From The Better Business Bureau of Central East Texas:

BBB Serving Central East Texas advises consumers to be cautious of companies who claim to purchase or sell timeshares. In 2012, there were a total of 5,158 complaints against timeshare companies across the BBB system. Complaints confirm that both buyers and sellers of timeshare properties have encountered a variety of problems with contracts, sales practices, refunds and fraud, harassment,  and  overly-long sales pitches.

“Before jumping on a deal presented by an unknown solicitor, it’s important to research the company”, said Mechele Agbayani Mills, President and CEO of BBB Serving Central East Texas. “Evaluate the process against accepted business practices and that includes the caveat not to pay money upfront.”

If you are interested in selling a timeshare, BBB offers the following advice:

From Texas Department of Public Safety:

The Texas Public Safety Commission (PSC) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steven McCraw today recognized the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database for recent achievements, and welcomed new Commissioner Randy Watson to his first Public Safety Commission meeting.

“The CODIS program in Texas has helped revolutionize investigations and help solve thousands of crimes along the way,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “Many of these crimes likely would not have been solved without this critical database to match offender DNA with DNA from crime scenes.”

The CODIS section of the DPS Crime Laboratory Service today received a Unit Citation for its recent accomplishments. In November 2012, the program registered the 10,000th cold hit, ranking fourth among the states in the number of CODlS hits. Cold hits are unexpected matches between DNA of known criminal offenders with biological evidence from crime scenes. Since 1998, the DPS CODIS Lab has helped solve more than 640 homicides, 3,300 sexual assaults, 4,200 burglaries, 550 robberies and hundreds of other crimes in Texas and other states.

Today also marked the first PSC meeting for new Commissioner Randy Watson of Burleson. Watson was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry in December to replace John Steen, who was appointed Texas Secretary of State.  Watson is the chairman and CEO of Justin Brands Inc., and his term expires in January of 2018.

“We welcome Commissioner Watson to the Public Safety Commission and we are fortunate to have his expertise in the business and government sectors,” said PSC Chair Cynthia Leon. “His voice will be important as we move forward with issues of vital importance to DPS and the citizens of Texas.”

From the Better Business Bureau of Central East Texas:

Scammers take advantage of every major event or holiday to launch their malicious campaigns, and Valentine’s Day is no exception. Every year, Valentine’s Day brings an onslaught of romance scams. While meant to be a day for expressing affection, some people use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to reveal their deceit. BBB advises consumers to be aware of the red flags.

“Valentine’s Day is an ideal time for scam artists to come out of the wood work”, said Mechele Agbayani Mills, President and CEO of BBB Serving Central East Texas. “A typical tactic of scam artists is to entice their victims by playing with their emotions.”

BBB cautions consumers about Valentine’s Day smooth operators who may try to trick you with the following: