Avalon VIP Assistants, LLC Avalon Assistants Employment Fraud Miami, Florida
On Wedneday July 7th, 2010, I was contacted by Peter Viento congratulating me on being a new hire by Avalon VIP Assistants. I was hired in as a part time work at home Personal Assistant/Shopper and my job was to complete assigned tasks given to me for executives, athletes and celebrities that seek the services of this company. My pay was outlined in the Employment Agreement contract that I was emailed, $1000 per two weeks, to be paid on a weekly basis with an annual salary of $26,000 which doesn't add up. $1000 for two weeks, is $2000 per month multiplied by 12 months in a year is $24,000, yet, my paper says $26,000 per year. They said they would pay me by check or direct deposit. I have recieved no pay, and have been working for this company for over a week now.
My probabtion period was two weeks and if I completed my tasks properly, then I would be asked to be in a 1 year contract and would be given a company card to make purchases that required it.
The first assignment I was given was to research limo companies in my local area and create a word document with pictures, pros and cons. I completed this assigment, and it seemed fine to me. My next assignment was to find a rare handmade sculpture for this "client" that purchased it for their partner. The sculpture was a handmade mother and child made of mammoth tusk and obsidien base and was purchased in Russia. The sculpture supposedly got dropped and broken in the airport on their way to Los Angeles, CA. Peter Viento, the supervisor emailed me all the information I needed, the email address of the art gallery and all the contact information along with instructions I needed to locate this sculpture for the "client" to purchase it ASAP. I completed all desired tasks. I emailed the art gallery in Russia and got all info needed.
Next, Peter sent me an email stating how estatic the "client" is and they want to make a purchsase right away. The catch was that the art gallery ONLY accepts Western Union payments. Peter wanted me to accept the amount of the sculpture which is $9200 plus $350 Western Union Fee into MY PERSONAL BANK ACCOUNT and he would give me a bonus amount of $300 for completing this transaction. FRAUD is what automatically popped into my head. I refused to do it. I emailed Peter back and told him that I was offended, and this was tacky, unprofessional and unacceptable. I told him that if is your policy to give employees on their 1 year contract a company card, then perhaps it would make better sense to assign these particular tasks to the ones who can sucessfully complete the tasks. That is fraud and a set up.
Why would a company trust me, a total stranger to handle this large amount of cash to be deposited into my personal account? That makes no sense, what company operates like that? No one is that lazy and high profile to lose money.
The kicker is that while conducting research for this rare art piece, I found a report on this very wesite from a few people who were asked to do the same exact task back in February of 2010. The company name and all was different, but the task was exactly the same. Today is July 17th, 2010 and I have not gotten paid a dime for the tasks I did complete.
Please watch out for companies like this that make employment promises. Although the company name is different, the position and tasks are exactly the same. Please be careful.
8 Updates & Rebuttals
amb7
Sicklerville,New Jersey,
United States of America
They use Different Names.
#9Consumer Comment
Tue, March 15, 2011
Thank you for posting this. Apparently, this company is conducting their scam using different names. I received an identical "offer of employment" from a company called "Simply Do It" Assistants, LLC. It is the same address you have listed for Avalon and the same compensation arrangement. Of course, it seemed too good to be true, and I wondered what their angle was. When I searched the company on the BBB website, I found nothing, which immediately raises suspicions. I'm very glad I searched further before pursuing the potential opportunity to the same point that you did. Again, it just goes to prove, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
janet grover
Texas,United States of America
they tried to do it to me too
#9UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, September 08, 2010
I got all the exaCT SAME IN FO AND assignments. after reading these issues I think Im done. I thought it was funny that everytime I tried to call the number from the site no one was ever there and then Peter guy would email me my assignments but when I would email regarding questions he would nevver reply. O well Im done w/that now. Thank god
Dont trust them
keeg2474
Hernando,Florida,
United States of America
Police investigation
#9UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sun, August 22, 2010
Well I have done some investigation of my own and found that the IP addresses of the computers they are using are from Moscow, and in England. If this will help the police that you are talking about. If so let me know I will give them the info needed.
W Traveler
Garden City,New York,
USA
AVALON VIP IS A TOTAL FRAUD AND SCAM- BEWARE!
#9Consumer Comment
Mon, August 16, 2010
Posts #1 and #3 must be written by the scam artists themselves to give the "company" a cloak of legitimacy. AVALON VIP IS AN OBVIOUS SCAM AND TOTAL FRAUD, ACCORDING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT SOURCES. The criminal scam artists are located in Africa and are being tracked by Interpol and local law enforcement while they are online.
The con artists will be located by GPS while online and will be arrested. The police indicate that through advanced GPS satellite technology, they can trace the criminals even to the exact Internet cafe they are using.
Please do not fall for this obvious fraud and con game perpetrated by these criminals.
Flynrider
Phoenix,Arizona,
USA
Hey Notaripoff
#9Consumer Comment
Mon, August 16, 2010
Are you new here? This is the classic Western Union scam. The only reason scammers insist on Western Union transfers is that they leave no paper trail. Ideal for the scammer, not so good for the sucker that sends the money.
Anytime you're asked to send a W.U. transfer to someone you don't know, you are being scammed! Even W.U. agrees. From their home page :
"Did someone you don't know personally ask you to send money? DON'T DO IT!"
If this were legit, the "company" would simply send a bank wire to the seller. This is not rocket science.
To the original poster, sorry but you're not getting paid. The weeks worth of tasks was just to put the idea into your head that you had a working relationship with these people. There's a reason that you were asked to perform this task before you got paid a dime.
keeg2474
Hernando,Florida,
United States of America
The Original Poster Is telling the Truth
#9UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, August 16, 2010
I have been through this company as well. They did everything you said they did and more. I believed that they were a legit company and fell for the Russian Art gallery thing. But something told me not to trust to far and I put a hold to where nothing could be taken out of my account unless I went to the bank. Well no charges were reversed but he kept wanting a new account number to direct deposit my paycheck in. I told him that he had agreed to mail it and I wanted it overnighted to me. I do not know what they are playing at but it is a scam. Peter stated that you did not work so they did not pay you. Any legit company would pay some one for the work they have done. I have emailed Peter several times and no response. I have done some research on them. If you go to the hiring page on their new website and go to the bottom it shows a company called 5star concierge. I looked up this company and the same thing happened in New York where they were located. The new website for the company is avalon-services.com if you would like to look it up.
W Traveler
Garden City,New York,
United States of America
"Avalon VIP" is a Complete Fraud & Scam Operation
#9Consumer Comment
Fri, July 23, 2010
Avalon VIP is an obvious scam and a complete fraud. Interpol and various other police agencies are already investigating this so-called "company." The scam artists are actually based in South Africa and not in Florida as they claim. Arrests of the individuals perpetrating this scam are imminent, according to law enforcement sources. They are being tracked vis GPS and satellite technology while they are online and will be in custody soon.
Stay away from this SCAM operation. Consider yourself warned. At least they didn't get any money from the first poster.
notaripoff
chippewa lake,Ohio,
United States of America
They are not a rip off
#9Consumer Comment
Fri, July 23, 2010
The info you posted was wrong. The amount IS $26,000. Yearly salary is not figured the way you mentioned. You have to go by the weeks on a calendar literally and not just multiply the amount times the months. It is $26,000 when you count out the weeks.
And the only reason they ask for the western union is if you dont have a bank account. They cant get anything done in the 2 week probation period if they have to keep sending you checks via snail mail.
I have done EXTENSIVE research on this company and have found this to be THE only report against them. And this report had wrong information. Even the Attorney General and BBB received ZERO complaints....just sayin'