JMW Financial Services ripoff Charged $98 by check over the phone for training materials for a job, then I found out it's a scam. Mesa Arizona
A few days ago I stupidly answered this ad, the kind of ad I usually avoid like the plague. I don't know why but it somehow sounded good: a home-based job tracking down people owed refunds by HUD, promising $250 to $500 a week for only 2 to 4 hours of work.
Just as others have reported here, I was put on hold for a moment while the girl supposedly checked to see if there were jobs still available in my area, and then was told there was just one left. She described the job, and it sounded like something I could do easily enough, then told me they wanted $98 for training materials, by check numbers given over the phone if possible.
I did wonder at that point if this was a scam and even said so, and the girl answered by giving me a business license number to reassure me and said they'd been in business for six years. Then I all too readily complied and gave her my checking account and bank numbers. The girl, who called herself Bobbie, said the package would arrive in ten to twelve days, and assured me I could call back if I had any questions.
After I hung up, I looked them up on the internet and found this and other sites where others have reported being ripped off by them, describing exactly the same routine I had encountered.
JMW was not answering the phone that late so I called back early in the morning. When I asked for Bobbie I was told she wouldn't be in until the afternoon, by a girl who sounded exactly like Bobbie, and what did I want to talk to her about?
I said I wanted to cancel the job. The girl told me that to do that I would have to call a different number, which she gave me, a NON toll free number. I objected to its not being toll-free and then mentioned that I'd seen a number of scam reports on them. She said that's wrong, they are legitimate, I should call the other number, and hung up on me.
By then I knew I'd been manipulated, and being hung up on was a good sign they weren't on the up and up too.
Fortunately I was able to get to the bank and put a stop-payment on the check, and change my account as well, before they had time to put the check through. So I was lucky, but I wanted to report this to add my voice to the other complaints here.
CJ
Reno, Nevada
U.S.A.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Paul
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
Thinking about trying HUD refunds? You certainly won't get a refund on your "training materials" fee.
#6Consumer Suggestion
Mon, September 20, 2004
All fraud seems to have a few things in common. One of them is the promise of big money for little or no work. And, easy work. In this example, it's $250 to $500 for 2 to 4 hours. What is that, like $100 an hour? Hell, for that wage, the whole country would quit their jobs and do HUD refunds.
The next tipoff is some reason that you need to act now. The good jobs are almost all taken. You better hurry if you want to get in on this.
The last tipoff is that you always need to pay money. The offer is free, you just need to pay the shipping. Give us your credit card number. Or, you are expected to pay up-front for a supposed job. Somehow, they all have a good reason for you to send money.
Many frauds offer a money-back guarantee. If you're not 100% satisfied, you'll get every penny back.
Anything that starts out as free is most likely fraud. Just say the word free and watch the suckers gather round. Of course, they still need your credit card number. For "confirmation" purposes.
So remember:
1/Big money. Get rich!
2/Big promises! Fame! Success!
3/No work/easy work! You pick the hours!
4/Work right from home!
5/No experience needed! Anyone can do it!
6/Free!
7/Absolute 100% money-back guarantee!
8/Limited time! Act now! Don't miss out!
9/Fee required in advance.
10/Bank or credit numbers needed.
11/You have a bad feeling about the deal.
When you see those 11 things all together, it's always fraud. If you see at least 5 of those things together, you are most likely looking at fraud. Write them down. Memorize them. There are a million different frauds going on. But they all have the same things in common. Memorize these signs and you'll never get taken again.
Jenny
Milliken,Colorado,
U.S.A.
if they have to lie to me to get my money then they are probably lying about everything else to
#6Consumer Comment
Sun, September 19, 2004
I judged this company based on its tactics to get my money from me in the first place. When I came on here and found out the EVERYONE was told that "there is only one postion left in your area", I decided if they have to lie to me to get my money then they are probably lying about everything else to. If they had been honest to begin with hardly anyone on here would have filed a report. Fact is people don't like being lied to and if you do it once well you lost all their trust, and since they have done nothing to regain that trust, since employees who rebut on here, NEVER have anything to say about this tactic, well it seems to me they to know they a fruads.
D
Rainier,Oregon,
U.S.A.
how can you judge something you didn't try??
#6UPDATE Employee
Fri, September 17, 2004
First of all you can find negative stuff on anything from God to businesses. you can't down grade something you didn't really give a chance then read some bad stuff to turn around and quit no even giving it a chance and call it a fraud. quit judging a book by a cover that others are giving it. I could see if you had tryed it and it being fake and then saying it was a fraud, but most people just want quick easy money and not wanting to put EFFORT into it.
Jenny
Milliken,Colorado,
U.S.A.
Beware
#6Consumer Comment
Wed, July 28, 2004
I too canceled my check and now they have reported it to a collection agency, who has put it on my credit, claiming that they sent me the material and i did not pay. It also took about 6 or 7 months to do it and they never contacted me in mean time to let me know they still thought i owed them. So keep an eye out on your credit.
Bev
Fayetteville,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
JMW rip-off sounds familiar
#6Consumer Comment
Fri, July 23, 2004
I recently saw an ad for a job that sounded ideal for someone like myself. someone with a medical condition that can earn some money from home. I called the number and was told like others, that I would be trained to make money finding and contacting people owed a mortgage refund from HUD.
I expressed my skepticism, and was put on hold "to see if any jobs were still available in my area". "Brandy" as she called herself, came back on the line and said there were some jobs left but were filling up fast. I bit, and was charged $98 over the phone, and was told I could check out the company on the "better business bureau" website. "Brandy", gave me the web address, fbaa.com.
Obviously not the BBB, so I decided to check further( which I should have done before)and found many Rip-off articles that sounded just like my situation. I did a stop-payment 20 minutes after I made the transaction, but somehow the money was still taken from my account 3 days later. These people need to be stopped in their greasy little tracks!