Fraud Warning

[backyardponder]

I just saw this in the news section of dvcmember.com. Have any of you received any of these letters or phone calls?

Members who receive a letter stating that they've won a "Travel Passport Cash Giveaway," should be aware that this is a fraudulent letter.

In addition, Members may receive an unsolicited call from someone who purports to be a Disney Vacation Club Cast Member. Members who receive this letter or receive an unsolicited phone call should report the letter or phone call to their State Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission.

Members who receive a phone call from someone purporting to be from Disney Vacation Club and asking for personal or financial information should not give the person any information if they doubt that the person is an authorized Disney Cast Member, and they should call their State Attorney General's Office. Members may confirm whether or not the call is from a Disney Cast Member by calling Disney Vacation Club at [number removed] and ask to speak to that Disney Cast Member.

Members are always welcome to contact Disney Vacation Club to verify the validity of a contest or offer.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks! Just told my husband a about the phone call thing, he appreciates it.

 

[adminjedi]

Wow.

 

[laura-k]

Thank's for the heads up -

 

[edk35]

YIKES thanks for the heads up.

 

[BUDDYBEAR]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Anal Annie]

Nice.

DVC should do a mailing about this to all members FROM OUR INDIVIDUAL GUIDES so we know it's for real. In the meantime, trust nothing that doesn't use one of the DVC numbers we all have programmed into our phones and know so well!

 

[disneynutz]

Anyone else question how the bad guys got our DVC info including our phone numbers?

How much info do they have and how did they get it?

Name, address, phone number, social security number?

Maybe Disney should share that info with the members.

Bill

 

[DVCGeek]

Anyone else question how the bad guys got our DVC info including our phone numbers?

Good question. I could see names from public records on the deeds and such + possibly addresses, but I don't think anything there includes phone # IIRC...

 

[ma2jr]

Thanks for posting this

 

[DVCBELLE]

Good question. I could see names from public records on the deeds and such + possibly addresses, but I don't think anything there includes phone # IIRC...

WOW -

Another great example of DVC communication with members. I would think this might warrant a mass email.

 

[js]

Nice.

DVC should do a mailing about this to all members FROM OUR INDIVIDUAL GUIDES so we know it's for real. In the meantime, trust nothing that doesn't use one of the DVC numbers we all have programmed into our phones and know so well!

Since we purchased our 300 points at SSR resale, does that mean I do not have a personal guide even though I belong to DVC and have my card and made ressies? Also, what do Individual Guides do different from calling random to MS? Thank you very much.

 

[crisi]

You have a guide, you may not know who it is yet, but one is assigned to you.

But guides are salespeople - they handle pre-sales issues - they don't generally handle post sales issues. They are, however, for most members the only name they would know, and its easy enough to send out a letter from the guide. However, if I were doing the informing, I'd point out that since 99% of the material I get from my guide is sales material, I wouldn't even open it unless I was in the mood to add on.

 

[js]

You have a guide, you may not know who it is yet, but one is assigned to you.

But guides are salespeople - they handle pre-sales issues - they don't generally handle post sales issues. They are, however, for most members the only name they would know, and its easy enough to send out a letter from the guide. However, if I were doing the informing, I'd point out that since 99% of the material I get from my guide is sales material, I wouldn't even open it unless I was in the mood to add on.

Thank you. I don't feel so bad now that I don't know whom my guide is
Thank you.

 

[disneynutz]

Thank you. I don't feel so bad now that I don't know whom my guide is
Thank you.

In reality your Guide "sales person" doesn't want to hear from you unless you want to spend money buying more points. Their job is sales, that's it. Some will play the part and act like your friend, but in reality, they only get paid when you buy and they get a talking to if their sales slip.

Any mailings from your Guide are sent by the DVD Marketing department, not your Guide. Marketing decides what group to target and they get the mailing. Often your Guide won't even know that a mailing has occurred.

Bill

 

[Luigi's Girl]

Wow, thanks! I would think that kind of news warrants an immediate mass email.

 

[disneynutz]

I have contacted Disney requesting additional information and they have referred my question to the appropriate group.

I will post their response as soon as I receive it.

Bill

 

[tjkraz]

Good question. I could see names from public records on the deeds and such + possibly addresses, but I don't think anything there includes phone # IIRC...

With the right database, you could match OC deed records with names, addresses and telephone numbers in seconds. It's really no challenge at all. You'd have to throw out all of the "Smiths" and "Joneses", but you'd still get thousands of unique matches just by throwing DVC deeds up against a national address database.

Other timeshare sellers do the exact same thing. Many members have reported getting solicitations or telephone calls from other Timeshares or even these "sell your timeshare" companies after buying DVC. We started getting things from Marriott ourselves.

 

[DVCGeek]

With the right database, you could match OC deed records with names, addresses and telephone numbers in seconds. It's really no challenge at all.

Excellent point! Duh... I know better. In my defense, it's Monday!

 

[crisi]

With the right database, you could match OC deed records with names, addresses and telephone numbers in seconds. It's really no challenge at all. You'd have to throw out all of the "Smiths" and "Joneses", but you'd still get thousands of unique matches just by throwing DVC deeds up against a national address database.

Other timeshare sellers do the exact same thing. Many members have reported getting solicitations or telephone calls from other Timeshares or even these "sell your timeshare" companies after buying DVC. We started getting things from Marriott ourselves.

We've gotten our share of "we have important news about your DVC ownership" phone calls over the years. Most of them are picked up by the answering machine and never returned.