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 4th, 2006 at 3:07 pm
Hi Folks,
Glad there is an internet community to help protect against this CRAP. This AM, in Nova Scotia Canada I got pulled in like many others and pressed “9″ to be transferred to Bernie with Best USA Vacations. $598 for a 14 day vacation/cruise. I got nervous when he asked for credit card info and declined the deal. I did reveal a phone no. at the university I attend, my first name, my province, and the fact that I have credit cards (didn’t give any actual numbers)…I’m probably safe, but feel creeped out.
I had an unusually long disconnect after the call, nearly 30 seconds). I googled the scam, and here I am! How can these guys keep pulling this crap?!
I called my phone co immediately after getting the call and they made a note about a suspicious call and said they should be able remove a charge if it shows up on my bill.
I’m going to try and contact some of the Canadian consumer protection agencies to see if there’s anything else than can be done.
Thanks for this blog…lets see if we can shut these guys down once and for all!
August 4th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
Great report done by Rich on May 2005. I would agree. rip off artists. tell you a story and say they are just checking your card to see if it live and after they have done same money is already out of the account.
Dont go near Calypsocay.com with the 08009177462 number.
August 9th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
I have been trying to get a refund of $1052 (this equates to £615 GBP) After almost a year from the Florida Tourist Bureau address as given on their company headed paper at 3501 West Vine Street, Suite 382, Kisssimee, Florida 3434741 (Telephone 407-518-5532)
I phoned in August of 2005 to cancel this holiday and even put it in writing to the customer service department (addressed F.A.O. Pam Michelle with a self addressed envelope alongside other names as Lisa Morales).
Lo and behold I checked my visa card statement on August 7 2006 and there was a charge of £598 GBP for the same holiday allegedly booked on 28 July 2006, for to which I have no knowledge.
Can anyone help me?
August 9th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
Hi Allen,
If you’ve not already read it, see the how to cancel article.
Since you can probably prove that you have attempted to cancel the (original) holiday within the legal time limit you can contact your credit card company who are legally obliged to pretect you in such cases (because they are the “Credit Provider”).
In the most recent case, it might be down to a clerical error, but you’re safest course of action is to contact your local Police department and ask their help.
Do let us know how you get on!
August 10th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
Please help me,I’ve been scammed by calypsocay of
$927.02 AU.I feel violated, deeply saddend, and ripped off. Ive put a dispute in with my CC Company and I also need to do my part in this to retrieve my money im getting married on 26/8/06 and the money that we needed toward wedding has is now somewhere in the US.
Please can you give me some guidence to get my money back. I have not recieved any documentation from calypso nor had any form of communication from them responding to my emails, and all I get is an answering machine when I ring 1-800-092-368.
Emails they have givin me are http://www.calypsocay.com or http://www.uonetrip.com or http://www.bestvacationsworld.com. Please help me though I made a big mistake I wont rest until I get my money back and I wont give up.
Im so sorry for any one else who going through the same experience as myself. We all have valuable lessons to learn in life I’m certainly learning mine and I hope the scammers get karma back to them 10 fold.
Who can I speak to or email over in the US? I feel very limited with the infomation I have here in Australia.
Thank you VICKI
August 14th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
Sadly I fell for Soho Vacations Fun Pak offer and emailed £several hundreds. When my wife fell ill and was unable to travel I asked for a refund. Impossible I was told by a very charming’Stephen’apparently the top finance man.
I have tried many times to reach ‘Stephen’and finally I was told
Soho Vacations had been taken over by ‘celebrationspromotions’
No joy from them at all!!!
Any advice other than ‘forget your money and don’t fall for any other
scam’??
August 15th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
I got a call from these guys called royalty holidays, they asked me for my credit card #(stupid me)i gave it to them, told them i was getting married and that i could use the vacation for my honey moon.
7 days later i decided that i didn’t want to take the trip called and cancelled, sent cancellation slip back, they said it would take 14-21 days to credit my account that was in the middle of june, it’s the middle of august and i’m still waiting. None of the phone #’s on the website work. i’m $600 in the hole.
scam company - royalty holidays
1415 halsey way - carrollton texas-us
August 15th, 2006 at 8:24 pm
Hi,
I am one of the victims of the Ameri-scam holiday package. Do you have any information to pass on to me to help in the recovery of my money?
Thanks
August 29th, 2006 at 10:27 pm
hi
i recieved a call from royalty holidays they said i won a holiday for four people in
any of their 3500 resorts all over the world, i stupidly got brainwashed an gave my
credit card number i was told the money would be put aside until i use my package
when i recieved the package i didnt like the flimsy paper work and it looked fake
so i sent a 10 pound delivery back to them and when they recived it they said it was
too late and i had to take the package i was in touch with my credit card company
but they said i had to give paper proof which i didnt have as it was a telephone
conversation. i decided to use the package but i havnt been able to get in touch with
them i just saw these messages from all the other poor people like myself who have been ripped off. Their website is fake and i am absolutely stunned i have thrown 400
pounds away i am very angry and i want my money back as i no longer have the package
please please help me to get my money back can my credit card company help?
August 30th, 2006 at 12:19 pm
Hello,
I live in the Netherlands and recieved a phonecall in March this year with an offer from A Resort Week. I could have 3 different holiday weeks, at different location for 798 euro p/week. I would recieve vouchers for these weeks and my creditcard would be charged after!! I made my choise of location. But they directly charged my creditcard for 798 euro. I returned the vouchers in a registered letter and demanded my money back. No reply! I phoned and they told the finance department was working on my refund. After two months I send a new registered letter. No reply. Phonecalls learned me that they were not able to make refunds. I am still looking for a way to get my money back. I hope someone can help me to show the right way!!
Friendly greetings,
Marcel