Now more than ever it is important to keep your information safe and secure. As the world has moved more towards online platforms over the past decade, this has created new avenues for scammers to gain access to data. There are a number of trending scams that we have identified, just to recap these:

• The ¨Extra Weeks¨ to rent scam. Any offer whether it is about extra weeks, or your membership weeks in general, know that an offer to rent by a company, when unsolicited, is always a scam.

• The ¨We have a buyer¨ scam. Posing as a law firm, brokerage firm, escrow company claiming to have a buyer for your membership are also always scams. They ask you to pay taxes and fees upfront and then disappear.

• The ¨Fake Attorney¨ scam. Calling to tell you your resort is under investigation, changing ownership, changing from vacation club to full ownership, or is the target of a fraud investigation for data breach. These are always false and claim you can get in on a settlement, if, of course, you send money upfront.

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So how can you avoid these?

Well, for one, knowing about them is key, reading member forums and industry forums you can see that these types of scams are happening everywhere. It is a global issue, and one we all can do our part in trying to help people not falling victims to these scammers. Here are the top ways you can stay safe and secure:

Know your official channels. If you get an email from your resort and it is from @solmar.com you can trust the source. If the email address is different and even ever so slightly, it could be a fake! Watch your email addresses and verify if unsure.

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Know your sources to make payments. You can rest assured that all of your payments can be made by phone or online by credit card or by check in the US, so sending a wire transfer to Mexico, to a company you do not know is NOT an authorized option and should always be questioned!

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Be careful what YOU share. Oftentimes members ask questions in groups and share weeks with other members or rent their weeks out to others. While this is a fine option, the information you share, even in a private group from your personal Facebook profile can make you a target for scammers.

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Simple tips here:

a) Make sure your MAIN profile on Facebook is set to private so people cannot see your personal info.

b) Do not share your email, communicate via FB until you have reached an agreement at which point you can finalize your rental.

c) Never share your phone number on a private or public group.

d) Do not share contract numbers, fixed week and unit numbers together.

e) Most importantly always contact our official channels: The Solmar Member Services Team by email to: memberservices@solmar.com if you need information or need to verify something, or visit your Members Website.

Please feel free to comment below and stay tuned for future security tips!

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