Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Money Lost In Fraudulent Time Share Sale
Police reports indicate that a local woman was targeted in a scam while she was attempting to sell a time share recently.
The victim, age 63, filed a complaint with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department last week. She told deputies that she had been attempting to sell a time share in Chattanooga. She said that she had received a telephone call from a man claiming to represent a realty company in Orlando, Florida.
The man told the victim that, “he had someone that was buying the time share.” He told her she would need to pay closing costs in the amount of $3,311.88.
He gave the victim the name of his bank, an account number and a routing number, instructing her to wire the money to that account. She said she wired the money to him on August 15.
The victim told deputies that she did as instructed but that she had been unable to contact the man afterwards. After a few days, she said the man called a second time. He told her that he would need an additional $2,000 for various other fees.
She said at that point she realized that the whole thing had been a scam. She said that she told the man she wanted her money back, but that she has not heard from him since.
