What it looks like
"Good news! We have a buyer ready to purchase your timeshare for $38,000. To begin the closing, we need a $2,450 fee for the title transfer and escrow. The buyer's offer expires Friday."
An example. Real ones change their wording, amounts and names all the time.
How it works
Many owners would like to sell a timeshare they no longer use, and scammers know it. They find owners through public records and old resort lists, then call with great news: a buyer is ready, often at a price close to what you paid. They may know your resort and your unit, which makes the call feel real.
To close the sale, you are asked to pay fees for an appraisal, a title transfer, taxes or escrow. Sometimes the money is wired to a 'title company' that is part of the scam. After you pay, the buyer delays, new fees appear, or the company stops answering. Later, a 'recovery' firm or 'lawyer' may call and offer to get your money back for yet another fee.
It fools careful people because timeshares are hard to sell and a ready buyer feels like the answer. The FTC warns about resellers who charge fees up front, promise big returns, or say they already have buyers waiting. Real closing costs are normally handled at closing, not wired to a stranger before anything is signed.
Signs it is fake
- A call or letter out of the blue saying they have a buyer ready for your timeshare
- A fee up front for an appraisal, listing, closing costs or taxes, even with a 'money back guarantee'
- A promise to sell within a set time, or for far more than similar timeshares sell for
- Pressure to decide quickly because the buyer will not wait
- Later, someone offers to recover the money you lost, for another fee
What to do
- Do not pay a fee up front to anyone who says they have a buyer.
- Ask your resort or developer whether it has a resale or buy back program.
- Check the company with your state attorney general and with the real estate licensing office in the state where the timeshare is, and search its name with 'complaint' or 'scam'.
If you already clicked, called or paid
- If you paid by credit card, call the card company and ask to dispute the charge.
- Report it to your state attorney general and at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- Do not pay anyone who calls offering to get your money back. That is often the same scam again.
Being fooled is not your fault. These messages are made by professionals to look real. Acting quickly is what matters. See what to do if you paid a scammer.
Not sure about a message?
Forward it to Uncle at +1 208 214 0093, or send a screenshot. He tells you plainly what looks wrong. He never asks for passwords or codes, and he never texts first. How it works.
Worried about a parent? With the Family plan, you get a heads up when a likely scam reaches them.
More common scams
- Lottery or sweepstakes scam
- Inheritance scam
- Government grant scam
- Charity scam
- See all common scams
Written by the Textuncle team. Last updated October 3, 2026.
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