Government Careers Inc. and three principals preyed on job seekers since at least March 2009 by running deceptive ads on job Web sites. Government Careers claimed it could help people get postal, border patrol, and wildlife jobs as well as administrative support and clerical positions with the federal government. It told people they could get these jobs if they paid $119 for study materials, which would allow them to pass any required test with a score of 95 percent or better. But according to the FTC complaint, those who paid the fee found that there are no exams for the positions they sought, or that the supposed job vacancies did not exist. The company also hawked career counseling services, charging $965 for services like resume editing and employment exam preparation. Although the defendants said that consumers would not have to pay the fee until they got a government job, the defendants demanded payment before consumers obtained the promised jobs.
Real Wealth, Inc. and its principal allegedly conned more than 100,000 people by selling them booklets that supposedly explained how they could earn money by applying for government grants and working from home mailing postcards and envelopes. Using direct mail campaigns that sometimes targeted the elderly and disabled, Real Wealth lured consumers, according to the FTC complaint, with deceptive solicitations such as “Collect up to $9,250 with my simple 3 minute form” or “All I do is mail 30 postcards everyday and I make an extra $350 a week!” Real Wealth also claimed that consumers could “rake in up to $1,500+ per week or more in solid cash” by learning “secrets” about the “$700 billion banking industry bailout.”
Darling Angel Pin Creations and two principals allegedly claimed on the Internet and in newspaper advertisements that by purchasing a starter kit, consumers could earn up to $500 per week assembling angel pins, and that no experience, special tools, or sewing skills were required. Consumers paid between $22 and $45 to get started, and sometimes paid hundreds more for the supplies they would need to make the pins. However, according to the FTC’s complaint, there was a catch: Consumers were required to have one of their assembled angel pins approved by the company before they could make any money – but the company rejected nearly all the angel pins consumers submitted, no matter how well-made. The FTC charged that the defendants made false and baseless claims that consumers could earn substantial income from angel pin assembly, when in fact they could not.
Abili-Staff, Ltd., two principals, and a related entity sold supposed work-at-home opportunities online. Billing itself as a “scam free” and “legitimate” job search service, Abili-Staff sold supposedly pre-screened lists of jobs, telling consumers they could access the lists after paying a fee ranging from $29.98 to $89.99, according to the FTC’s complaint. The FTC alleged that defendants falsely told consumers they would have unlimited access to more than 1,000 work-at-home job listings, and that they would get their money back if they did not get a job.
Entertainment Work, Inc. and two principals marketed memberships in a Web site that was supposed to list jobs as movie extras, jobs on television, or jobs in print media. By telemarketing and placing advertisements on Web sites and in newspapers across the country, the defendants sold trial memberships for $19.95 to $24.95, and automatically converted those into annual memberships for an additional fee of $80 after two weeks, according to the FTC complaint. The FTC charged that Entertainment Work deceptively claimed consumers would find entertainment and media jobs near where they lived, without regard to their experience, skills, or appearance. The complaint also charged that the company failed to disclose that to cancel their membership, people would have to pay an additional fee or undertake a burdensome process.
Independent Marketing Exchange, Inc. and its principal allegedly made false earnings claims, and additional misrepresentations in the course of selling a smorgasbord of work-at-home opportunities, including an envelope mailing opportunity, a postcard mailing opportunity, and a mystery shopper opportunity. Their deceptive practices have injured numerous consumers, including stay-at-home and single mothers. The FTC’s complaint alleged that the defendants falsely represented that consumers were likely to make weekly incomes of $200 - $600 for the envelope stuffing opportunity, up to $1,344 a week for the postcard opportunity, and $20-$25 an hour for the mystery shopper opportunity.
Preferred Platinum Services Network and the husband-and-wife team who owned and operated it allegedly marketed a work-from-home scheme in which consumers were told they could earn significant sums by labeling postcards describing a non-existent product promoted by Preferred Platinum called “mortgage accelerator.” Advertised in local pennysavers and newspaper classified sections, and at the defendants’ Web site, the scheme touted earnings of up to $1 per postcard, as well as a 60-day money-back guarantee. Consumers paid an enrollment fee of $80 to $90, and they typically did not learn until later that they would have to pay $40 more for each additional batch of 100 postcards, according to the FTC complaint. At the same time this matter was filed, criminal authorities executed search warrants on the business and arrested the husband-and-wife team, charging each of them with one count of mail fraud.
Job Safety USA. Principal Wagner Ramos Borges allegedly systematically offered phony jobs to people seeking maintenance and cleaning work. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland Greenbelt Division, issued a default judgment ordering Borges to pay $414,900 – which is the estimated amount of his profits during the period covered by the FTC complaint.
Career Hotline, Inc. Career Hotline took money from job seekers by guaranteeing them jobs that paid at least $25,000 per year, according to the FTC complaint. The federal court in the Middle District of Florida issued a default judgment against Career Hotline ordering the company to pay $75,000, which is the estimated amount of money job seekers lost to this scam. In addition, the company’s principal, Susan Bright, reached a settlement with the FTC that prohibits her from deceiving consumers about job availability, salaries, access to interviews, job listings and refunds. The settlement order also includes a suspended judgment against her because she is financially unable to pay, but the full judgment will become due immediately if Bright misrepresented her financial condition.
Penbrook Productions. The FTC complaint alleged that in this online scam, principal Michael Allen Brooks used fictional spokesperson “Angela Penbrook” to entice consumers to become “certified” rebate processors, supposedly earning as much as $225 per hour. A settlement approved February 10, 2010 by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California requires the defendants to pay $125,000 within 10 days, plus a significant additional amount from assets they own that are to be liquidated. The settlement bars the defendants from making or assisting others to make deceptive claims in connection with work-at-home, franchise, or business opportunities.
International Marketing and principal Zolio Cruz Carrion falsely promised Spanish- speaking consumers substantial income for stuffing envelopes, and was charged in an FTC complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico in 2008. The court granted the FTC’s motion to hold Cruz in contempt for failing to comply with an earlier order and briefly jailed him for contempt. It also prohibited him from marketing any business, employment, investment or work-at-home opportunity.
