Nicola Rowe, 54, the finance director of Sell My Timeshare, has been given a two-year suspended sentence for her involvement in a £28 million timeshare fraud led by her husband, Mark Rowe. The sentencing took place at Southwark Crown Court following a six-year investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Rowe, of Los Blanquitos in Tenerife, appeared via video link during her sentencing hearing. Judge Alexander Milne KC said she had played a limited role in the business but was aware the funds her husband handled were the proceeds of crime. He added that she had “lived very well on the strength of that.”
The judge accepted that Nicola Rowe showed genuine remorse and noted that she had been “enthralled” by her husband, describing him as a manipulative man. Rowe was also banned from serving as a company director for seven years, a measure the judge said was both to protect the public and to protect her from her husband’s influence.
Her husband, Mark Rowe, was sentenced in January to seven and a half years in prison for masterminding the scheme. Between 2013 and 2017, the couple’s company persuaded timeshare owners—some in their 80s—to exchange their properties and pay thousands of pounds for so-called “monster credits” that promised discounts on holidays and shopping. In reality, the credits were worthless, and many victims continued to pay for their original timeshares.
The scam targeted property owners through lengthy high-pressure sales meetings held in Bournemouth, York, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Tenerife. Victims often borrowed money to buy the credits, typically spending around £8,000 each.
Investigators found the couple had made £28 million from the fraud, with £8 million deposited into their personal accounts. They spent lavishly, including £2.4 million on a Hampshire mansion with stables, £110,000 on private school fees, and £185,000 on art, including £31,500 for an LS Lowry sketch.
CPS prosecutor Gayle Ramsey said the Rowes “acted in a completely selfish and manipulative manner” and “exploited timeshare owners, many of whom were elderly.” She added that the victims were left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket after buying something “worthless.”
In total, 14 people have been convicted in connection with the timeshare scam. Mark Rowe also received a five-year director ban. Authorities said a full confiscation investigation is underway, with assets restrained and 11 confiscation orders applied for.
