State sues over travel club with local ties

Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming Chicago-area companies collected thousands of dollars from people enrolled in a travel club that never provided discounts.

Included in the complaint about the Global Discovery Vacation Program is Madmol, Inc., a company that has done business under several names in Crystal Lake, Lombard and elsewhere, the complaint says.

A call to a number listed for the company requesting comment wasn't returned.

The lawsuit claims the vacation club asks for up to $8,000 in upfront fees but doesn't deliver on the promised travel discounts. It also didn't deliver on promises of freebies, the lawsuit says.

"Any time you are offered a 'free' prize or a supposed award, that's a red flag," Madigan said in a statement. "If you receive solicitations like this, your first and only move should be to throw it in the trash."