Elaine Ambrose

Bestselling Author, Ventriloquist, & Humorist

You are here: Home / Archives for #Mexico

#Mexico

I was Scammed Out of Thousands of Dollars

By

cheating closing agent

I graduated from college at age 21 with Phi Beta Kappa scholastic honors because I’m smarter than a fifth grader. Last week I was scammed out of $6,280 and received a bonus bill for $15,575 plus a lien on my property because my brains left the country along with my money.

I’m writing about my stupidity so other charming but gullible grandmothers can avoid my errors. I will include the names, telephone numbers, emails, and business names of those who scammed me. My factual words are my only revenge.

The debacle started last month when I decided to sell my Shell Vacations Club timeshare. I searched online, found a company with a professional website and glowing credentials, and sent an email. Unfortunately, the business is a scam and the credentials are bogus. Apparently, any lying crook with a dirty computer can set up a website and write positive reviews.

Here are two of the rotten scoundrels who cheated me out of $6,280. Christian Becker lies to people from Property Management Interactions, (773) 409-4913, extension 8857. The email is [email protected]. Emma Watson cackles at the corrupt title company called Alliance Resource Advisors, (469) 729-4903 in Dallas, Texas. The email is [email protected]. Only later did I notice she spelled her title “Exectutive Closing Agent.” I deserve this punishment.

Three different crooks contacted me from Property Management Interactions. The first, Adrian Martinez, suddenly disappeared in a mysterious motorcycle crash after he discovered I owned the timeshare free and clear. Then Christian Becker sold me the equivalent of a bridge in Brooklyn. After I complained, Christian was banished on an unexplained leave of absence only to be replaced by Alejandro Corona. I asked him to spell his name so I could include it correctly in this blog. He doesn’t like me, and the feeling is mutual.

scam bank info

Their contract promised a huge payment with no money up front and of course they had an eager buyer. After more than 20 telephone calls, it turned out I owed an initial fee of $6,280. Like a fool, I paid it and the money went to Mexico. Hello, red flag? Then I received the second surprise: another bill for $15,575 to cover Value-Added Tax and a new Registry for Foreign Investment Tax. Also, they put a lien on my property but promised to pay me $84,105. My language in return was less than Christian.

Today at the bank, I learned that the Federal Trade Commission and state consumer protection agencies are working full-time to shut down dishonest timeshare resellers that have bilked timeshare owners out of millions of dollars. This is a club I did not want to join and I’d like to sell or donate my membership. My banker advised me to call the credit reporting agencies to put an alert on my credit report and notify the IRS that my information has been compromised. He warned me that the scammers could sell my information and print counterfeit checks on the frozen account. The bank couldn’t refund my money or cover it through insurance but they did transfer my overdraft protection and bill payment details.

My official police report will be turned over to Interpol to investigate the companies for fraud and extortion. At least there is a silver lining: I never will have the title of Exectutive Closing Agent.

 

 

Midlife Cabernet: Enjoy a Family Vacation without Drama or Trauma

By

Cabo family beachYou’ve seen the advertisements that feature glossy photos of deliriously happy families laughing together on vacation. Keep in mind that these people are paid strangers and will never see each other again. For a sobering reality check, remember that a high number of shootings and stabbings occur during family holiday events. Plan wisely.

We recently returned from the best family vacation of my entire long and well-traveled life. There were eleven people, including my two children and their spouses, their five giggling little girls, Studley and me. We were like a football team but without the private jet. Our mission was to leave the country, have a splendid time, and return alive. Touchdown and score!

Here are some key points to consider when attempting a family vacation:

  1. Plan ahead. We made reservations for hotel and airline tickets seven months in advance. Even with advance planning, we were all scrambling to get packed a few hours before departure.
  2. Get or update passports if you’re leaving the country. One dilemma: my son and his wife had a new baby but she still needed a passport. The rules state that no one else can be in the passport photo so he had to hold up her tiny body with one hand. She looks like a puppet on a stick, and that passport is good for five years.
  3. Pack lightly. Studley and I just roll up hand-washable clothes and travel with carryon bags only. Of course, parents with kids need twenty extra pieces of luggage just for diapers and electronic gear. Traveling light is just another advantage of being older.
  4. Include workout shoes and clothes. Most hotels have gyms so you can exercise before and after enjoying insane quantities of piña coladas and nachos. And walking in the sand along the beach really tones those legs as you head to town for some coconut gelato.
  5. Do you own activities. Studley and I left to golf one day and we rode horses on the beach another day. The adults shared babysitting duties so each couple could relax without bringing a pacifier or an animated puppet show. Then we all got together for meals and playing on the beach.
  6. Get professional photographs. It sounds cheesy, but the resorts do a good job of organizing family photographs. We’re pleased with the results because our phones just don’t take quality photos.
  7. There will be some drama. At any given time, at least one of the five children was crying, pouting, or attempting to run away. But after a few margaritas the adults didn’t care.
  8. One important rule of life: Enjoy the beauty of where you are. We stayed at a lovely resort on the beach in Cabo, Mexico. A week later, I can still hear the laughter of my granddaughters playing in the waves, feel the motion of the ocean, taste the delicious fresh sea bass dinner, and visualize the full moon reflecting over the water. Savor those memories, and use them as a catalyst for planning the next trip.

During my childhood, we had one family vacation. My parents took their three children to Disneyland but they couldn’t tolerate the crowds so we left early and drove non-stop home to Idaho. I’ve always felt cheated, until last week. We had an amazing time, and I’m grateful.

Today’s blog was fueled by a 2010 Decoy Zinfandel from Duckhorn Wine Company in Sonoma County. Have several bottles on hand to celebrate the beauty of life. It’s $38 a bottle at Crush Wine Bar in Eagle – but only $32 if you join the wine club. Of course, I did.