BBB talks timeshare scams after local business owner indicted

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A trial date is set for a former Springfield business owner indicted for timeshare fraud.

Brian Scroggs is facing three counts of wire fraud and three counts of failure to pay employment taxes. His trial is set for April 28, 2025.

The Better Business Bureau says consumers faced many problems with Scroggs’s businesses and are hoping the charges against him will help deter others from taking advantage of timeshare owners trying to get out of their contracts.

“Consumers came to us initially about their complaints about his company promising to help them exit to get out from their timeshare contracts,” said Pamela Hernandez, Regional Director of Better Business Bureau in Springfield. “They would pay money but never receive the services that they paid for.”

Scroggs was the operator of a group of four now-defunct timeshare exit companies, Vacation Consulting Services, LLC; VCS Communications, LLC; The Transfer Group, LLC; and Real Travel, LLC.

Hernandez says when it comes to exiting or entering a timeshare it is important to do your research into the company and to have everything in writing before you pay. Looking for the business on the BBB’s website or choosing one the BBB says is reliable is a good place to start.

Hernandez says companies rely on high-pressure sales tactics and consumer emotions to convince consumers to say yes.

“So being aware of how you’re feeling in that moment and not being afraid to say, I need to take a step back, I need to take a break, is perfectly legitimate,” Hernandez said. “And a legitimate company will have no problem with you doing that. To take the time to review the contract and have a little bit of a cooling off period.”

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