tags: Scams
Ameri-scam.
May 23rd, 2005, by Rich.
Warning: apache_lookup_uri() [function.apache-lookup-uri]: Unable to include '/pics/2005/ameriwho/beachball' - error finding URI in /home/www/boakes.org/htdocs/mods/plugins/boakes-depicticon.php on line 65
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.
November 28th, 2006 at 4:59 pm
Hello, just writing from Manitoba, Canada. I just got the call this am that I had won! Went through the spiel and when I refused to give my credit card, they said “I don’t care I still get paid”. I have emailed BestUSAVacations. If they are not involved and have been told about this scam, then why doesn’t their web page say anything???
These solicitators would be unable to use their web page if there was a warning on their pages. So are they innocent of scamming??
Thanks for creating this web page so people can warn others and vent about what has happened. Remember: nothing in life is free and the only time you can WIN is when you have purchased a chance to win (ie. a ticket)
December 2nd, 2006 at 12:25 pm
My daughter who has cerebral palsy has a dream to swim with dolphins. Until http://www.starr-getaways.com contacted me this seemed like just a dream that would never come true. Being a lone parent I thought that I’d never get to take her to Florida. I gave them my card details and told them that I could only afford £380 which I’d been saving for a holiday that year to Sussex - they seemed very genuine! After many phone calls I still (18 months later), have had no promised holiday and don’t think I ever will. The guy I spoke to knew my daughter was wheelchair bound and knew I’m a lone parent but still scammed me. I just hope that he can sleep at night.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:11 pm
do not buy!!! seeaech boakes for more comments–call your credit card company and DEMAND to CXL
December 5th, 2006 at 6:43 pm
HI, I live in the New York area. I recently came across a web page with your comments about Ameri-vacations scam. I am glad everyone made their posts. I was recently contacted by GreatVacationDestinations (a.k.a BlueGreenLive.com).
My wife and I recently attended a expo center for parents to be as we will be first time parents in the spring. There were many booths with free contests. Win a car, win a trip win a shopping spree etc. I usually never participate in free things knowing that it is mostly all fake and just designed to draw attention but now I understand the purpose of them. It is to get information on people so they can try to scam them.
About two weeks after I received a call from an English accented woman named Samantha. Asking me if I remember filling out a form at the expo for a free trip? I replied yes and was told I “won”. First question, my wife’s name..second question: “do I use a credit card when I travel”… and then I remembered that same question on the form. hymmmm now I am thinking to myself… scam? Then I think to myself, “it can’t be, this a baby expo with big companies there like Gerber foods and Craco and other well known infant product companies”, so I listen a bit more…
My wife was not home at the time so I didn’t want to make decision with out her. So “Samantha” said she would call me tomorrow so I could talk with my wife and her about the trip. So she agrees to call the next day. That night I check both websites that she gave me and would use the code she gave me: RV38038 or something like that. Both websites were not running that night. hymm again…
Then I did a search and found the website that your post was on and then I figured out… a scam just as I thought… Some people on the website even said that they were given the same code to use on the website as I was… She did call the next day and my wife spoke to her… She told my wife the same thing but she didn’t know we read all about them on-line last night and their scam deal.
“Samantha” asked again about the credit card and said “it will only cost me $299.00 U.S dollars per person or $598.00 total….. I said mail me the info and she kept saying I need your credit card info first and my wife said “Thank you” and hung up. As she did i could hear “Samantha” still rambling off info like an auctioneer on the other end still trying to hook us.
I can’t believe that they have tried to get people form all over the world now. Well I just wanted to give you a heads up on their new name and that they are still trying their games and have a new way of obtaining people’s contact info and new ways of surprising people. I have to say the baby expo was a good attempt, they almost sounded real but the true scam artists came out in the end.
I hope this info is helpful to you and saves a few people form getting scammed. BTW why doesn’t someone from one of these companies ever list a name on here and contact info.. To the guy Jerry #642 [see also] why don’t you list your info. You claim to have a good business and good ethics but then you call people who got scammed “freaks of nature”. I would love to see you come to NY and tell me that face to face…
Good luck to everyone !!!
December 8th, 2006 at 9:41 am
thanx for your comments but iv paid by debit card unlike credit card they cannot refund.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
Hi thank you so much for just being here, I found your site back in Sept 06 I had purchased back in March 05 a vacation with Celebration Promotions with the code LW9NT like everyone else couldn’t contact them at all had tried emailing them and got no joy found your site read all about how they conduct their business and thought I would never see the money again. however I have good news to report I contacted The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer services who took the details, they wrote to me emailed me, kept in touch, and obviously lodged my complaint with the company and today 12th Dec 06, I got my money back.
Thank you for the site it gave me the information I needed to do this I never thought I would be so successful. If anyone else is in the same position follow the same advice, write, keep everything they sent you, and don’t give up. I won’t ever buy anything like this ever again.
Jacqui Manchester England
December 13th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
Hello to everone who reads this. I just received a phone call via a computer which offered me a free trip to Florida. The lady gave her name as Marge and she said she worked for Calypsocay resorts. After a quick story on how lucky I was she asked if I had a valid credit card and within minutes she handed me over to another person. I was on the internet and googled al things calypsocay. I came up with this fraud page. In the meantime I recorded the converstation. This is illegal in Florida unless you tell them at the start. I am not in Florida so they can Kiss My &^*. They terminated the discussion at this pointy.
So if you want to know if it is a real offer ask to record it.
December 14th, 2006 at 12:36 am
Search Better Business Bureau for information on Timeshare Central Inc. They do not give a positive opinion on this company and advise not to send them any money.
December 21st, 2006 at 4:18 pm
I have had a similar experience as Sheligh with Royalty Holidays.
I got a call in the Netherlands one Sunday in April, 2006. They not only offered a vacation in Florida but a bonus vacation
with some company with a supposed website called holidayfulfillment.com, the website does not exist.
Their customer numbers are bogus. I am taking whatever action I can, through Florida Consumer Services and my credit card company. I will also make it my one goal to expose these crooks.
December 29th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
I was contacted today! I was curious so I went along with them, but of course I did not give out my credit card number. It was interesting to listen to what they had to say. They made sure I knew what as included, what was not include, and the fact that this was more of a bribe to get me intotrying to buy a time share. What really got me wondering what all the different names of the company I saw in their informtion
Resort Holidays
Best USA Vacations
workiRESORT HOLIDAYS
TROPICANA RESORTS
Just that in itself was enough, but I did explain that I will do my research and get back to them.
- d