It started with a promise: an easy way out for elderly timeshare owners, desperate to rid themselves of costly holiday properties. But for more than 3,500 people across the UK, that promise turned into a nightmare—one that would ultimately cost them a staggering £28 million, shatter their retirement dreams, and expose a fraud so elaborate it took years to unravel.
At the heart of this sprawling scam were Mark Rowe and his wife Nicola, both 54, hailing from Hampshire but running their operation out of Los Blanquitos, Tenerife. According to ITV News and Metro, the couple masterminded the fraudulent business under the brand 'Sell My Timeshare' (SMT), targeting vulnerable owners—most between the ages of 60 and 80, with some in their 90s—who were eager to escape mounting maintenance fees and the burden of unused holiday apartments.
The operation was slick. SMT placed legitimate-looking adverts on television and in national magazines, even hiring former soap actresses like Julie Peasgood and Julie Peasgood to lend credibility to their offer of relief. Unbeknownst to the actresses, the entire enterprise was a front. Victims, lured by these ads, found themselves invited to in-person meetings at SMT's offices across the UK and Tenerife. These meetings, as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) described, were anything but ordinary—they could last up to six hours, with relentless high-pressure sales tactics and barely a break in sight.
Once inside, the 'Bait and Switch' began. Owners expecting to sell their timeshares were told—often after hours of discussion—that their properties were worthless. But there was hope, they were told: a voucher scheme called 'Monster Credits', promising deep discounts on holidays, shopping, and even the potential to trade credits for profit on a dedicated platform. What the victims didn’t know was that Mark Rowe secretly owned the company behind Monster Credits, hiding his involvement behind a Seychelles-based shell with fake employees and virtual offices, as reported by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit.
The pressure to buy was intense. Victims were encouraged to take out loans—sometimes arranged by SMT staff themselves—to purchase Monster Credits, investing an average of £7,900 each. For nearly 500 victims, losses exceeded £10,000, and one person lost a staggering £80,000. The promises were empty. Not only were the Monster Credits worthless, but most victims also found they still owned their timeshares and were liable for the dreaded maintenance bills.
“They wove a web of deceit which would deceive a lot of people,” said Peter Highway, Senior Investigating Officer at the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, in an interview with ITV News. “Victims were worn down and persuaded they had a millstone around their neck, and the only way they could get rid of it was to buy this Monster Credits product. They didn’t realise the money they were giving was going to Mark Rowe.”
The scale of the operation was breathtaking. Investigators found that Mark and Nicola Rowe personally pocketed £8 million from the scam. Their lavish spending included a £2.4 million home in Hampshire—complete with stables—a £70,000 kitchen, more than £110,000 in private school fees for their children, and private jet flights, including a single trip to Tenerife costing £26,000. Mark Rowe also spent £31,500 on a pencil sketch by renowned artist LS Lowry, titled 'Street Scene', and £185,000 on other art purchases.
For the victims, the consequences were devastating. Many had invested their life savings, hoping for security in their golden years. Instead, they faced financial ruin. Des, a 73-year-old former engineer from Mitcham, told ITV News he lost nearly £14,000 to the scam and was forced to work as a delivery driver just to pay back the loan arranged by SMT. “It was like a kick in the guts,” he recalled. “There was no way of getting my money back.” Another victim, whose statement was read in court and reported by Metro, said, “I’m now supposed to be retired and enjoying life, but as a result of being a victim of Mark Rowe’s fraud my quality of life has been reduced to a struggle—I’m unable to afford to even pay my own rent. I’ve been a successful businessman all of my life, but feel that I’ve let my wife down, and I cannot see how I can put this right in the time that we have left.”
As the complaints mounted, Dorset Police launched an investigation in 2016, later joined by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit. The probe was exhaustive: detectives sifted through more than 5.5 million phone recordings and 500 bank accounts, including 54 held by the Rowes alone. The evidence pointed to a conspiracy of breathtaking arrogance. “Mark Rowe was an unscrupulous character, completely dishonest, and had no regard for his victims other than how much more money he could get from them,” Highway said. “At every stage Mark Rowe has refused to accept any wrongdoing. I’d say he’s acted with arrogance and indifference to his victims.”
The legal reckoning was long in coming. After a 53-week trial at Southwark Crown Court, Mark Rowe was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud in January 2025 and sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison. Nicola Rowe, who pleaded guilty to money laundering, was sentenced on October 17, 2025. In total, 14 people were convicted following four trials over two years, with reporting restrictions lifted only after Nicola Rowe’s plea.
The CPS has vowed to pursue any money or assets gained by the defendants through their offending, offering a glimmer of hope to those left in financial ruin. Specialist prosecutor Gayle Ramsey called the scam “a living nightmare” for victims. “These defendants acted in a completely selfish and manipulative manner to make huge sums for themselves and exploited timeshare owners, many of whom were elderly,” she said. “They provided victims with the false hope of disposing of timeshares in exchange for a valuable investment when in reality they were each left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket after purchasing something which was worthless.”
The case stands as a stark reminder of how even the most sophisticated scams can prey on hope and vulnerability—and how justice, though sometimes slow, can finally catch up with those who profit from deception.
