ScamVictimsUnited.com

Like I have been saying all along, more and more alerts are being sent out by banks, tv new stations as well as the internet about these crooks.

The alert below was posted recently by Members Plus Credit Union warning it’s customers about Suntasia and it’s umbrella companies like Distinct Advantage, Travel Agents Direct and Freedom Gold.

Telephone Scam - BEWARE!

Members Plus Credit Union has become aware of a fraud scheme which has targeted some of our members. In this scheme a member is called by a marketing firm and led to believe that MPCU hired this firm. They claim that the member will receive free gifts, but that they need to confirm a bank account number. The caller will read off the bank’s routing number, which is public knowledge, and ask the member to provide the account number. The account number can be used to withdraw funds from the victim’s account.

The calls are usually placed from the “727” area code. In the past, this group has used the business names of Distinct Advantage, Freedom Gold, Capital Vacations, and Suntasia Marketing. Members Plus Credit Union has not hired Distinct Advantage, Suntasia Marketing or any other marketing company to call our customers. You should be very cautious of any free offer made over the telephone. Never give out confidential information such as account numbers, social security numbers or other personal information.

End of Alert.

You can see the MPCU posting for yourself by visiting the site at:

http://www.memberspluscu.org/ASP/whatsnew.asp

Scroll to the bottom and you will see it.

904-302-5835,CELLULAR PHONE.
JACKSONVILL.FL
THEY CALL THEM SELVES TOTAL CREDIT COMPANY.
HEADQUATERS.
SUNTASIA MARKETING
8751.ROAD LARGO.
LARGO FLORIDA
727-471-0276
727-471-0274
1-800-NEW-TEAM
THEY ARE TELEMARKERS RUNNING SCAMS.
THEY CALL 10 TIMES A DAY,EVERDAY.
WE NEVER HEARD OF THESE PEOPLE.
WE TELL THEM TO STOP CALLING THEY NEVER DO.

Dear Tami:


I know this company very well b/c I use to work for them. Lasted about a year before I found out about their shameful business tactics. Many have got their money back but others were just taken.

If you are tired of the calls, send them a “certified” Cease and Desist letter (see sample below). Next, contact the Better Business Bureau and file a complaint with them b/c at least it assures you that Suntasia will have to respond. This is another thing they don’t like to do. It forces them to give a response to the BBB and thus give back the money owed if you were ripped off. Also contact your local media (IE new stations) and let them know about these crooks. They were exposed 3 times last year on tv by local news stations around the country.

Finally, whether you do or don’t get a response from Suntasia contact your local tv news station anyway. Most news channels in your area have a consumer complaint tip hotline. Go on the net and log on to their site. I know this would be a “juicy” story for them especially during the months of November, February and May b/c of the ratings period. They need unique stories to get their audiences attention.

I also suggest you file a complaint with your state attorney generals office and in Florida as well letting them know the situation. There was an active investigation which began in June of last year which I believe is still on going.

Below is a sample of the Cease and Desist letter you can use to make them stop calling you.

Your Name
Address
Date

Donald Booth
Suntasia Marketing
8751 Ulmerton Road,
Largo, FL 33771

Dear Mr. Booth:

I request that you CEASE and DESIST in your efforts to market your products to my phone (insert number(s) here). I am NOT interested in anything your company has to offer.

Also if you don’t comply with my request I will seek legal action against your company as well as contacting the local media and the Better Business Bureau. It is my personal policy not to deal with marketing companies that solicit over the phone without my consent.

You are hereby instructed to cease and desist any marketing efforts immediately by deleting my name, address and phone number(s) from your dialing system or face legal sanctions under applicable Federal and State law.

GIVE THIS LETTER THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION IT DESERVES (scumbag is optional here)

Cordially

Your name here

End of letter

Note:

Make sure you sign the letter otherwise it is not legal. Also, make sure you certify the letter when you send it. This way you have proof they received it. One last thing, remember to list ALL the phone numbers in your home including cellphones so they don’t have a chance to slip through the cracks and call you.

ANOTHER BANK ISSUES A WARNING TO THEIR CUSTOMERS REGARDING SUNTASIA/STRATEGIA MARKETING'S "Travel Agents Direct" !

The following is from the Associated Credit Union website:

Don't Take The Bait! Watch For E-mail & Phone Scams!

Current Scams

A company called Travel Agents Direct calls members to inform them that they've won free hotel and travel vouchers. They know the credit union's routing number and ask for your checking account number to debit you for just enough to cover mailing you the vouchers!

The company gets information from those who may have purchased products from online marketing companies or infomercials, who pass on the personal information to Travel Agents Direct.

End of Alert.

Like I told you many times before, bank alerts are becoming common for Suntasia/Strategia marketing company. If you want to see the alert for yourself click the link below.

http://www.acuonline.org/home/accounts.accounts_alerts

This is to let all of you know that the owners of Suntasia have changed their corporate name to Strategia Marketing, LLC. I just happen to drive by their building on the way to the beach and sure enough there it was. Same colors and logo as the prior name but it is still the same scam.

The company claims they merged with another one but nothing can be farther from the truth. It is same suspects still running the show. The only reason the owners of Suntasia changed their name is bc of all the complaints logged against them. If you look at their Better Business Bureau Report it is full of complaints. Click below.

http://www.bbbwestflorida.org/commonrep ... d=11002452

Now they have a clean slate with a new name Strategia bc they are not listed or registered with the Better Business Bureau. Same old scam though, you qualify for free gas and travel vouchers or grocery vouchers and they want you to give up your bank information to bill you whenever they want to.

The only difference in this new company as oppose to the old one is that Bryon Wolf, Roy Eliasson and Fred Wolf are all managers at Strategia which is a limited liability company. Suntasia was a full fledged corporation with a President, Vice President and so on.

You can view the incorporation documents yourself by going to the Florida Department of State Division of Corporations website at:

http://sunbiz.org/corinam.html

Then type in the names of the old and new company ....> Strategia Marketing and Suntasia Properties Inc separately to see the difference.

Don't be fooled bc they are continuing to promote the same product. They are as follows.

Travel Agents Go Direct or Travel Life Direct
Variety
Credit Life
Freedom Gold
FloridaWay
Freedom Ring Communications
Florida Direct
West gates Resorts

Here is a list of programs they use to promote:

Agents Travel Network
Distinct Advantage (Changed to Variety)
Prism Communications (Changed to Freedom Ring)
Capitol Vacations
Florida Passport
Travel Agency Network
Teliflex Communications
VersaTalk

Remember it's always a different name but the same scam. You'll receive $400 of travel or grocery vouchers along with $100 of gas vouchers in exchange for your bank information. DON'T BE FOOLED! DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION!

If you receive a call from them and want it to stop, just send them a "certified" CEASE and DESIST letter. The calls will stop I promise, otherwise Suntasia/Strategia will be facing a major lawsuit and these crooks know it very well.

Hope this helps you understand a little bit better who these clowns are.

The Florida Attorney Generals Office is conducting an investigation on Suntasia which is now known as "Strategia Marketing". The attorney generals office though is stating on their website that, "The case file cited below relates to a civil -- not a criminal -- investigation. The existence of an investigation does not constitute proof of any violation of law".

Here is the rest of it.

Case Number: L05-3-1172

Subject of investigation:
FTN Promotions, Inc.

Subject's address:
8751 Ulmerton Blvd., Largo, FL 33771

Subject's business:
Inbound/outbound telemarketing sales

Allegation or issue being investigated:

Unfair and deceptive trade practices regarding telemarketing sales and unauthorized debiting of consumer bank and credit accounts.

AG unit handling case:
Economic Crimes Division in Tampa, Florida

If you want to see the information for yourself, just go to the http://myfloridalegal.com and type the letters "FTN" in the search.

Suntasia recently changed their corporate name to Strategia Marketing, LLC. Now they have a new website with a different name. The only thing is that it's just a copy of the old one. Take a look.

Suntasia's Website: (former)

http://www.suntasia.com/

Strategia's Website: (new)

http://www.strategia.com/

The only exception between the two is the different colors on the opening page using black instead of gold but the wording is still the same. If you want to know who runs this crooked empire, click below.

http://www.strategia.com/home.shtml

Remember it is STILL the same people, same scam (gas, grocery and travel vouchers), same products just a different name.

THIS WAS AN ALERT BY THE BBB DONE BACK EIGHT MONTHS AGO. I THOUGHT I WOULD RE-POST IT FROM ANOTHER SITE.

Suntasia Marketing Targeting Area with Deceptive Calls
Date: November 13, 2006

Suntasia Marketing Targeting Area with Deceptive Calls
Company Saying "You've Won a Vacation," Quoting Personal Info

Spokane, WA. - November 13, 2006 - An elderly woman from Spokane received a call a couple nights ago from Travel Agents Direct. The person calling was named Arthur Holden, and the number displayed on her Caller ID was 877-777-2709, and yet the number the telemarketer left for her to call was 727-683-1112.

When she tried a call to the 877# number, a voice recording stated that "this is a call to which long distance charges apply, please dial "1" first.

The telemarketer was offering 2 nights anywhere in the US, and airfare up to $500 on American Airlines for a shipping and handling fee of $1.95.

The elderly woman said, "NO, I do not give you permission to take money out of my account," to which the telemarketer said they already HAD her account number. They proceeded to read her CORRECT banking info off, both her routing and account number.

The elderly woman, with her adult child, went to the bank immediately to report this activity, and the bank is watching her account for any unauthorized activity.

Scary, or what? And who, exactly is this company, anyway?

BBB investigations came to find that the long distance number given for this company is directly linked to Suntasia, a marketing group for vacation packages/promotions and long distance service located at 8751 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL, 33771-3832, Web site: http://www.suntasia.com

This company has amassed 160 complaints as of the release of this alert, and based on BBB West Florida files, this company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to failure to respond to one or more complaints and two or more unresolved complaints. However the business has resolved most complaints presented to the Bureau.

This company also has an unsatisfactory record due to a pattern of complaints concerning misrepresentation and sales practices, unauthorized billing and credit issues, refund disputes and delivery issues.

This company has responded to some complaints regarding such companies as, but not limited to, FreeStuffForYou, Imperial Majesty, Paradise Vacations, Membership Services, Capital Travel, Capital Vacations, Two Talk Communications, and Travel Agent Network (TAN).

LINK:

http://www.spokane.bbb.org/alerts/alert ... newstype=1

THIS IS A BBB NEWS RELEASE ON VARIETY!, A PROGRAM PROMOTED BY STRATEGIA MARKETING(FORMERLY KNOWN AS SUNTASIA) !

Variety's Telemarketing Tactics Deceptive And Questionable
Caller ID Displays 727-252-0434, Toll-Free 877-777-2709

Spokane, WA- May 24, 2007 - Variety is targeting our region with telemarketing calls that are raising red flags which include the quoting of sensitive personal info BEFORE you even give it to them!

Variety has the following contact info:

13785 Walsingham Road, Suite 113 , Largo , FL, 33774-3221, phone (800) 869-2909 (plus a slew of other 800#s), web site: http://www.myvarietyclub.com

This company has an unsatisfactory record with the West Florida BBB due to a pattern of complaints and has failed to correct the underlying reason for the complaints. Complaints mostly concern sales practice issues.

A regional consumer called to report that she received a call from Variety stating that she was on a "special list" and was "chosen" to receive a variety of coupons and other free offers, but they first required her social security number as well as her check numbers. The consumer refused to give this sensitive information to a cold caller.

The number that showed up on her Caller ID was: 727-252-0434.

When the BBB researched this number at: bbb.org we came up with a report for <VARIETY< i>as well as a report for Travel Agents Go Direct with the following contact info:

11125 Park Blvd., Suite 104 - 364, Seminole , FL , 33772-4757 , phone (888) 546- 8844, web site: http://www.travelagentsgodirect.com

This company has an unsatisfactory record with the West Florida BBB due to failure to respond to one or more complaints and two or more unresolved complaints. However, the business has resolved most complaints presented by the BBB. As of the date of this release, this company has had 259 complaints in the last three-year reporting period. Complaints mostly concern billing, sales and refund issues.

The BBB did further research regarding this number by surfing online, and came up with a variety of blog sites that relayed such things about the 727-252-0434 number as:

1. "Called me today on my cell phone and said I am eligible for $100 in gas coupons. They asked to confirm my name and address, and then asked for my bank name and account number. The lady who talked to me called her supervisor, and her supervisor talked to me because I refused to give my bank info. I finally got tired of playing along, and hung up.

2. "I received an enormous amount of calls from Variety to my pre-paid cell phone. They wanted my personal information including my bank account numbers, home address and my SSN."

3. "Told me i earned 100$ in free gas vouchers for good banking account usage. Wanted the bank I used. Wouldn't give it to him. Tried to keep me on the phone and convince me he was trying to verify information. Didn't fall for it and hung up!"

4. "I recieved an obsessive amount of calls on my cell phone from Variety wanting personal information including my bank account numbers, home address and birth city. I urge you all to report this to the FCC at: fccinfo@fcc.gov."

TIPS

1. Gain as much information on the company you are speaking to as possible before you confirm or verify ANY personal info. If the caller hesitates or refuses to answer your questions, promptly end the call by telling them to take you off their list or you will report them to the FTC and hang up.

2. If the calls become harassment, then report them to the FCC, as well.

3. Whenever your personal information is quoted back to you by someone you don't know, hang up ASAP and contact the appropriate bank or credit card company(ies) and report that your personal info was quoted to you by a stranger. Request that no unauthorized charges go through without your permission. Then----

4. Check ALL bank and credit card statements regularly. In fact, make this a habit. If any questionable or unauthorized transactions are present, you can be pro- active ASAP.

5. Check the company out with the BBB FIRST before agreeing to anything via a cold call. If you have an unresolved issue concerning this or other companies, file formal complaints with your local BBB for resolve!

END OF ALERT !

If you want to see the warning for yourself then click below.

http://www.spokane.net/stay_connected/P ... x?prid=699

The Better Business Bureau has updated Strategia Marketing's report. It shows an unsatisfactory record including all the DBA names it has operated under such as Suntasia, FTN Promotions and so on.

Interesting to note they have created yet another LLC known as "Co-Compliance". Whatever that means. It even has an email address, legal@co-compliance.com. I guess Bryan Wolf will keep creating companies until he runs out of names to call his unethical practices. Anyway, you can see the report for yourself below.

BBB Reliability Report

The Better Business Bureau®
Serving Florida's West Coast
P.O. Box 7950
Clearwater, FL 33758-7950
(727) 535-5522 (24 Hours)
http://www.bbbwestflorida.org

Strategia Marketing, LLC
8751 Ulmerton Rd
Largo, FL 33771-3832
Telephone: (929) 245-5050
Fax: (727) 254-5055
http://strategia.com/

The BBB reports on members and non-members. If a company is a member of the BBB, it is stated in this report.

Original Business Start Date: November 1999
Principal: Mr. Bryon W. Wolf, Managing Member
Customer Contact: Mr. Donald L. Booth, General Counsel - (727) 471-0276 or legal@co-compliance.com

Entity: Corporation
Incorporated: December 2006, FL
TOB Classification: Telemarketing Service(s), Vacation Certificates & Vouchers
BBB Membership: This company is not a member.

This company previously was named Suntasia Marketing, Inc. The company changed its name to Strategia Marketing, LLC on April 30, 2007.

This report also references Co-Compliance, LLC, an affiliate of Strategia Marketing. These companies operate out of the same offices in Largo, Florida.


Additional DBA Names

Co-Compliance, LLC
Suntasia Marketing, Inc. (previously)
Guardian Marketing Services Corporation (previously)
FTN Promotions, Inc.
Capital Vacations


Nature Of Business

Strategia Marketing, LLC conducts telemarketing services for for various companies, which are listed in detail in the Customer Experience section of this report.

This company report also references the name Co-Compliance, LLC, an affiliate of Strategia Marketing. Co-Compliance provides the customer service for Strategia Marketing and the various companies that it telemarkets.


Customer Experience

Strategia Marketing has an unsatisfactory record due to a pattern of complaints concerning misrepresentation in sales practices, unauthorized billing, refund disputes, and delivery issues.

Strategia Marketing provides telemarketing services for the products of various companies. Each of these companies has its own BBB reliability report detailing the company and its complaint history. As the telemarketing service provider for these companies' products, Strategia Marketing is the source for many of the complaints. You may get these companies' reliability reports by contacting the BBB of West Florida at 800) 525-1447 or its website, http://www.bbbwestflorida.org/.

These companies include, but may not be limited to:

1. Agents Travel, 3993 Tyrone Blvd, St Petersburg, FL, (800) 432-6350
2. Distinct Advantage, 10500 Ulmerton Rd Ste 726-302, Largo, FL, (866) 545-5486
3. Florida Passport, 6822 22nd Ave N PMB 432, St Petersburg, FL, (888) 612-2894
4. Floridaway Dream Escape, 2655 Ulmerton Rd Ste 407, Clearwater, FL, (888) 488-8770
5. Freedom Gold, 10500 Ulmerton Rd, Largo, FL, Ste 726-302, (800) 853-0473
6. Prism Communications, 3665 E Bay Dr Ste 201B, Largo, FL, (888) 694-9151
7. Teliflex Communications, 3303 Seffner Dr, Holiday, FL, (866) 821-8674
8. Travel Agents Go Direct, 11125 Park Blvd Ste 104-364, Seminole, FL, (888) 546-8844
9. VersaTalk, 3303 Seffner Dr, Holiday, FL, (877) 494-7363
10. Variety, 13785 Walsingham Rd Ste 113, Largo, 33774, (800) 869-2909
11. Credit Life, 10460 Roosevelt Blvd N Ste 312, Saint Petersburg, FL, (800) 869-2909
12. Freedom Ring, 13799 Park Blvd Ste 312, Seminole, FL 33776, (866) 405-3952


Strategia Marketing's complaint information is as follows:

When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

The Bureau processed a total of 176 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 176 complaints closed in 36 months, 58 were closed in the last year.

Licensing

This company is in an industry that may require licensing, bonding or registration in order to lawfully do business. The Bureau encourages you to check with the appropriate agency to be certain any requirements are currently being met.


Company Management

Additional company management personnel include:

Mr. Roy A. Eliasson - Managing Member
Mr. Vance Vogel - Executive Director of Sales & Marketing
Mr. Michael Berndgen - Chief Financial Officer

Bryon Wolf, Managing Member of Strategia Marketing, LLC, and Roy Eliasson, Managing Member, are respectively the CEO and Vice President of Bay Pines Travel, Inc. The Bureau has a separate reliability report on Bay Pines Travel, Inc., located in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Additional Addresses, Telephone Numbers, Fax Numbers, and Web Addresses

Additional Addresses
9641 Gulf Blvd
Treasure Island, FL 33706-3209
Tel: (727) 367-6887


5621 Park St N
Saint Petersburg, FL 33709-6310
Tel: (727) 544-0776


5510 Gulfport Blvd S
Gulfport, FL 33707-4827
Tel: (727) 683-2240


13799 Park Blvd # 301
Seminole, FL 33776-3402


8601B Somerset Dr
Largo, FL 33773-2714


Additional Phone Numbers
Tel: (727) 363-4506
Tel: (888) 824-7675
Tel: (727) 360-5889
Tel: (727) 471-2058
Tel: (727) 471-0276
Tel: (727) 471-1777
Tel: (727) 471-1414
Tel: (800) 639-8326
Tel: (727) 342-5900


Additional Fax Numbers
Fax: (727) 471-0274
Fax: (727) 342-5905


Additional Web Addresses
http://www.suntasia.com

Industry Tips

Amended Telemarketing Sales Rule Can Change the Way You Do Business

End of Report


Don't forget that they also have http://strategia.com/ which is the same as the old site but a slightly different color. Now you are better informed.

Every do the happy dance Strategia Marketing just got raided by the FBI and FTC. I work acrossed the street from their place. It is a good day when low lifes like this get what coming to them.

for a link on it go to http://www.myfoxtampabay.com

This IS a good day! See the story below:

LARGO - Federal investigators say Largo based telemarketer Suntasia Marketing, Inc. used at least fifteen different business names to defraud consumers across the country out of tens, and perhaps hundreds, of millions of dollars.

The Federal Trade Commission says Suntasia's telemarketers called consumers to offer supposedly "free" trial memberships in discount buyers and travel clubs.

They got the customers to give them their bank account information and later charged them without authorization for a series of negative option programs.

With a negative option agreement, a company takes a consumer's silence or failure to cancel as acceptance of the offer, and permission to bill them.

"The essence of this massive telemarketing scam was simple: trick people into giving out their checking account numbers, send them a brochure on a travel and buyers club, take money out of their bank accounts for as long as possible, and make it very difficult to cancel and get a refund," said C. Steven Baker, Director of the FTC's Midwest Region.

Investigators say the telemarketers did not tell consumers the date that Suntasia's charges would be debited from their accounts, or the telephone numbers consumers must call to cancel to avoid being charged.

Suntasia and its related companies employs more than 700 people. A temporary restraining order now blocks the company from continuing the alleged scheme and freezes its assets.

According to Steve Baker, Director of the FTC’s Midwest Region, this is probably one of THE largest telemarketing scams in recent history. They estimated Suntasia aka Strategia made over $100 million dollars, operated in 18 different locations around Pinellas County, Florida and employed 800 employees.

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.

You can't keep scamming people and get away with it. Yes I am very happy they shut down this shameful company. See what happens when you open your mouth and start bragging? Bryan Wolf and the rest of those crooked owners were simply just too over confident and cocky that they would never get caught. Well, well, well they finally were. Buying yachts and living the high life off the backs of innocent people. Chalk one up for the good guys.

So now here it is folks. The media blitz on what we all now know as one of the biggest telemarketing scams in history. Click on the links below to see the video of the news stories on the feds bust.

Baynews 9 Report

http://baynews9.com/content/36/2007/7/2 ... ting+fraud

ABC Action News Report

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local ... ccf0a6f692

News Channel 8 Report

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/jul/25 ... s-breaking

Sadly there is always going to be another "Bryan Wolf" out there who thinks they can get away with scamming the public. I am afraid to say that another "Suntasia" like company is always lurking around the corner but for now we can feel safe that our pocket books are out of the reach from these scam artists.

The FTC held a news conference today outlining the reason for the raid on Strategia Aka Suntasia Marketing.

For Release: July 25, 2007

FTC Stops Massive, Deceptive Telemarketer

The Federal Trade Commission, with assistance from local police and the United States Postal Inspection Service, today halted the operations of a massive, Largo, Florida-based telemarketing scheme operated by Suntasia Marketing, Inc. The FTC alleges that over the last several years, Suntasia used at least fifteen different business names to defraud consumers across the United States out of tens, and perhaps hundreds, of millions of dollars. According to the FTC, when Suntasia’s telemarketers called consumers to offer supposedly “free” trial memberships in discount buyers and travel clubs, they deceived consumers into divulging their bank account information and later charged consumers without authorization for a series of negative option programs. With a negative option agreement, a company takes a consumer’s silence or failure to cancel as acceptance of the offer, and permission to bill them.

“The essence of this massive telemarketing scam was simple: trick people into giving out their checking account numbers, send them a brochure on a travel and buyers club, take money out of their bank accounts for as long as possible, and make it very difficult to cancel and get a refund,” said C. Steven Baker, Director of the FTC’s Midwest Region.

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.

According to the FTC’s complaint, telemarketers typically began their sales pitch by indicating that they were calling in regard to the “banking account” of their “valued customers,” to make consumers believe that Suntasia was affiliated with their banks. The telemarketers explained that the consumers had been chosen to receive a series of “free gifts,” typically a combination of either “$100 in gas coupons,” “$400 in airlines savings vouchers,” or “two free nights of hotel accommodations.” Consumers were told that they could keep these gifts even if they ultimately canceled Suntasia’s negative option program. These gifts turned out to be laden with undisclosed conditions and restrictions that rendered them effectively worthless. Also, the FTC alleges that the defendants honored the “gift” vouchers only if consumers maintained enrollment in their programs, despite the telemarketers’ promises.

After offering the “free gifts,” Suntasia telemarketers quickly attempted to obtain consumers’ account numbers. They indicated that they needed to “verify” this information to confirm consumers’ eligibility to receive the gifts. Having already pretended to be affiliated with consumers’ banks, the telemarketers now purported to already possess consumers’ bank account numbers. They read consumers their publicly available bank routing numbers, and then asked consumers to “verify” the remainder of the account number from the bottom of a check. According to the FTC, many consumers disclosed their account numbers because they believed they were simply verifying information that the telemarketers already had. The FTC also alleges that consumers frequently thought their account number was being “verified” solely to confirm their eligibility to receive the free gifts, not to authorize any future charges to their accounts.

According to the FTC’s court documents, after consumers divulged their bank account number, the telemarketers quickly began recording a “verification,” asking consumers to repeat the account number they had just “provided.” At the end of the recording, Suntasia telemarketers quickly offered consumers two additional negative option programs, commonly referred to as “upsells.” The FTC alleges, however, that these “upsell” offers were presented in such a way that consumers did not realize they were being asked to authorize the purchase of additional products and services.

The FTC maintains that Suntasia never disclosed key information about its negative option programs. For instance, the telemarketers did not tell consumers the date that Suntasia’s charges would be debited from their accounts, or the telephone numbers consumers must call to cancel to avoid being charged. Nor did Suntasia tell consumers that they would be required to call three separate telephone numbers to cancel the initial program and the two “upsells.”

If Suntasia telemarketers did discuss the length of the free trial period, they represented that this period would begin only once consumers received program materials in the mail. The FTC alleges that Suntasia actually started consumers’ free trial periods on the date of the sales call, however, meaning that consumers often had little, if any, time to cancel Suntasia’s programs without being charged. According to the FTC’s complaint, some consumers did not receive any program mailings from Suntasia and thus had no opportunity to cancel before they were charged. In many instances, these consumers received their first notice of the trial memberships when the defendants began charging them. In other instances, consumers received the program mailings only a day or two before their accounts were to be charged. Suntasia did not provide any consumers with the free trial period that was promised in their telemarketing calls.
The package consumers received in the mail also disclosed, for the first time, the telephone number that consumers must call to cancel. Prior to receiving this package, consumers had no way to contact Suntasia to cancel or to ask questions. The FTC alleges that in some instances, Suntasia proceeded to charge the accounts of even those consumers who canceled its programs. In addition, if consumers successfully canceled one program, they were not told that they still may be charged for two other programs, or that they must call different telephone numbers to cancel each of those programs.

The FTC alleges that the defendants misrepresented their affiliation with consumers’ banks or other third parties, that they already had consumers’ account numbers, the starting point and length of the free trial period, that they would honor consumers’ cancellation requests, that consumers may easily cancel their participation in a program, and that consumers are entitled to keep and to use the promised free gifts even if they ultimately cancel the negative option program. The FTC also alleges that the defendants failed to disclose, or to disclose adequately, the following: that the consumer’s account would be charged unless the consumer takes affirmative action to avoid the charge, that consumer’s checking account information would be used to debit their bank accounts, the cost of the programs, the dates the consumers’ account would be charged, the dates that the trial period begins and ends, the specific steps consumers must take in order to cancel, including that consumers must cancel each of the programs by calling a separate telephone number, and the conditions and restrictions on the “free gift” vouchers that severely limit their value and usefulness.

The FTC also alleges that the defendants debited funds from consumers’ accounts without their express verifiable authorization and express informed consent, and that they did not clearly and conspicuously disclose that the purpose of their call was to sell goods or services and the nature of those goods or services, as required by the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The defendants also allegedly illegally purchased leads containing consumers’ unencrypted bank account numbers for use in telemarketing.

At the FTC’s request, a U.S. district court in Tampa has entered a temporary restraining order that temporarily halts the allegedly deceptive scheme, freezes the assets of all defendants, and appoints a temporary receiver over the scheme’s corporate participants. According to the FTC, the scheme is run by nine interrelated companies that employ more than 700 people. The defendants charged are: FTN Promotions, Inc., doing business as Suntasia Inc., Suntasia Marketing, Inc., and Capital Vacations; Guardian Marketing Services Corp, doing business as Guardian Escrow Service; Strategia Marketing, LLC; Co-Compliance, LLC; JPW Consultants, Inc., doing business as Freedom Gold, Variety!, Credit Life, and Freedom Ring ULD; Travel Agents Direct, LLC, doing business as Travel Agents Go Direct, Florida Direct, and Lucid Long Distance; Agent’s Travel Network, Inc., doing business as Florida Passport; Bay Pines Travel, Inc.; Suntasia Properties, Inc.; Byron W. Wolf; Roy A. Eliasson; Alfred H. Wolf; Donald L. Booth; Jeffrey P. Wolf; and John Louis Smith II.

The FTC received invaluable assistance in this matter from the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Largo, Florida Police Department, the Better Business Bureau of West Florida, Inc., and the Pinellas County Department of Justice and Consumer Services.
The Commission vote to authorize staff to file the complaint was 5-0. The complaint and temporary restraining order were filed under seal in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, with the seal lifting today.

NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendant has actually violated the law. The case will be decided by the court.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, click http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.shtm or call 1-877-382-4357. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,600 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. For free information on a variety of consumer topics, click http://ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.shtm.

End of Press Release.

FTC website:

http://ftc.gov/opa/2007/07/suntasia.shtm

The big story was done by investigative WSBTV Reporter Jim Strickland in Atlanta where he confronts the owner of Suntasia Bryan Wolf and tries to ask him questions about his shameful company practices. It is titled "Feds Bust Telephone Boiler Room".

Click below.

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

WTSP – Tampa Bay’s 10 News

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/a ... ryid=59847

Miami Herald

http://www.miamiherald.com/business/AP/ ... 82237.html

St. Petersburg Times

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/26/North ... cuse.shtml

I am sure eventually if this turns into a criminal investigation the national media will get involved if not already.