[PRLeap.com press release] -- In today’s world, unscrupulous business conduct can be found in government and business. Unfortunately, the timeshare industry is not immune.

On a daily basis, tens of thousands of timeshare owners are telemarketed by organizations who do not have their best interest at heart. They use slick, calculated techniques as a means to extract ‘upfront’ money from timeshare owners who wish to sell their timeshare interests, on the empty promise that there is a buyer waiting in the wings. Unfortunately, the telemarketers have been quite successful in convincing timeshare owners to give them money upfront. The timeshare owner later learns that they’ve been scammed, and the organization they paid upfront money to doesn’t even hold a valid real estate license.

In recent months, however, timeshare owners have not been as gullible as they’ve been in the past. They are becoming more educated, through the media and word-of-mouth, that paying an upfront fee to anyone who says they can sell their timeshare, is a scam.

The biggest problem the scammers are facing is they have no credibility of their own; they do not hold a real estate brokers license, and with their shoddy past, are often unable to obtain a business license.

This has caused the timeshare scammers to take their efforts to new heights: They are now posing as imposters. They use the names of reputable, licensed timeshare resale brokers from the Licensed Timeshare Resale Brokers Association, representing themselves as a particular licensed broker or agent in the LTRBA. The imposter will encourage the timeshare owner, while on the phone, to check the internet for the validity of the broker they say they are. The imposter wins the trust of the timeshare owner, convincing the timeshare owner it is safe and necessary to pay the upfront fee in order to get the timeshare sold.

Beware of the imposters. The best advice for timeshare owners is never; ever pay an upfront fee to anyone, no matter how convincing they are.

Timeshare Owners who are interested in speaking with a legitimate, licensed timeshare resale broker, can refer to the Member Directory of the Licensed Timeshare Resale Brokers Association.