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Benbrook Veteran Nearly Falls for Timeshare Scheme, Warns Consumers

One Benbrook man spent years trying to sell his timeshare, but when he finally heard from a buyer, he found himself in the middle of a big mess.

John Yuill is not your average consumer.

"I am a Veteran — a Vietnam Veteran — and I happen to have been a prisoner of war in Vietnam," Yuill said. "My entire crew survived. The biggest positive that came out of that for me was realigning priorities."

Spending more time with family and traveling were at the top of his list.

"We had a timeshare up in the Ozarks and we would go up there every year. We really enjoyed it," Yuill explained.

So much so, that he purchased more timeshares, ending up with much more than he bargained for. With the maintenance and property owner association fees, he said he wanted out.

He spent years trying to sell his timeshare at Possum Kingdom Lake to no avail. Out of the blue, he received an email from someone claiming to be "Jodie Clark."

"She was creating a travel agency and she needed some properties," said Yuill.

The woman agreed to pay $4,500 for his timeshare. She would send him a cashier's check for $2900. He was to deposit the check, keep $500, and pay the broker $2400 via MoneyGram. Once that was done, she'd send the rest of his money to compete the transaction.

"The big hook that really got me was that it was a cashier's check," he said.

He got the check and went straight to Wells Fargo, so excited, he told the bank teller all about this "big deal." But the teller explained to him that she's heard of this before and believed it was a scam.

Yuill, however, didn't believe her.

"See, if you're old like me and back in the day,nobody ever questioned a cashier's check," he said.

But the teller insisted it was a scam. Yuill finally listened.

It turned out, that cashier's check was fake.

It's a lesson learned for John Yuill, who hasn't forgiven himself just yet, but he's glad he was spared from this timeshare scheme.

If you want to sell your timeshare, here are Samantha Chatman's Solutions:

• Never deposit a check from someone you've never met, no matter how sweet the deal seems.
• If a company wants to buy your timeshare, do your research. Check online or contact the TX Attorney General's office to see if they have any complaints on file.
• If you have fallen victim to the timeshare scam or any other scheme, report it to the FTC at ftc.gov.

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