The Mexican cartel is deceiving unsuspecting tourists through a timeshare scam.

In Mexico, at a timeshare resort in Los Cabos, Alfredo Estrella / AFP via Getty Images, a long and well-documented crime by Mexican drug cartels against unsuspecting tourists has led to violence, kidnappings, and sometimes deaths. However, in recent years, one cartel has turned its attention to an unconventional method of fraud against tourists, targeting individuals who own long-term rental rights in Mexico. Reportedly, the U.S.

The cartel, based in the state of Jalisco in Mexico, "generates significant revenue for its multifaceted criminal enterprise through its timeshare fraud network," said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a press release. News about the activities of CJNG first began to spread in 2023, but they have been ongoing for much longer - over the past five years, the cartel has defrauded timeshare owners out of $288 million, according to the FBI.