Major holiday scam involving Florida telemarketers

WYOMING · 16 January 2010 at 2:27AM

tallulahx wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Glad I found this thread online. Universal holidays have called me 9 times in the past 24 hours. I live in Toronto, Ontario - Canada. I picked up the first few times and a very excited, fast-talking lady kept trying to tell me 'I'd won a trip to Florida - woooohooo!'. I kept questioning her as to how she got my details, to which she quickly said 'you gave them to us on our website'. I said no, I would never have done that, and she kept on telling me my home address and date of birth. Great. So I asked her to stop talking for a second and just listen to me, she paused for a second and said 'you stop talking, I'm trying to tell you about your free holiday don't you want to go away?'. I figured this was a scam and she hadn't even asked me for my credit card details yet. I hung up. A guy called back a few minutes later and tried the same scam. I kept hanging up on him and he'd continue to call back and say 'we got disconnected'. I said no 'I hung up on you', unphased he went back to his script about this 'amazing free holiday'.

It's borderline harassment what they're doing. The bottom line is, don't ever give your credit card details out online, and don't ever buy anything from anyone who fast-talks you, cold-calls you, on the phone. I hope no one falls for this. They are rude, agressive, and I can imagine some older folks falling for this. Please warn whoever you know about this - they go under the name of 'Universal Holidays' when they've called me. Let's see how many more times they try and call me before they give up.

my god i cant belive i have been scamed i wish i looked at this websites before handing over almost $1200 to these !!!!!!!s. i am from australia and would really like anyone to tell me what i can do about getting my money back PLEEEEESE

jenpen6 · 21 January 2010 at 4:51AM

im from Australia as well it looks like they have started here. I tried to call the number back and i cant seem to find it. They seem to have a website and everything its www. floridaresortholidays . com (cant send this as a link) can some one help me!!! I honestly thought it was real. I think because they wern't saying you get it for free and you had to sit in on a 90 min presentation and all that. You had to pay for your own flights and extra for the cruise.
Why do they send you a conformation email?
Can anyone help me??
Thank you so much!

pelirocco · 21 January 2010 at 9:50AM

They work you up to great excitement telling you how great it will be, then they mention you have to pay a small registration fee of two ninety nine and ask for your credit card details. Of course if you hand over your card details, you will discover you were charged with US$299.00

What would you have expected to be charged?..........bearing in mind the caller would have had an American accent lol

view · 26 January 2010 at 3:29PM

JissyJules · 22 February 2010 at 12:55PM

Hi,

just wanted to say thanks for this thread - you saved me money and probably a lot of heart ache today. :T

Today I won a holiday, how nice! Especially as the nice young man on the phone says it is in Florida which is where my girls want to go and it also includes a cruise in the bahamas which will be lovely for hubby and me. Cool! It's for 13 nights and I can take any 4 people with me, accommodation etc all in. What luck, just what will do us good for this year which has been hard.

Except that the guy is talking too fast and all I can really hear about the details is that he's Frank, it's all respectable as he's from the Disney planning centre in Florida and its at the Calypso Cay resort to start with. He asks me to write it down and spells it out for me, he wants me to know that I'm lucky because only a few householders in the UK have been selected. This sounds so good, just what we need.

Next he asks when my Visa card expires and I tell him but then he starts to ask for the numbers in my Visa card, which makes me stop and think why does he need my visa details if I've won a holiday? He says it is because this is a Visa promotion and he needs the number to ensure I hold a valid Visa card. This sounds plausible but I have doubts, I really don't want to give him my card number, I've heard about those scams and everyone says not to give your card number but, still he goes back to telling me that it is all okay as he is from the Disney Planning centre in Florida, you know Disney so this is fine...

While I'm listening to him at this point where he's going over yet again about it being from the Disney planning centre and how lucky I am to be selected, I do a quick search on google and this forum thread pops up and I quickly read through it.

I tell the chap that I am not prepared to give him my Visa number and thank him for his holiday offer but I do not wish to go any further with the offer. I politely say goodbye and put the phone down.

So, your thread helped me and hopefully many more. Thanks xxx

misgrace · 22 February 2010 at 3:48PM

phatbear wrote: »

You dont have to pay for such pleasure pup!!

If you cant do it give me a yell and I'll call her stupid on your behalf.

It amazes me about old people they have managed to get to an advanced age and then when they hit a certain point they lose their cynicism.

Its the elderly that are the most vulnerable, look at all the con men who pray on them hoping that the ones who they fleece are senile.
These are the ones I feel sorry for.

FH_Brit · 25 February 2010 at 5:35PM

I have passed this to a contact at Univ. Studio's and have asked them to keep "us" here informed.

Universal are a great, reputable company and they do not take litely to this sort of stuff, the trouble is with actual legal proof - so please if any of you have excperienced this OP or others, and Universal contact you - please assist them.

UNIVERSAL - thank you in advance!

LesPaulcharlie · 4 March 2010 at 2:51PM

Hi - Received a call this morning with an automated message I'd won a FREE holiday. Decided to hit 9 to "claim my prize" got through to some yank in Florida who rattled off all the things I'd won, cruise, Daytona beach 4 days, Disney x4 days .. how many friends did I want to bring I said 4 he said cool that's the max you can bring I said whoopee!! no I really did..

He then said my FREE holiday would cost me £512, I said we needed to discuss FREE 'cos in the UK that's translates to £0. He said it's to cover taxes. I said ah OK.

He asked me which credits cards I had and I said all of them. He asked what the name was on my cards and I said depends on the card.

he asked me for the expiry date on my visa card I said 5/12 (was made up) he then said let me transfer you to our claims director......

Mark came on the line really happy I won.. I said I was “shaking with excitement!!”

he said I need to confirm who you are, I said I needed to confirm who he was... he said we have this information on file for you and repeated all the info I gave his pal previously. Then he asked for my credit card number. I said why? he said to cover the taxes, I said write to me. he said he can't.. I said “what you can’t write? or a business process doesn’t allow it..” he said it was process.

He asked if I've been to the US before.. I said many times, he asked where I said California and Florida he asked me whereabouts I told him. I also told him I work for a software security company and my boss's office is in Fl.

He said he could send me a web address for the company - I said he obviously doesn’t know much about the internet and how it works.. he asked why.. I said because I could create a web page and have it published in 10 minutes.

He tried to return to the card number, I said he was an intelligent guy (he said thanks!) I asked him what he would do if I called him from the UK and told him he's won a replica of the white house & all he has to do was tell me his credit card details and I'd ship it in the post?

He gave up and said yes we will write to you first and transferred me to the first guy who AGAIN tried to get my details. I said well mate we're at an impasse what do you want to do.. you want my card number and I want to receive details in the post first so I can check out your company make sure it's not a scam. He said he couldn’t do that so I said so what do you want to do now.. he said I guess we can’t help you and I said there really is no FREE holiday is there and hung up.

I was given a UK free phone 0800 0910919 it's for Calypso Cay.

I’ve registered a complaint with the Florida state consumer protection office (you can google it)

So...... as my Dad is 84 I thought I’d call him to warn him not to do anything stupid, GUESS what he’s had a call the same morning & fortunatly he hung up. So be warned folks.

If you fancy some fun do as I did and waste their time and have some fun with it, if I get another I will see if I can get an email, or names, alternative phone numbers even an IP address (this could provide an address or the name of the bill payer – could because you can hide Ips) . Might even tell them “would you believe it I’ll be in Florida next week I’ll come to your office and we can meet......

Thanks to this site for all the scam info.. :T

GJ_Kits · 16 March 2010 at 1:48AM

Hi, I live in Australia. I recently got my revenge with these scammers.

About a month ago I received a call claiming to be a long distance call, stating I had won an all expenses paid trip to Florida valued at over US$6,000. This blew my mind; I could barely take a breath. During the call which lasted about ½ hour, my excitement subsided and I quickly released I was being scammed. In order to qualify, I was required to provide my Credit Card and make a payment of US$899 to prepay for taxes. So, I provided my details, except, I provided a card which was about to expire, had a low limit, and had already reached its maximum limit. Of course, the scammer tried to take the US$899, which declined. Over the next few minutes the scammer repeatedly requested another card to process the fee. Of course I did not have one, so their attitude quickly changed and got very insistent. Thinking I had won the day, I hung up the phone. After that call, I got thinking how I might handle similar calls in the future.

Over the next couple of weeks I kept receiving mysterious calls, although upon answering, no one was there. Until today. Guess what, the scammers were back. I had won a trip to the Bahamas. Only this time, they must have been unaware that I had been contacted previously.

I took the opportunity apply my learned skills. After their initial ‘congratulations’, speech, I informed the scammer that I was on the ‘black’ travel list and was unable to travel to the USA due to my religious beliefs, ‘although I would like to go’. I this point there was a pregnant pause, and you could almost hear the disappointment…about the funniest thing I have heard in weeks.

The best part is I recorded this conversation and have is on my PC as an MP3 to share with family and friends.

Simply put, give them a reason not to call…

Searcherman · 21 March 2010 at 4:31PM

LesPaulcharlie wrote: »

Hi - Received a call this morning with an automated message I'd won a FREE holiday. Decided to hit 9 to "claim my prize" got through to some yank in Florida who rattled off all the things I'd won, cruise, Daytona beach 4 days, Disney x4 days .. how many friends did I want to bring I said 4 he said cool that's the max you can bring I said whoopee!! no I really did..

He then said my FREE holiday would cost me £512, I said we needed to discuss FREE 'cos in the UK that's translates to £0. He said it's to cover taxes. I said ah OK.

He asked me which credits cards I had and I said all of them. He asked what the name was on my cards and I said depends on the card.

he asked me for the expiry date on my visa card I said 5/12 (was made up) he then said let me transfer you to our claims director......

Mark came on the line really happy I won.. I said I was “shaking with excitement!!”

he said I need to confirm who you are, I said I needed to confirm who he was... he said we have this information on file for you and repeated all the info I gave his pal previously. Then he asked for my credit card number. I said why? he said to cover the taxes, I said write to me. he said he can't.. I said “what you can’t write? or a business process doesn’t allow it..” he said it was process.

He asked if I've been to the US before.. I said many times, he asked where I said California and Florida he asked me whereabouts I told him. I also told him I work for a software security company and my boss's office is in Fl.

He said he could send me a web address for the company - I said he obviously doesn’t know much about the internet and how it works.. he asked why.. I said because I could create a web page and have it published in 10 minutes.

He tried to return to the card number, I said he was an intelligent guy (he said thanks!) I asked him what he would do if I called him from the UK and told him he's won a replica of the white house & all he has to do was tell me his credit card details and I'd ship it in the post?

He gave up and said yes we will write to you first and transferred me to the first guy who AGAIN tried to get my details. I said well mate we're at an impasse what do you want to do.. you want my card number and I want to receive details in the post first so I can check out your company make sure it's not a scam. He said he couldn’t do that so I said so what do you want to do now.. he said I guess we can’t help you and I said there really is no FREE holiday is there and hung up.

I was given a UK free phone 0800 0910919 it's for Calypso Cay.

I’ve registered a complaint with the Florida state consumer protection office (you can google it)

So...... as my Dad is 84 I thought I’d call him to warn him not to do anything stupid, GUESS what he’s had a call the same morning & fortunatly he hung up. So be warned folks.

If you fancy some fun do as I did and waste their time and have some fun with it, if I get another I will see if I can get an email, or names, alternative phone numbers even an IP address (this could provide an address or the name of the bill payer – could because you can hide Ips) . Might even tell them “would you believe it I’ll be in Florida next week I’ll come to your office and we can meet......

Thanks to this site for all the scam info.. :T

My mother, who is 84, was conned by these people into giving her card number etc. and they took just under £500 from her card.

I have disputed the transaction on her behalf and they want her to write to these people and ask for the money back, and if not they will "look into it" with a view to a refund.

This happened in November 2009 so we are well over the 30 day limit but I did not get this info until the middle of February.

Does anyone have a confirmed UK or USA phone number or address to send a letter to please.

Thanks for the info so far.

Major holiday scam involving Florida telemarketers

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