Longtime Timeshare Scam Artist Goes to Jail

HandcuffsAnother timeshare criminal went down this week in Illinois. Jose Manuel Goyos Jr., 27, was sentenced to eight years in prison and a $1,000 fine for a telemarketing scheme that stole $14.5 million from more than 7,000 timeshare owners in the United States and Canada.

Based in Palm Beach, Florida, Goyos recruited recovering drug addicts to rip off timeshare owners. As many of these scams go, the telemarketers would promise or imply a buyer for desperate timeshare owners and would charge an upfront fee, usually more that $1,000. The buyer, of course, never existed and the fee would be non-refundable. This is why we can’t stress enough at Premier Timeshare Resale that timeshare owners should NEVER pay an upfront fee to sell their timeshare.

Goyos

Jose Manuel Goyos Jr., Photo from Palm Beach Post

The judge called Goyos’ crime “the most despicable scam in the world,” persecuting him for his recruitment of recovering drug addicts and stealing from the financially vulnerable.

PTR has not been ignorant of Goyos’ scam. His fraudulent company was called Premier Timeshare Solutions, and our company was often confused for Goyos’ phony one. Hearing about Goyos’ prosecution was relieving for PTR.

Goyos is one of nearly 50 people charged or sentenced by Illinois prosecutors alone this year, although many of the scams are based out of Palm Beach, Florida. It’s no surprise that timeshare scams have been the No. 1 fraud complaint in Florida over the last five years.

Although law enforcement across the United States is cracking down on timeshare fraud, it still plagues the timeshare industry. Before buying or selling a timeshare, see if the company you are using is registered with the BBB and has licensed timeshare agents. NEVER pay an upfront fee and do your research. If you follow these simple guidelines, you can avoid becoming a victim of timeshare fraud and sell your timeshare with peace of mind.

Sources: Palm Beach Post and STL Today

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