Conman jailed for timeshare scams

The timeshares he advertised included locations in Spain

A bogus salesman who swindled more than £200,000 out of old and vulnerable people across the UK in a timeshare scam has been jailed.

Jeffrey Armstrong, 51, who originally came from Stockport, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of obtaining property by deception.

He also admitted 27 counts of obtaining credit while bankrupt in May last year.

Armstrong was sentenced to three years and three months in prison at Minshull Street Crown Court on Thursday.

He was also banned for five years from any involvement in a commercial company.

A father-of-one who sent his eight-year-old daughter to private school, Armstrong had previous convictions for dishonesty.

Many victims of the timeshare scam were elderly and disabled who wanted to ensure they could secure holidays in the future, the court heard.

Jeffrey Armstrong ran timeshare businesses from his home

Between 2001 and 2003, he ran several timeshare businesses from his former home on Dialstone Lane in Offerton, placing adverts in national newspapers.

He traded under a variety of business names, including European Timeshare Association, Timeshare Overseas European Services (TOES) and Trading Places International.

The timeshares he advertised included locations in Spain, Florida, Portugal, England and Scotland.

He asked interested parties to sign a contract and requested deposits ranging from £500 to £7,000. He used other people's credit card details to pay for services such as hire cars, flights and newspaper advertising.

'Arrogant manner'

The certificates customers received were either bogus photocopies or out of date.

Police were alerted after a large number of customers began to complain to Trading Standards officers nationwide.

Det Sgt Steve Taylor, who headed the investigation, said: "Jeffrey Armstrong preyed on vulnerable people.

"A number of his clients were elderly or had disabled or seriously ill children or partners."

He added: "He operated in a confident and arrogant manner and jumped on people's weaknesses to satisfy his own greed."