ORLANDO, Fla. — Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today announced that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement arrested Quintin Tyrone Hall, 39, of Orlando for allegedly conducting a scheme that defrauded 14 victims of nearly $75,000 through fraudulent timeshare sales in 2015. The investigation that led to Hall’s arrest began with the consumers notifying the department of suspicious behavior via the department’s 1-800-HELP-FLA hotline.
“I thank our law enforcement officers and investigators for their dedication to the well-being of our residents,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “We will continue to pursue individuals that prey on hard-working Floridians.”
According to the investigation, Century 1st Contract Services, owned and operated by Hall, would receive payments from consumers after they had been contacted by FDR Financial. This third party company told consumers to send or wire payments to Century 1st Contract Services for document fees, title searches and other costs associated with the sale of their timeshare property. Once the payments were received, the business did not execute the real estate transaction and ceased communication with the victims.
The following tips help protect consumers from common scams:
- Before any purchase is made, research whether the telemarketer or telemarketing salesperson is registered with FDACS and if any complaints have been filed against them. Visit FreshFromFlorida.com’sBusiness/Complaint Lookup or call 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352).
- Do not give out bank account, credit card or personal information (date of birth, mother’s maiden name, Social Security number, etc.) over the telephone, unless it is to a known and trusted source.
- Request written information by mail about the organization itself, as well as the product, service, investment or charity.
Hall was booked into the Orange County Jail on two first degree felony charges, including: Organized Scheme to Defraud and Grand Theft.
