The Attorney General of Minnesota, Lori Swanson, released a statement about the dangers of timeshare scams. Swanson warns that with the struggling economy, a lot of schemers are looking out for easy victims such as timeshare owners who can’t afford any longer visiting nor paying mortgage, maintenance fees and taxes of the timeshares they own.

Even more alarming are schemers who are looking out to victimize owners who want to sell their timeshares. Scammers pretend to be operators and would focus their misdeeds towards potential timeshare sellers, giving promises of buyers waiting. In exchange, schemers demand up front payment for the services they render as well as closing costs.

The Attorney General offers some advice on protecting one’s self from timeshare retail scams. Be wary of paying upfront fees, deals that sound too good to be real, sending money through wire, and fancy addresses or titles. Finally, always demand everything to be in writing.