The FBI cautions timeshare homeowners about a widespread telemarketing scam orchestrated by a notorious Mexican drug cartel, which targets victims with an urgent plea to buy their property. The tale of a couple who recently fell prey to a sophisticated timeshare scam, losing over $50,000 to a complex web of fake escrow, title, and realty companies spanning more than two dozen entities?
Scams perpetrated by fake real estate companies seeking to dupe unsuspecting individuals out of their hard-earned money through fraudulent offers to buy their timeshare investments.
In December 2022, an unsolicited caller rang the residence of a retired Ontario, Canada-based couple, posing a question that would change their lives: had they ever considered marketing their Florida timeshare? A buyer has been identified in Mexico, according to the person speaking on their cell phone, who mentioned their timeshare handle in the course of the conversation. It’s likely that they would be curious about promoting it.
The Dimitruks had owned their timeshare for several years, but a significant portion remained unpaid – approximately $5,000 still needed to be settled before they could lawfully resell the property. This wouldn’t pose an issue for the buyer, the individual on the phone reassured them.
Within a specified timeframe, a representative from an escrow firm based in New York dispatched forms for the couple to complete and return via fax, marking the initiation of the process to market their timeshare to a prospective buyer, whose offer significantly exceeded the property’s market value.
After all necessary documents were signed and faxed, the Dimitruks received a request to dispatch a small wire transfer exceeding $3,000 to cover “administrative” and “processing” charges, ostensibly to prevent delays caused by bureaucratic hurdles in Mexico.
For approximately 12 months, protracted document exchanges ensued, during which time real estate agents consistently issued additional financial demands, including taxes due upon sale, as well as various administrative fees. Mrs. Dimitruk promptly sent a $5,000 wire transfer to settle the outstanding balance on the disputed timeshare purchase.
During an exclusive cellphone interview with KrebsOnSecurity, he According to Dimitruk’s claim, an alleged sum of more than $50,000 has gone missing.
A former long-haul truck driver, 73 years old, recalled, “After that, they kept calling me, saying, ‘Your funds are available now.'” “They threatened, ‘If we don’t receive the payment back, we’ll get into trouble,’ and provided a toll-free number for me to contact them.”
The individual who went by his final alias to the fraudsters acknowledged that someone across the street had revealed they employed underperforming staff previously, only to let them go.
As his seniority climbed, he candidly revealed, “You’ve had to deal with some toxic individuals, and we terminated those problematic employees.” It’s clear they shared a positive experience. “You’re welcome to prepay and receive your funds expediently.”
There exist individuals who perpetuate harmful schemes in response to the FBI’s efforts. The FBI cautions that timeshare fraud schemes are increasingly linked to organized crime groups in Mexico.
In July 2024, the FBI and FinCEN, in collaboration with the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, are targeting a unique type of criminal operation run by the Jalisco cartel. These fraudulent schemes, often referred to as “boiler room-like facilities,” focus on defrauding individuals who own timeshares.
Mexican transnational criminal organizations, including the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel, are increasingly targeting the United States with their illicit activities. Houseowners of Mexican timeshare properties are often targeted by unscrupulous sales tactics, including lengthy and deceitful telemarketing campaigns, elaborate impersonations, and aggressive pricing strategies that can span multiple years. Using the illegal gains, they diversify their revenue sources and fund various legal pursuits, alongside the production and smuggling of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic drugs into the United States.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that various types of online scams are increasingly targeting unsuspecting consumers in the United States. Mexican authorities last year verified reports of up to eight young workers being killed after attempting to refuse jobs at a call centre allegedly controlled by the Jalisco cartel.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury.
The unscrupulous escrow company that the Dimitruks dealt with does not have an online presence. Despite the paperwork dispatched by their contact referring to numerous still-active domains,
The unique registration details for each domain appear linked to a larger network, referencing an area connected to over two dozen actual property and escrow-themed domains, with a history dating back at least four years. While a few of these domains may appear dormant, others were previously suspended by various internet hosting providers.
061nyr[.]web
061-newyorkrealty[.]web
1nydevelopersgroupllc[.]com
1oceanrealtyllc[.]com
advancedclosingservicesllc[.]com
americancorporatetitle[.]com
asesorialegalsiglo[.]com
atencion-tributaria.[]com
carolinasctinc[.]web
closingandsettlementservices[.]com
closingandsettlementsllc[.]com
closingsettlementllc[.]com
crefaescrowslimited[.]web
ecurrencyescrow[.]llc
empirerllc[.]com
fiduciarocitibanamex[.]com
fondosmx[.]org
freightescrowcollc[.]com
goldmansachs-investment[.]com
hgvccorp[.]com
infodivisionfinanciera[.]com
internationaladvisorllc[.]com
jadehillrealtyllc[.]com
lewisandassociaterealty[.]com
nyreputable[.]org
privateinvestment.com[.]co
realestateassetsllc[.]com
realestateisinc[.]com
settlementandmanagement[.]com
stllcservices[.]com
stllcservices[.]web
thebluehorizonrealtyinc[.]com
walshrealtyny[.]web
windsorre[.]com
Upon visiting ecurrencyescrowlll[.]com, the webpage features a prominent header stating: “Access our Resource Library for videos and tools crafted to simplify managing your escrow disbursements.”
Upon examining this snippet of text, it appears to be duplicated from the website of an escrow company called escshieldsecurity.com. Despite its reported history dating back to 2009, the area’s current state appears significantly diminished from just over two years ago, with no available contact information for the location. The Pennsylvania Secretary of State does not have a record of an entity with this name at its registered address.
EscShield Security presents itself as a solution to the perils of timeshare closing scams.
Cybercriminals had honed in on the sector’s value by 2015, targeting the high-stakes world of real estate, title, and settlement services, according to the company’s website. As funding growth became increasingly complex and treacherous, brokers and underwriters found themselves with scant time and resources to keep pace. The company sought a straightforward solution enabling it to keep pace with the demands for enhanced financial security following new funding.
While websites linked to this scam often mimic reputable organizations and licensed professionals in the real estate and mortgage industries, it’s only when someone starts asking questions that the imposter is exposed. When a sophisticated reader tip brought KrebsOnSecurity to investigate this scam, it was actually someone who had been exploited by having their identity and reputation misused to dupe others.
While the circumstances surrounding the Dimitruks’ potential robbery at the hands of the Jalisco cartel remain unclear, it is evident that those responsible for managing a significant number of related domains, including DNS provider datasur[.]host, recently fell victim to an information-stealing malware attack on their computer.
According to knowledge gathered by Constella’s breach monitoring service, which has partnered with this publication. An investigation revealed that an individual using the email address, found in the DNS records for datasur.host, had also gained access to credentials for managing many of the referenced domains at a Mexican web hosting provider.
It’s common for individuals duped by these schemes to keep quiet about their experience. Fear of shame and ridicule often prevents victims from reporting incidents to local authorities. While victims of violence at the hands of a ruthless drug cartel are likely motivated to maintain secrecy due to their traumatic experiences.
William Dimitruk conceded that neither he nor his spouse had yet submitted a police report. However, in acknowledging that it may potentially aid in preventing harm to other potential victims, Mr. After careful consideration, Dimitruk expressed his willingness to review the proposal.
Victims of these scams may have an additional incentive to report incidents to the authorities: when law enforcement agencies crack down on these fraudulent schemes, they often recover stolen funds for victims. Despite the lengthy process of conducting investigations, it’s not uncommon for years to pass before the federal government takes action to identify those scammed and devise a plan for compensating victims. Unfortunately, the primary challenge in addressing these losses lies in the fact that federal authorities often lack essential information about the affected individuals.
Here is the improved text in a different style:
If you’ve fallen prey to a timeshare scam, consider lodging a complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at [www.ic3.gov](http://www.ic3.gov). Locations where victims may wish to lodge complaints include local authorities, online review forums, social media platforms, customer service departments of businesses or organizations directly involved in the incident, and government agencies responsible for protecting consumer interests.
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