tags: Scams
Ameri-scam.
May 23rd, 2005, by Rich.
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Two months ago I wrote a short article about a telemarketing call that I received from AmeriVacation. It has very quickly become one of the most viewed pages on this site, and also the most commented upon, by many people who are worried that they have been conned.
With just a little digging I’ve started to unearth some more information on AmeriVacation, and some “companies” that appear to be related.
It appears that AmeriVacation is only the latest front. They set up a website, to appear legitimate and then cold call people, anyone whose number they can get using an automated calling mechanism (which is very simple to do with a computer). They then sell a package that is not what it appears to be and then make it very difficult to obtain a refund.
Sadly the people that get scammed are often the most vulnerable people who can least afford to lose such a large amount of money.
Through my digging I discovered a little about the history of the scams, and a little about how they’re all related. What follows is a brief review of the links so that others may pick up the trail more easily.
The currently active websites (which can be linked through identical wording, identical phone numbers, IP addresses that resolve to the same physical machines, etc) are:
- www.amerivacation.com
- www.expertholidays.com
- www.yourvipholiday.com (bad press) (more)
- www.flbahamastravelhome.com
- www.mydiscountholiday.com (bad press)
- www.doublevacations.com
- www.affiliatedtravelnetwork.com
- www.brilliantholiday.com (bad popup press)
- www.destinationcenter.net
- www.myffc.com (bad press)
- www.mydiscountholiday.com
- www.floridaholidayusa.com - discovered July 2005
- www.holidayfloridausa.com - discovered July 2005
- www.sunrisetravels.us - discovered August 2005
- www.imperialvacation.com - discovered August 2005
- www.5starholidays.net - discovered August 2005
- www.floridatouristbureau.com - discovered August 2005
Now, anybody that sells a holiday from Florida, or sells a holiday to Florida must be registered. The last entry in the above list , “mydiscountholiday.com” claims a Florida Seller Of Travel License Number of ST35170. In fact, this next list of sites all claim to have that same license number.
- www.mydiscountholiday.com (bad press)
- www.usafamilygetaway.com (bad press)
- www.sandyvacationsllc.com (bad press)
- www.floridabureauoftourism.com
- http://www.destinationsforyou.com
- http://www.celebrationpromotions.com
Another useful thing for linking companies is the address, several of these companies have used “600 North Highway 1792, Suite 120, Longwood Fl 32750″ including:
- www.yourvipholiday.com
- www.usafamilygetaway.com addres link also mentioned here
That link is important because without it these appear to be two separate groups of companies, when in fact, it’s one big cloud.
The next link in the chain is the phone number, all the sites below are connected because they use the same UK freephone number 0800-917-7462. What’s especially nice is that three of them have also decided to share testimonials too!
- www.windsorvacations.com
- www.myvacationschoice.com
- www.vacations-paradise.com (bad press)
- www.sohovacations.com -bullshit testimonial (bad press)
- www.centuryvacations.com - bullshit testimonial
- www.firstclicktravel.net - bullshit testimonial
- www.usafamilygetaway.com
The other address in use is “7632 Southland Blvd, Orlando, FL 32809″ and this is used by:
- www.myffc.com
- www.mydiscountholiday.com
- www.brilliantholiday.com (bad press)
- www.destinationcenter.com
Currently www.destinationcenter.com looks like a bit of a sales force advertisement. However, by looking at the caches on google and web.archive.org, it’s apparent that it was also used as travel sales site (hence I got the address match above), selling these same packages - i.e. not just a coincidence, this was the same outfit.
So, who’s behind it? Well, according to this story, it all comes back to to a Altef Hemani (aka Alex Hemani), who has a history of such scams.
His name is as good as mud on the internet, so he’s tried to combat this by buying a few websites and and writing eulogies about himself.
Each of those sites, incidentally, is owned by the same company: Travel Express Investments 385 Center Point Cir, Altamont Springs, FL 32701.
What’s especially interesting is that the administrative contact for the domains is Arif Rajan who may be the same business man whos only newsworthy moment until now was that in 2002 he was was questioned and released without charge regarding money laundering for terrorist organisations.
Sources
Naturally the information I’ve been able to gather and present here is all freely available to the public. Please feel free to check, corroborate, dispute, disprove or otherwise extended it through your own investigation.
I have found the following resources most useful:
- http://whois.net/ which provides information about the owners of domain names.
- http://sunbiz.org/ which provides information from the Florida Department of State regarding companies, and the persons legally responsible for those companies.
- http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/ the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which regulates travel in Florida.
August 30th, 2005 at 3:52 pm
Hi I just called about the same offer as everybody else. I was supposed to have won a great trip to Florida+++ but of course it costed money at the end of the exceptional great review of the price. I would not buy anything so sudden and told I had to wait, then she threatened me and said that the price would go to anoter person if I hung up. I did so, and now after have reading this I am truly glad I did so!!! Beware of travelling scam on Internet everybody!!!
August 30th, 2005 at 6:21 pm
Could you please advise me as I have just in the last two months t brought a package from the amerivacations. they rang me and till now I have thought that these were ligetimate. On reading the comments I now have second thoughts. Could you please advise if I should carry on with this vacation or not, or have I also lost all My money. It seemed to good to be true, but I don’t want to get out there to be left high and dry. Has anyone had a refund from this or not. I would like to here more form you reference this. Look forward to your reply. Ray
August 30th, 2005 at 6:21 pm
Just tried 0800 0914766 again (haven’t called them for a couple of months). Thry are still trading as Sunkissed travel and now targeting the netherlands (previously they were calling Ireland and Norway).
Wish someone would close them down.
August 31st, 2005 at 10:30 am
Well another fish in the net !!!!
Shit but when I call Them at 0014072774957 from Italy I spent only 1,69 Euro for calling not yet !!! Fortunately I’m a SysAdmin of Firefighter in Italy and so I recorded some information about this guilty guy !!!!
https://www.travasaurus.com/
And I’ll start to deploy it in all the way that I can !!!
First : I’ll sign Them to Italian Computer Crime Police (Polizia postale)
Second : I’ll tell to all my friend about this neverending story on the phising on the net
Third : I’ll hack some Theyr server to gain other info about it and notice them to US Computer Crime
Well NOBODY give you nothing for nothing said in Italian Proverbs !!!!
That’s all FOLKS !!!!
August 31st, 2005 at 11:36 am
Hi Fernando,
the tone of your message is similar to many others that have been lied to and taken advantage of, however, taking direct action such as the hacking you are dreaming of can only harm any legal case that is brought against the scammers.
Firstly, you’re suggesting that by hacking their servers you will find some information that the US courts may be able to use. In reality, the real risk is that you may unwittingly destroy evidence that does exist on their machines, or render it in admissible in court, because if it can be proved that a machine has been compromised, then the origin of the data on that machine cannot be so easily proven. What is more, it might lend credence to any claims of difficulty in providing refunds.
Secondly you have publicly stated your intention to commit a crime; this is never a good idea, because it makes it far easier for a court to convict you.
If you really want to do something active then concentrate on letting others know about the scam, perhaps through your local press.
August 31st, 2005 at 1:23 pm
Hi
I just got a call from Royalty Holidays offering me a holiday for four adults and two children for five days and four nights AND four passes to Disney for £498!!
Too good to be true? Suspecting another bloody holday package scam (are we not plagued by them? I googled them. Thank god the consumers are fighting back.
Good luck getting refunds everyone and just dont believe anyone who cold calls you!
August 31st, 2005 at 1:31 pm
Hey Rich, I guess KARMA really works huh.
August 31st, 2005 at 3:15 pm
Hello again USC,
Your comments are now drifting such that it’s difficult to discern how they relate to the topic under discussion.
Shortly after your opening remarks (which I had to censor because of the inflammatory racism), and shortly after you called me a “limey batard” [sic], you stated:
You have been given ample opportunity to air your alternative view of the mis-selling that is under discussion, however, after several pages of deviation you have failed to do so.
On several occasions you have been given the opportunity to identify yourself and to state whether you dispute several really simple points, yet you have repeatedly failed to address these issues even though they are fundamental to the situation that most readers find themselves in.
Please do seriously consider addressing the these statements and describing whether you dispute them, and if so, why.
After that, if you’d like to explain the relevance of the Hindu concept of Karma, then I’m sure it will make more sense next time.
August 31st, 2005 at 5:21 pm
Hello, i’m Emil from Poland.On the us website i have message that I’m
the million visitor on this website!I click on this banner,and I be on the travasaurus.com.In this website I read I’m the today randomly selected winner,and i win 2100$ and night travel around Bahamas.I dont call becouse i dont believe it!please tell me is this website is authentic,and cash is authentic:)I dont know what I am do!!!!!!!!!!
August 31st, 2005 at 5:48 pm
Dzień dobry Emil,
What you saw was an advert. You’ve not won anything because you didn’t enter a competition.
If you’re curious, call the number, just be sure you understand that you are calling a sales-person, and they will be trying to sell you a holiday.