Is there is a difference between a traditional timeshare and a vacation club where you pay a fee and receive points to cash in for time at various resorts? My family has been scammed in timeshare before but I was recently offered a vacation club membership and I was curious how different they are.

Timeshares, fractional vacation homes, vacation clubs are all the same. If you end up with a set week somewhere to vacation in, it's a timeshare, because that's what you're getting: time and not property.