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It has been described as among the biggest scams of its kind in the Britain.

Altogether 14 people have been found guilty for their part in a multi-million pound scheme to defraud over 3,500 timeshare owners.

The victims were keen to get out of age-old holiday ownership agreements and tried to find support.

Most were in the age range of 60 and 80. More than 500 of them lost over £10,000, and a single victim handed over in excess of £80,000.

Those targeted were subjected to high-pressure presentations extending for six hours. They were left out of pocket, possessing valueless fake "points" and remained bound by expensive timeshare contracts they often use.

The Firm At the Heart of the Deception

The firm at the centre of the fraud was Sell My Timeshare (SMT). They accepted clients' cash to finance the proprietors' opulent lifestyle of private schools, millionaire mansions and private jets.

The man at the helm of the firm, Mark Rowe, was handed a seven and a half year prison term in January for deceptive scheme.

On Friday, his wife Nicola was one of the final three to learn their fate.

She received a two-year suspended prison term at Southwark Crown Court after pleading guilty to money laundering.

This has been a long time coming and marks a major victory for the victims who came forward, the police and the Crown.

How the Investigation Started

The first knowledge of the firm came in the that particular year. I was working in the investigations unit of a media outlet, producing investigative shows.

A acquaintance pointed out that his mother had taken over the ownership of a vacation unit in Spain and, after decades of vacations, had commenced searching to exit the deal.

It is important to recall how common holiday ownership had evolved with UK travelers in the eighties and nineties.

Holiday ownership enabled people to occupy the equivalent unit annually, or swap their weeks with other owners who had properties in other resorts. Approximately 600,000 vacation seekers accepted that option.

The first timeshare rush was linked to a many accounts about rip-off merchants fraudulently marketing properties. They became a staple on consumer broadcasts.

The standard holiday ownership agreement bound owners for long periods.

In that period, those holders who had used their guaranteed place in the sun for a long time were advancing in years, and a large proportion were looking to end their association to their holiday properties.

Several had declining mobility and couldn't get to their units. Others just thought they'd enjoyed sufficient use from them. And some had passed away, in frequent situations bequeathing their family members to take over the agreements - along with their regular contributions and maintenance fees.

The Investigation Develops

It was at this point the friend's mum had been placed. She searched the web for options and came across the company, a business whose online presence promised to get her out of her agreement.

But, having submitted funds and arranged an appointment with them, her loved ones smelled a rat.

Further research revealed numerous individuals reporting they had paid money and got nothing out of it. Actually, they had been left out of pocket. Substantial amounts.

The reporting group began investigating what was occurring. It was rapidly apparent that there were some shady characters working within the vacation property industry.

One lawyer had hundreds of individual complaints preparing to take action against the organization.

We spoke to people who had dealt with the organization and they collectively described identical situations. They believed the company would purchase their timeshare from them but when they participated in a session (for which they submitted funds initially) they were informed there was no re-sale value.

Instead, they were persuaded - actually pressured - to invest additional funds acquiring "the firm's incentive scheme", named after the business's umbrella group, the parent organization.

The precise definition was not exactly clear. They sounded like a kind of currency, offering discount travel and amenities and consumer discounts.

And they were apparently "exchangeable with other owners, some time down the line.

Investing money up front now would result in an long-term benefit that would cover the firm's costs and allow the timeshare holder in profit, released finally from their troublesome agreement.

An unbelievable offer? Certainly, that proved correct.

A 'Bait-and-Switch Tactic'

Assuming these reports were accurate, this was a massive scam.

This is known as a "bait-and-switch."

A business - specifically the company - "attracts the consumer by promoting a specific service but then to say that's not available, directing the client to another, inferior product or service.

That's illegal. Equipped with all the accounts we had assembled, we presented the rationale to discreetly video one of the firm's consultations.

Such an operation demands time, effort, and clear arguments for why this is the exclusive approach to gather the evidence needed to demonstrate illegal activity.

With approval secured, our compact group organized a appointment with one of the organization's staff in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Acting as a ordinary individual aiming to help his mother released from her timeshare contract|holiday ownership agreement