WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced May 16 that it has charged two individuals in Utah, as well as their telemarketing operation, for allegedly deceiving consumers about bogus work-at-home programs.
The defendants purportedly led consumers to believe they could earn thousands of dollars a month after purchasing business coaching services from the defendants. Despite marketing to consumers that the company’s products cost less than $100, the defendants would purportedly charge as much as $13,995 for services that are largely available for free on the Internet. Most consumers who paid money to the defendants ended up heavily in debt and without functional businesses.
The defendants are Jared Rodabaugh, Justin Larsen, Vision Solution Marketing LLC, VSM Group LLC, Ryze Services LLC, and Specialized Consulting Solutions LLC. The FTC alleges the defendants violated the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The FTC voted 2-0 to approve the complaint.
The Utah Department of Commerce, Division of Consumer Protection assisted in the case.