WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Feb. 14 that it has reached a settlement with two men who allegedly made several million dollars from customers by conducting a "work-from home business opportunity" scam.
According to the FTC, Gregory Anderson and Garrett Robins, along with the five companies they controlled, used spam emails to promote a fake at home business program under the names of Online Cash Commission, Excel Cash Flow, Cash From Home and others.
Consumers paid the defendants a nearly $100 fee to join a program promising they could make a "significant income" by posting ad links on websites, the FTC said. The defendants set up fake review sites with false testimonials and even conned customers into calling telemarketers who then sold "coaching packages" for thousands of dollars, according to the FTC.
“Be very skeptical of promises that you’ll make a lot of money by working from home,” said FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection director Andrew Smith in a statement. “In this case and many others, we see companies that are just out to take your money, not help you make it.”
The settlement includes Anderson and Robins and their companies: Fat Giraffe Marketing Group LLC, Cloud Click LLC, Elevate Consulting International LLC, Cove Solutions LLC and Lake View Holdings LLC, from selling or assisting customers in the business coaching or business opportunity field, according to the FTC.
The settlement also includes a $10.9 million agreement, with most being suspended due to the defendants' inability to pay, the FTC said.