FTC busts alleged $10 million telemarketing scam in Largo

Largo, Florida It's being billed the largest telemarketing scam in a quarter century.

[Raebeth Ruede]

I have been recently scammed by this company.$149 was taken out of my checking account and also cost me $60 in overdraft charges. This was for a 7 day trial to CreditLife. I was unable to get through to cancel in time. I also have some trials pending for their other alias's and am very concerned about future charges. Especially, from Variety! Perhaps I cannot get through to that # because of the recent bust. What happens to people in this situation? Has the company been ordered to at least cease and desist these practices?

[Jillian]

I don't feel sorry for the owners/executives - I hope they are fully prosecuted! However, I have 1 or 2 acquaintances who work there & wonder what they are going to do now that they are out of a job. One of them is a single parent with children.

[tom]

What are the charges, these people work within the law.
How can the gov. do such a thing just by fileing a law suit? Its all on tape you said yes they gave you the # to cancle and because you dont balance you check book its a crime,thats bull hocky! What happend to incent until proven guilty? the gov. just comes in siezs all info and then uses it in court,they should have that profe already.I feel for the 700 employes,contracters,and suppliers to this company.........

[Mr Smith]

I hope they take down the other scam phone centers like EMG Marketing in St Pete

[Kristin]

Elvis Arrowwood (director of operations) should receive criminal charges as well. Suntasia, Strategia, and any other name they went under not only scammed and ripped off their customers, but also their employees, by charging $2.95 every week for a bogus ee fund and $50 for a fake telemarketing license. Between my husband and I we are owed $808 from those scam artists.

[TJM]

tom wrote:

What are the charges, these people work within the law.
How can the gov. do such a thing just by fileing a law suit? Its all on tape you said yes they gave you the # to cancle and because you dont balance you check book its a crime,thats bull hocky! What happend to incent until proven guilty? the gov. just comes in siezs all info and then uses it in court,they should have that profe already.I feel for the 700 employes,contracters,and suppliers to this company.........

You're pretty good at throwing out the "You got taped saying yes" You probably worked for these scammers or someone like them since you know all the loopholes. Fact is, these people are crooks, not necessarily the telemarketers on the phone, but the people that set up the programs. The executives deliberately make it difficult or impossible to get in and cancel in time, that is illegal. Since it happened on the telephone that makes it a federal matter (wire fraud). That's why everything gets seized, to prevent destruction of evidence. Re-read the story and note where it states that you don't have to say yes for your account to be charged, meaning if they don't hear back from you it's an automatic "yes". If they prevent you from calling back within the allotted time by giving you the wrong number guess what, you said yes even though you kept calling and never got through trying to say "no". Webster's should add a new definition to the dictionary, Telemarketing = scam, hang up now.

[LargoClevelandGi rl75]

I worked for Suntasia for three weeks in May. Although it was very misleading the company did have all calls recorded. What would happen was that the conditions are read and the customer had to confirm they understood by a yes or no. I did not agree with the way we had to be very pushy and almost arguing with people to get them to sign up. The police were always there to break up fights amongst coworkers. It was the worst place I ever worked at. I'm glad they finally did something about this company. Its abou time....

[bucket o1o3]

I WORKED AT SUNTASIA ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND KNEW THE OWNERS. I ALSO KNOW THAT THEIR PLAN TO STEAL FROM GOOD AMERICANS WAS WRONG. THATS WHY I QUIT! I FELT THERE WAS SOMTHING FISHY GOING ON, BUT WHEN I WOULD ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUSINESS ALL THEY DID WAS AVOID THE QUESTION AND TELL ME TO MIND MY OWN BUSINESS!!!

[wipemedown18]

Me and my friend had an job interview at that place. When went there we say all of these people standing outside and I was like I'm not going to this intervier. It was like something was telling me not to go so me and my friend left. I glad we didn't go cause we would've been scaming people and that's not cool.

[Linda Brown]

Judged:

1

I remember ten years ago I got ripped off by a company based in NJ. I am not one who falls for these too good to be true schemes, but I got to hand it that company. They were called Bargain Advantage and I sent away for their catalog and their products looked to be legit, albeit cheap, you know angel statues and Xmas stuff and one offer was for a trip and another for a unsecured credit card and it looked like a sure deal! Nothing could be further than the truth. I applied for the card, they assured me I was approved and all I needed to send in was $39.00 for a service fee. Well I kinda said no I don't think so and they still assured me it was legit so I bit. I go to my bank three days later to find that my account was minus $150 and that they were the ones that took it! I called all day to this company and just got muzak and assurance my call was very important to them. When I got through I got someone who claimed no habla English. Now I was getting mad and finally when I got through I was told that besides the $39.00 they had to charge my account for a franchise fee from Mastercard and that was $75.00 and and the remainder was a processing fee from their bank! I told them I wanted my money back in my account that day and I was calling the Attorney General of NJ. Oh, they did not want me to do that, got real nervous, and my money hit my bank by morning and I changed my account number so they could not try to get more money. They sent me these cheesy "gift certificates" with their crap they sold from their catalogs and told me I could have anything in it all I had to do NOW was pay for shipping and that too was a scam. They wanted you to buy these cheap trinkets and jewelry and if you liked them so much, they would set you up in business and you can own your own business and make as much money as Donald Trump!! How I fell for this I don't know. I wanted a credit card, my credit was crappy at that time and got greedy. The point of telling this is these sleazes operate all over the country and often by the time you have figured out you were had, they are in the wind and they just open up with another name in another city. They hire people that need jobs like folks here posted, they worked for these sleazes and quit as soon as they figured it out for themselves they were part of a felony operation.And they count on it big time.These people need a long prison sentence and hopefully these folks get theirs.

[Jyoyo]

I would NEVER give my account info. to someone i didnt know on the phone.

[MEEE]

I WONDER IF THERE GOING TO GET AS MUCH TIME AS MARTHA STEWART

[Sony]

tom wrote:

What are the charges, these people work within the law.
How can the gov. do such a thing just by fileing a law suit? Its all on tape you said yes they gave you the # to cancle and because you dont balance you check book its a crime,thats bull hocky! What happend to incent until proven guilty? the gov. just comes in siezs all info and then uses it in court,they should have that profe already.I feel for the 700 employes,contracters,and suppliers to this company.........

Tom,

You must be one of the scum bag telemarketers that helped run Scamtasia.

Bryon Wolf, his father ( Al Wolf), brother (Jeff Wolf), attorney (Donald Booth), and two associates, Roy Eliasson, and John Louis Smith II, the owners of Suntasia, have been stealing money from peoples bank accounts and credit cards for years. They all live a very pompus lifestlye of excess and greed.

I will not be surprised if criminal charges are filed.

[FYI]

just thought it should be known that this company has a place in St pete that they were planning to open as well as the have a place over seas that calls the US as well. I worked for them for a 2 years. Dialers had a phone in each room that only did recording, those calls people had already gave out their account info and back out said they didn't want to do the program. In some cases agents would call other people to the recording as if they were the account holder. Alot of fraud has happened with in that company including numerous drug deals by employees of the company on company property. As long as agents were getting the deals the company really didn't care. I am sorry so say that I even worked for the company

[local guy]

I have had some dealing with these guys, have seen their extravagant lifestyle and wondered "how do the get this rich in telemarketing?"

Now we know...

[Zac]

I am terribly sorry I worked there 3 weeks and not even full weeks I was a bit skeptical. I was told I could work hourly or commission and when I chose hourly I was pressured into making sure I hit commission. I am sorry for the ten people I sold within those three weeks. Please forgive me.. When I asked questions I got a run around to. The interview was a joke, come in smile and all of a sudden your hired with full benefits. For those that want to know heres what the script sounds like so if you ever here this hang up..
Hi ______, my Name is __________ and I am a registered agent calling on behalf of travel life.(In regards to your checking account)>>>> I was told to add that in there by a floor manager. As a valued checking account hold still in good standing you have qualified for 400 dollars of free airline savings vouchers good for domestic and international flights as well as a free hotel weekend getaway thats a 3 day 2 night stay destination of yo choice. Now ____, your gifts are good for a year and transferable if you want to give them to someone else. Now we can get these out to you still at #####th St. S. Kalamazoo MI #####? Is this right? Ok,(for security purposes please state the name of your bank.)>>>>>> told to add that in there too. Ok that was Bank of America? and the account was originally opened there in Kalamazoo? Ok now I am going to verify your ABA routing number on the bottom left hand corner of your checkbook can you follow along with me to make sure I got this correct ######### is this correct? OK now there should be a space and a symbol after that go ahead a read me the next set of numbers which is your account number. Thats the main pitch.. Now a smart consumer needs to know your routing information is public information easily obtained but your account number is your personal identification to your bank. Now one of our rebuttals is this if someone was leery of giving the account number. "_______ this is the same number printed on every check. If this number was so harmful why would your bank print it down there for everyone to see?" Not harmful we tell the customer. Yet we were not allowed to have any reading materials or a pen anywhere visible. Why? Cause we are dealing with account info. yet I thought it was not harmful. Not working for me. The day I left, was the day I was told to yell at the person on the other end, be confident, so I did that with someone and when i finally did I felt as if I had compromised my morals for money. After that I felt horrible and got up and walked out. I am very sorry for anything I have caused in peoples lives and if I was not so desperate for a job at the time I think I would have thought twice before working there. At least I kept my dignity told myself going in I don't want commission just give me my hourly wage thanks. If anyone would like further information feel free to email me [e-mail] look forwarding to hearing from someone. My apologies citizens..

[EX-Empolyee]

I worked there to but was fired on my thrid day because I called in sick because I was feeling ill the lady told me if I couldn't come in by 11:45 I would be laid off and that was that I left. I was going to leave anyway after I had google the name and seen some many people who have been scammed.

[Ex Employee in Tampa]

I can tell you this much. It was because of their arrogant, over confident, thumb on their noses attitude of not only the management but many employees there that got them to this point.

I remember pleading with several of them to get out after I was gone from the company and all I heard was "We've been investigated many times before and we always come out clean. I'm not worried". I told them, "yes but this time it's different bc the media is involved and that's where you guys will slip up". She didn't realize at the time that two tv news stations were running stories on Suntasia. Since the raid it has become a media frenzy.

Another major mistake Bryan Wolf, his staff and employees did was under estimate the one place that brought EVERYONE together to find out who was instigating this scam.

The INTERNET.

That's right. The net played a major part in getting the feds, banks, better business bureau and of course the victims themselves together in one place without leaving the comforts of their home. Once the truth got out about this shameful company it snow balled into what happened on Wednesday with the raid. I for one am glad that finally after 10 long years these guys have been caught. They were actually caught six years ago but they simply paid the refunds and some fines then continued on business as usual under another name.

TO THE ENTIRE MANAGEMENT OF SUNTASIA I SAY THIS.

You got what you deserved and maybe just maybe now you will finally understand that your way of doing things was down right disgusting and shameful. You reap what you sow.

[Ex Employee in Tampa]

Consumers complained in near-record numbers about Suntasia’s practices. In total, the FTC collected and reviewed more than 5,000 formal consumer complaints against Suntasia that were submitted to various law enforcement agencies and the Better Business Bureau.

So now here it is folks. The media blitz is on for what we all now know as possibly one of the biggest telemarketing scams in history.

Finally there was a big story that was done by investigative Reporter Jim Strickland of WSBTV in Atlanta where he confronts the owner of Suntasia Marketing Bryan Wolf and tries to ask him questions about his shameful company practices. It is titled "Feds Bust Telephone Boiler Room". Click on it and see the video for yourself.

Here is the link:

http://www.wsbtv.com/consumer/index.html

[Current emloyee]

I understand people being upset about being biled. but in verification on a recorded line you are verbalky signing a contract that states you are aware of all the terms and conditions. you do get the vouvhers and you can use them. some people actualy do save money with some of the programs. most people are billed because they forget to call or throw away the informnation. you can call and cancle yes it may be hard to do but it is possible. there is a part of the comany called compliance and there job is to kick out deals if the person does not understand or if the phone rep is misleading the customer. i have worked for the comany for over a year and for the most part i think it is legit.