hope this gets out to other potential victims.

Thanks. Further update. I took the letter to the P.O marked REFUSED. I told the agent what was in it and why I did not want to open it. She said that since it had no return address, it would go to the dead letter office, where they would open it, and return to the bank. But the post office messed up and delivered to me again today! This time, I could see the inside of the envelope more clearly. I was in error about the check. It actually said TRUWEST credit union cashier's check. Although I know this is a legitimate CU. I still was not taking any chances. I took it back to the P.O. and this time, a different agent told me they could not take it back because it had no return address! I stated what I had been told yesterday by the other agent, at which point she said quite indignantly that she would take care of it. I sure hope that is the end of it.