phone scam

ComplaintsScamsonline local yellowpages

Complaint

0
Sally Riley
Country: United States
change the dates, the story is the same.  The amount of $667.39 is even the same.  
When it was happening on the initial call in July, our business person suspected as much because she tried to interrupt the caller and not to answer the questions in order and she said "You weren't supposed to do that!  Now I have to start all over!"  Our employee correctly asked for the name and number of a manager and got a cancellation number which (of course) we are now told is not a number from them.  Shocker.

Comments

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  • 0
    Judy R.
    | 2 replies
    I'm glad you are doing your homework, people!  This is a total SCAM!!!  I took the time to get on the computer and file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Consumer Affairs in my particular state, the Department of Consumer Affairs in New York (since they are located in Tarrytown, NY), the BBB of Metropolitan NY, and I will file MORE.  I am going to the FBI next!  This is COMPLETELY WRONG AND RIDICULOUS!  Please, if you can, take the time to file complaints.  The only way things will get done is if you DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.  It really does not take that long and it helps.
    • 0
      Chicago Retailer replies to Judy R.
      Good for you, Judy.  I just got this crap from "Online Local Yellowpages" in "Tarrytown, NY" today and have already filed a complaint with the FTC.  Laurie at the FTC was great...had obviously heard it all before, and recommended contacting Dun & Bradstreet, 800-234-3867 regarding the complaint to fend off attacks by OLYP to damage your business credit.  That's my next call...right after lunc.
    • 0
      Barbara replies to Judy R.
      Judy, you sound like one rocking' force to be reckoned with.  FYI, as of today, Feb. 9, 2013, they have an address noted in Maryland. The address on the phony invoice backdated to October 17, 2012, is 8160 Maple Lawn Blvd., Suite 200, Fulton, MD 20759.
  • 0
    Judy R.
    I just found this information out, guys!  

    •Business owners should also send a written complaint, including relevant documents to the National Fraud Center C/O National Consumers League
    1701 K Street NW, Suite 1200
    Washington, DC 20006
    *JewelBabe posted a GREAT link that EVERYONE should read!  
    http://www.givemebackmycredit.com/blog/2012/0 ... e-its-back.html

    How do you like me now Online Local YP?  :)
  • 0
    Judy R.
    | 1 reply
    This just on the NEWS, HOT OFF THE PRESS!

    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-575548 ... -pay-back-$10m/

    It is the SAME SCAM, it is just picked up by a different set of scammers!

    How do you like me now Online Local YP?  ;)
    • 0
      David A replies to Judy R.
      The owners are millionaires , I really dont think they care what you think. While your in front of your computer acting like a sheriff, the owner is sipping on a cocktail somewhere in hawaii.
  • 0
    David A
    | 1 reply
    My sister in law, works for the FTC and has worked on this case last year. Just to let you know all your complaints get tossed out. The FTC does in fact persue these yellow pages companies but cant do anything because the authorization they recieve follow some sort of uniform code act that protects buisnesses, hense the reason they are able to continue buisness. You can keep fileing complaints but ultimatley it wont do any good. What brought me here today is my neighbor was recently a victim. good luck folks
    • 0
      tj replies to David A
      Actually, FTC doesn't "toss out the complaints".

      Only limitation is that FDCPA may not apply to business "debt", but federal fraud statutes, including wire fraud, give them plenty of authority to act.

      They went after an earlier incarnation of this scam several years ago, under the name Thomson Publishing, and got a federal court injunction against the Canadian scammers.

      Evey few years, FTC or state AGs go after the new batch.

      There is no "uniform code act that protects businesses".  In fact, your "story" attempts to portray some unverifiable UCC statute as "protection" for businesses conducting fraud.  this is consistent with the earlier attempt to deceptively portray a W9 form as somehow legitimizing a fraudulent business.

      Shill.
  • 0
    TR
    | 1 reply
    Marco Gatti called me the other week as well, same story same amount. They had cold called my house and talked to my wife who is not involved in the business, (my business has not used the house number for years) and made their pitch. She said I was not interested, they said they just wanted to verify the account info. The person that called back said to answer yes or no and that she would have to say she was the "manager" for it to work. That recording was played back to me by Marco sounding like my wife agreed to their terms. When I asked Marco to speak to someone else, he said there was no one else to speak to. I believe my wife's version not theirs. Marco never played the first conversation and said he would call up to 3 times a day and could turn me over to a collection agency. This is intimation and a scam. I have contacted BBB of their NY area as well as the NY Attorney General. The BBB did contact them and their response said they have a contract etc because someone representing my business agreed. I am not accepting their response with the BBB and leaving it open. I will be contacting my states consumer affairs next. Very sad that they make their living by scamming small businesses.
    • 0
      tj replies to TR
      They made it all up.

      These scams routinely and deliberately try to misrepresent  "verifying your information" as some "verbal contract", even doctoring recordings to splice "yes" phrases into a different "sales" script.

      They are a bunch of liars.
      As long as you only complain to BBB, they are free to make up whatever response they want with no consequences to lying.

      File fraud complaints with FTC and your state AG.
      Ignore their threats, since they can't and won't do anything beyond threatening.
      No attorney would be stupid enough to handle a "lawsuit" for them.
  • 0
    JenniferC
    | 1 reply
    I just received a summons to appear in court in the state of New York, I ignored their collections calls and then ignored the pre legal department rep. I really don't want to go and don't have the funds to pay for all these fees . Can someone please help me . My lawyer seems very excited by all this , he quoted me 2000$ to
    Fight this but I'm not sure if its worth it. Please help
    • 0
      tj replies to JenniferC
      Or you're just an idiot shill.

      Seems this shill has been very active on this thread.

      Are al the small business fraud complaints hurting your scam success rate?
  • 0
    ck
    | 1 reply
    Same exact story as everyone else above.  I told them we never authorized this and it is a scam.  He said, if you look up scam, they are not scamming as they currently have us listed, so they are providing a service.  What a bunch of crap!  We never authorized nor agreed to any contract of services.

    What a waste of time.  We will also be filing complaints to Better Business Bureau, Dept. of Consumer Affairs - NY & WA, Attorney General & Federal Trade Commission.
    • 0
      tj replies to ck
      "He said, if you look up scam, they are not scamming as they currently have us listed, so they are providing a service. "

      A contract requires an offer with disclosure of terms, and acceptance.
      No agreement to pay for this "listing", then nothing is owed.

      They just keep making up BS.
  • 0
    PF
    | 1 reply
    We received the same scam in Indiana.  Stacey Quin has left harassing messages and interest charges.  Refused to let me speak to her manager or legal which is a red flag and then started getting hostile at me.  Claims she never received my multiple call backs and faxes asking for them to send a valid contract.  In my conversation that preceded the recording, I stated that I would not authorize anything over the phone, that they must send me anything in writing to review.  They played the recorded conversation back for me and I never agreed to anything, though they tried to make it sound like I did.
    • 0
      tj replies to PF
      These scams doctor recordings.
      Their "recordings" prove nothing but that they engage in wire fraud.
  • 0
    GattiGoDown
    | 1 reply
    I think I just got my final call from Marco Gatti. He says our files will go to a third party collection agency that wont be so nice. He quoted a price different from the one he originally sent us, made mention of Danny O'Leary who is from the original agency that played a recording saying we approved the listing. The recording however is just a bunch of yes' and a no in regards to a fax number, but yet going to the sketchy site they listed a fax number. Not sure what is going on but thanks to this forum I am not giving in. Tried to get more information so my lawyer can call him and he says after today 1/29/2013 he wont have our file so don't have her call. However, I am glad he referenced Danny O'Leary because I totally forgot his name and since Marco said he has the files and notes from Danny, it just opened up a can I don't think he meant to do.
    And I was able to get an address out of Terry-town NY that the site does not list.

    THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is what our country is really about.
    • 0
      BPerkins replies to GattiGoDown
      You don't need an attorney, you can file all the complaint forms online. The NC State Attorney General got the fastest response for me. I filed the complaint 01/08/2013, it was resolved today.
  • 0
    BPerkins
    Marco Gatti and his cohorts are a bunch of lying, scamming thieves. They tried the same scam with me and I promptly filed complaints with BBB of Metropolitan NY, NY Dept. of Consumer Affairs, Federal Trade Commission, National Fraud Center and the Attorney General of NC. Today, I received a letter from Linda Matthews, Investigator for the Consumer Protection Division of NC. Guess what? Our "account" with Online Local Yellow Pages has been closed and all charges on it have been cancelled. Don't be tricked by their threats-they can't do a thing to you or your business!
  • 0
    Syliva @ dental office
    I too have been getting repeated invoices demanding payment, one from a Lucy Miller and another from Marco Gatti.  I called him back telling him I was calling regarding our account and after I gave him the account number he interrupted me asking me if receieved his final "Legal Letter"... i responded with "Whatever you want to call it"... this is not a legal letter of any kind and that I was aware that this was a scam and that I already reported his number and ext. to the Attorney General and that for him  to get a real job... a legal one!
    He just kept replying yes mam, yes mam..... I told him to stop wasting my time and his and take us off his list because nothing he  was doing was legal.  I dared him to send our account to collections.
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