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Warning over holiday scams

As lockdown restrictions begin to ease, officials are warning the public to be extra alert when booking holidays, tickets and insurance as scammers set their sights on targeting new victims.

We are constantly being warned about the latest scams and being careful online, but the pandemic has seen the biggest increase in callous scammers looking to target people, even in the toughest of times. Since the first lockdown began over a year ago reports of scams have increased and now just as lockdown restrictions begin to ease, experts are warning we need to be even more vigilant when looking to … Read more

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Have you ever attended a timeshare presentation? One unlucky couple did, and this is their story!

Back in 2017 Mr and Mrs Bunton were called by CLC world and told they had won a free night in a hotel. The offer was very appealing as it was a short drive to a luxury hotel in Cheltenham. They agreed to accept their ‘prize’ and very much enjoyed their stay at the hotel, however, the following morning they were shocked when they were forced to sit through a long presentation about holiday points membership. The hard sell lasted from 10 am to 4pm that day, incredibly they managed to resist the pressure and not sign up to the … Read more

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The Covid Cons – What to know!

Scammers are getting increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to get their hands on your personal information. As fast as a scam gets stopped in it’s tracks a new one emerges. And just as we are seeing a record number of people working from home, so too are the scammers who are taking full advantage of the current pandemic and are ruthless even in these turbulent times.

These cyber criminals are thoroughly taking advantage of coronavirus worries and coming up with more ways to con money from innocent people.

Barclays Bank recently published new figures which showed that during the first … Read more

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September marks the start of Oddfellows Friendship month

This annual event is held every year and aims to encourage people to connect with others in their community. The event highlights the growing concern of loneliness in our elderly and vulnerable members of society.

At the turn of the year, 2020, the world was hit by a pandemic, and millions of people were forced into isolation. It was a stark reminder that now, more than ever before in recent years that people needed to be there for each other. The acts of kindness were unprecedented, a newfound appreciation for our NHS and other critical services was expressed by all … Read more

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TV and Radio Presenter Scammed out of life savings

TV and radio presenter, Helen Skelton has spoken out and revealed she lost her life savings after fraudsters fooled her over the phone.

Speaking on ITV breakfast show with Lorraine Kelly, Helen Skelton told viewers to be cautious after the busy mom of three was distracted and believed fraudsters who claimed to be calling from her bank.

She explained how the fraudsters asked a few simple questions over the phone and they gained access to her bank account and stole her entire £70,000 life savings. She explained that whilst at home looking after her children, she was called out of … Read more

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Diamond Resorts and Karma Group Expand Partnership

International Lifestyle and Travel giant Karma has announced it is expanding its existing partnership with Diamond Resorts. They will now be able to offer members and guests additional luxury vacation options in Greece.

Karma Group have also announced they will open sales centres at Diamonds Village Heights Golf Resort in Crete. They will sell Diamond Resorts holiday points based products and also vacation memberships for Karma properties.

Both Karma and Diamond members will have access to a larger selection of properties, depending on how many points they purchased with their membership packages. The companies say this will give their … Read more

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Fraudster Jailed Over Rental Scam

A fraudster has been jailed and ordered to pay back money he made in a property rental scam.

Following a series of reports to Action Fraud, Zhaker Darvesh has been jailed for conning victims into paying him thousands of pounds in deposits for rental properties. Darvesh advertised properties on Gumtree and collected deposits from victims, ranging anything from £9,500 to £3,200. Some of his victims were left in horror after arriving at properties on move-in dates only to find they had been scammed.

Darvesh would stop replying to messages, calls and emails from victims when he had received their … Read more

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Workers continue strike against Diamond Resorts

Resort workers in Hawaii move forward with yet another strike against the timeshare giant.

Workers at the Modern Honolulu and Kaanapal Beach Club In Maui, Hawaii go on strike yet again as Diamond Resorts fail to come to an agreement with workers.

The strikes started in May when Diamond Resorts took over the hotels to convert them into timeshare units. The workers union and Diamond have yet to come to an agreement, so workers have decided to strike again. Workers are fighting for job security, solidarity and a fair living wage.

Diamond resorts acquired the two hotels in 2018, and … Read more

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Wyndham Under Fire For Deceptive Sales Practices

A timeshare owner in the US is suing Wyndham and its sales agents, for tricking her into upgrading her membership.

The suit alleges the timeshare giant used deceptive business practices and fraud, when they mis-sold the upgrade of a timeshare membership. The complainant alleges that Wyndham and it’s sales reps made several false and misleading statements, which she says were the basis for her deciding to upgrade her membership.

According to the lawsuit, the resort manager called the woman claiming her account had been flagged and an upgrade offer had been sent to her home address detailing a better deal … Read more

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Interval International Adds Two Resorts To Its Growing Network Of Timeshares

Interval International, one of the world’s largest timeshare exchange company has just added two new resorts to its books.  

Oak Ridge and Great Rock, based in Branson Missouri US, have both joined Interval International resorts and exchange network. Branson is an Ozark town in southwest Missouri, known as a family destination. It is famous for its Titanic museum and Table Rock Lake.

The timeshare and vacation membership giant already has over 3000 resorts in more than 80 countries, which it operates through its exchange network. Interval International’s Western Regional Director of Business Development Chris McGill said about the new affiliation: … Read more

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