Timeshare Scams and Fraud

Problem started on 4/23/2012 when the Escrow company stoppped responding to all my attempts of contacting them via emails and phone calls. I iniatiated a sale of my two timeshare properties to Essentional Resorts International with Cindy Watts on 2/13/2012 when she sent me an Equity Appraisal form to fill out about both properties. Then on 03/02/2012 she sent me the Preliminary Offers for both properties, one for Sunset Resorts in Cancun Mexico for 11,800 and the othe was for Playa Grande in Cabo San Lucas for 13,800 both offers were signed by Julian Rosenthal the Acquistion Director and it was accepted and signed by me on 03/02/2012. Then I was asked to fill out a wire instructions form to release the fund to me on 3/06/2012 and I also asked Cindy Watts for a copy of the Surety Bond since they claim they were bonded and she did give me one along the wiring form. The Bond with Coastal Insurance Company in Naples, Fl there phone number is 239-206-4415 and was signed by Jeremy Larson Bond # CIC-5623-SB-11. Then Cindy Watts asked for $699.00 fee to cover title search and verification which she said will be refunded back to me once accounting confirms payment they will process immediately. When the title(s) clear, they will be sending me disbursement letter showing the funds to be received: $11,800.00 + $13,800.00 + $699.00 = $26,299.00 USD. On 03/13/2012 I made a payment for $699.00 and was confirmed on 3/14/2012 by accounting for receiving payment for the title verification. Then asked me to allow up to seven (7) business days for the completion an said once the title(s) are cleared she will be sending the final transfer documents. On 03/26/2012 she send me the disbursement letter showing the funds to be received: $11,800.00 + $13,800.00 + $699.00 = $26,299.00 USD Invoice # 225858. Also on that day she asked me to pay $2,816 for VAT Tax on both properties Invoice # 2309 which I wasn't expecting to pay and was never communcated to me throw out the process. I told Cindy that I didn't have that amount and the reason I was selling my timeshare properties is to pay for debts that I have. Cindy send my file to her boss Mr. Julian Rosenthal. Julian contacted me on 4/2/2012 and told me that he sent the documents to the escrow company and they should be contacting me shortly.On 4/6/2012 I was contacted by James Hoffman from Financial Services the Escrow company and he told me about paying for closing cost on both timeshare properties I am selling in the amount of $1,578.00. I told Mr. James that I didn't have that amount its going to take me sometime to borrow that money and if Essentional Resorts (Buyer) would pay for it but he told me that it was my responsibility to pay. On 4/10/2012 I was able to get the amount and he send me the wiring instruction to wire the money to there Escrow Agency in Mexico. Escrow Acct Ref No. 04183257 LIC. Luis R. Sanchez Sifri (account beneficiary and lawyer. Name of bank: BANAMEX. ABBA # 002694700103019107. Swift # BNMXMXMM. On 04/11/2012 I wired the money and on 4/13/2012 they asked me to sign a form titled "Wire Funds Transfer Authorization" and I did thinking that this was the last step to clear funds in the amount of $26,299.00 USD from them. Tony Rogers from Accounting department send me a confirmation for receiving the $1,578.00 then asked me to wait 3 Business days for the money to get deposited into my account. I waited until 4/19/2012 and he send me an email saying that we have a problem releasing the fund from Mexico and said since its more than $10,000.00 being wired to USA from Mexico. HE SAID The problem is that the Mexican authorities are thinking that we are paying this amount of money for illegal (drugs, money laundry, etc.)transactions, and they just want to verify that this amount they are sending me is totally legit and has nothing to do with any illegal transaction in Mexico. He told me that they need to hire a lawyer in Mexico to release the fund and asked me to pay the lawyer fees of $1,983.48. I told him NO WAY I'M PAYING AND I CANT AFFORD IT EVEN IF I DID WANT TOO. Tony couldn't fix the problem and I asked him to ask Essentioal Resorts to pay the Lawyer fees. Tony told me that Essentional told him that they are not resposable for it and they already paid for the timeshares. I told Tony to send me to Someone higher in Corporate department. That's when I started with Frank Rivers. I told Frank the same that I will not and can't pay that amount and I will be Cancelling the deal. Frank told me I have two options to either Cancel or pay the full amount and they will refund me back the full amount once funds clear from Mexico. I told him I don't have the money to pay and I will speak to Julian from Essentional Resorts. I finally got a hold of Julian on 4/23/2012 and I told him the whole story and he told me that no one contacted him about the Closing Cost that I paid or the Lawyer fees in Mexico and he was very surprised. He asked me to send him all documentation and all emails I received from them and I did as he asked me to do. He told me he is going to speak to them and call me back the following day. Frank called me 4/30/2012 and left me a voice mail to call him back and I didn't call him back until 5/2/2012, he asked me what have I decided to do and I told him how much I have been trying to get a hold of someone from Essentional with no luck and he said he tried to and he didn't get to them. Then Frank ask me to make a decision either to cancel or pay half the amount of the lawyer fees which is $991.74 and he would refund me back for that as well. Told him I will write out my cancelation letter to them. I wrote the letter on 5/3/2012 and faxed it over. Frank called me back that the cancelation fee would be $975.00 and it would be better for me to pay the Lwayer fee and HE would pay the other half of that fee. I told him to send me something in writing and have it Notarized. Frank send me a letter for the refund of $991.74 and told me if I get it Notarized its going to take longer and I will have to come out with the full amount out of pocket and they would still refund me the full amount on it. I told Frank that I need sometimes to get the money together. On 5/15/12 I was contacted by Julian from Essentional and he told me due to the latest timeshare regulations in Asia, we are forced to cease operations temporarily. We will be issuing refunds beginning June 1st in sequential order. On the same day maybe an Hour later I was contacted by Frank Rivers and he told me that Essentional was getting bought out by another company and they have some IRS problem and he wanted to make a decision on my account to either cancel and pay half of the cancellation fee or pay half the attorney fees to clear the funds from Mexico. Frank Rivers told me that I will have no other option but him and he needed an answer right away at this moment or else NOT to call him again or contact his company for any help to recover the money in Mexico or the closing cost I paid on 4/11/12 through wire transfer. An Hour later Frank called me and I told him I thought you said not to call you or your company anymore. He told me that Essentional was not going to refund me for anything the 699.00 I paid for ownership verfication (I have proves on my emails that this amount is Refundable) or that 1578.00 for closing cost and I will not be able to get a hold of anyone of them since it will be a new company taken over. Frank told me I have until the End of his working day to make a decision or else he's going to close my file and I will not be able to recover any of the money back. I told Frank that I spoke to a lawyer in Mexico and I explain to him the whole situation and he told me that this whole thing is frud and if I pay any more money to his company that there is a chance I will not see it again and that he's been in business for along long time and he never had any issues with any wire transfers From or To Mexico. The Lawyer Name is Omar Lima, and he stated that this company could be trying to get more and more money out of me and not do what they said they would, and I should stop sending any money so I wouldn't lose anymore. I also spoke to a Lawyer in USA and He also told me that this frud and both lawyers are ready to take over my case to recover the money I paid to Essentional and Finanical Services, if I coudn't resolve it on my own.FRANK RIVERS PHONE NUMBER (210) 401-8702/ Fax (210) 568-2828