Unfortunately, scams and fraudulent activity are a part of life. Recently, fraudulent telemarketing targeted at timeshare owners has become more prevalent. Often times, fraudulent companies will contact timeshare owners claiming to be from a legitimate management company wanting to rent their timeshare.

Some examples of these telemarketing scams from a recent article by RCI include a caller claiming to be contacting owners about their recent or past timeshare vacations, a caller asking owners to take a survey regarding their timeshare ownership, a caller offering owners "bonus weeks" for renting their timeshare, and a caller posing as a timeshare company representative claiming that they have weeks left over.

Here's what to look for when identifying a potential telemarketing scam related to the timeshare and exchange industry.

EXERCISE CAUTION AND DO NOT PAY ANYTHING UPFRONT

Chances are if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If someone offers you a lot of return for very little investment, be cautious. Fraudulent telemarketers will often try to get you to pay for something before you have used it...don't. Do not give out personal financial information over the phone.

ASK QUESTIONS

Be curious and ask plenty of questions. Fraudulent telemarketers will not be able to answer questions as in-depth and with as much knowledge as your actual management company can. Ask questions and if you are skeptical of any offer, do not feel pressured to accept it.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Even though do-not-call rules exist, these fraudulent companies will call you in violation of them. If your phone number is on a do not call list and a fraudulent company calls you with a bogus offer anyway, you may be able to file a complaint against the company with federal and/ or state regulators.

THOROUGHLY VET THE OFFER

Again, if someone calls you with an offer about your timeshare that you have any doubts about, do not hesitate to check it out and do your research. Check various business complaint websites, the Federal Trade Commission, and the American Resort Development Association.

Learn more from the source.