Quintana Roo, a popular tourist destination, has been facing a surge in fraudulent vacation packages and timeshares. This form of organized crime has been largely overlooked by authorities, despite over 3,500 complaints being filed with the Federal Consumer Attorney's Office (Profeco) since 2019. This lack of action is negatively impacting the state's reputation.
In 2019, illegal travel companies managed to defraud over 1,000 domestic and international tourists with trips to Quintana Roo's tourist hotspots. The scams have been particularly prevalent in the timeshare and reservation sectors, some of which are even operating within the accommodation centers themselves.
Organized crime has found a lucrative business in the tourism sector of Quintana Roo. However, their operations aren't limited to money laundering, hotel constructions, and real estate developments, which have been prevalent since the 1980s. The fraudulent sale of timeshares and vacation packages in the state's major tourist centers has become a significant issue.
One notable case involved a family from Jalisco who were swindled out of more than 120,000 pesos for a vacation package at the Nickelodeon Riviera Maya hotel. The package was offered directly within the resort facilities.
Investigations have revealed that these scams are generating millions in illicit profits. Despite the scale of the problem, federal and state governments have struggled to eradicate these fraudulent practices.
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