TIMESHARE owners should be wary of cartel-linked scam operations that have grown into organised, international schemes, with the US Treasury Department reporting CJNG-linked actors taking control of certain timeshare fraud schemes in Puerto Vallarta around 2012 and later sanctioning multiple companies and individuals. The article notes that in October 2025, 14 people were convicted in connection with the “Sell My Timeshare” operation, which targeted more than 3,500 victims and stole about £28 million.
It also recounts a case where a retiree named Des paid £14,000 upfront for a supposed sale that never happened, illustrating how scammers exploit trust and urgency. According to the FBI and US Treasury, CJNG-linked operations maintain sophisticated call centres and use trained staff with scripts and databases to identify victims, highlighting the scale of the threat beyond the United States.
With more than 7 million timeshare owners worldwide and the UK accounting for nearly 500,000, the danger is global, and victims are often targeted through publicly available ownership data and data breaches. The article urges vigilance against unsolicited offers, upfront fees, and pressure tactics, emphasising that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.