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Authorities have called it as among the biggest deceptions of its nature in the Britain.

A total of 14 people have been sentenced for their involvement in a multi-million pound scheme to swindle in excess of 3,500 timeshare investors.

The victims were eager to exit age-old timeshare contracts and went looking for assistance.

A large number were from 60 and 80. Over 500 of them parted with in excess of £10,000, and one individual paid more than £80,000.

Those targeted were subjected to aggressive sales meetings continuing for six hours. They were out of money, holding useless fake "points" and remained locked into high-priced vacation property deals they often use.

The Business Behind the Deception

The company at the core of the scam was the organization in question. They collected clients' cash to support the owners' lavish lifestyle of private schools, millionaire mansions and personal aircraft.

The individual at the helm of the firm, the company director, was sentenced to a seven-and-half year jail time in January for fraudulent conspiracy.

In the latest development, his wife Nicola was one of the final three to hear their sentences.

She was given a 24-month suspended jail sentence at the London court after pleading guilty to financial crime.

This has been a lengthy process and represents a major victory for the victims who came forward, the police and legal representatives.

How the Investigation Began

The initial awareness of the company emerged during the that particular year. I was working in the research department of a broadcasting service, making current affairs features.

A friend pointed out that his mother had assumed the use of a timeshare apartment in Spain and, after decades of vacations, had begun looking to exit the contract.

It's worth mentioning how widespread holiday ownership had grown with British holidaymakers in the 1980s and 1990s.

Holiday ownership allowed individuals to access the identical property each season, or exchange their vacation periods with fellow investors who had properties in alternative destinations. About 600,000 holiday enthusiasts took up that chance.

The first timeshare rush was accompanied by a many accounts about unscrupulous sellers fraudulently marketing investments. They appeared frequently on consumer TV programmes.

The standard holiday ownership agreement tied investors in for long periods.

At that time, those investors who had used their guaranteed place in the resort for decades were advancing in years, and a significant number were hoping to wave goodbye to their vacation investments.

Some had reduced ability to travel and found it difficult to access their properties. Some just thought they'd got all they wanted from them. And others had passed away, in numerous instances passing on their loved ones to take over the agreements - including their annual payments and maintenance fees.

The Undercover Operation Unfolds

It was at this point the relative had found herself. She looked online for options and found the organization, a business whose online presence assured to terminate her contract.

Yet, having paid a fee and booked a meeting with them, her relatives became suspicious.

Subsequent checking revealed many victims saying they had handed over cash and got nothing in return. Indeed, they had lost money. Substantial amounts.

The reporting group began investigating what was occurring. It soon emerged that there were dubious individuals operating in the vacation property industry.

One lawyer had numerous client reports aiming to litigate against the organization.

Reporters contacted individuals who had used the firm and they each reported similar experiences. They assumed the business would buy their property off them but when they attended a meeting (for which they paid up front) they were informed there was no potential buyers.

Rather, they were pushed - indeed pressured - to spend more money purchasing "the company's points system", linked to the organization's holding firm, the overarching entity.

The precise definition was rather ambiguous. They appeared to be a kind of currency, giving access to cheaper vacations and amenities and retail offers.

And they were apparently "exchangeable with additional holders, some time down the line.

Committing funds up front now would result in an long-term benefit that would pay for SMT's fees and leave the property owner ahead financially, released finally from their pesky contract.

Too good to be true? Certainly, that proved correct.

A 'Deceptive Scam'

Assuming these reports were accurate, this was a large-scale fraud.

It's what is called a "deceptive marketing."

An operator - in this case the organization - "baits" the customer by advertising a defined offering only to then state it cannot be provided, directing the customer to an alternative, lesser product or service.

That's illegal. Possessing all the evidence we had collected, we made the case to secretly film one of the organization's sessions.

This takes time, effort, and strong justifications for why this is the exclusive approach to obtain the information required to confirm deceptive practices.

With approval secured, our small team set up a consultation with one of the company's representatives in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Posing as a ordinary individual wanting to get his mum out of her timeshare contract|holiday ownership agreement