Merchant Account Underwriting Tools

Monthly Archives: May 2011

What Animal Lays Eggs??

3900 NW 79th Ave Doral FL is an address we have visited before regarding “vacation” fraud.” Underwriters might want to make a note of the address.

From: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/05/vgc.shtm

HOLIDAY VACATIONS MARKETING CORP., INJUNCTION AND OTHER3900 NW 79th Ave., Suite 661EQUITABLE RELIEF Doral, FL 33166a corporation,HAPPY LIFE CARRIBBEAN [sic] CORP., 3900 NW 79th Ave., Suite 661Doral, FL 33166,a corporation,HAPPY LIFE CORPORATION OF AMERICA, INC., 3900 NW 79th Ave., Suite 330Doral, FL 33166,a corporation,

DARIO A. JIMENEZ LOPEZ,a/k/a Diego Jimenez, a/k/a Diego Lopez, 11002 NE 13th Ave.Miami, FL 33161,individually and as an officer of Holiday Vacations Marketing Corp., Happy Life Carribbean [sic] Corp., and Happy Life Corporation of America, Inc., andVICTOR M. RAMIREZ, 23714 SW 108th Ct.Homestead, FL 33032,individually and as an officer of Holiday Vacations Marketing Corp.

“For example, Defendants ran television advertisements that opened with the word“ATTENTION” (translated from Spanish) in large blue letters across the screen. The number “1-866-400-0139” in red font and a logo for “Holiday Vacations” remained at the bottom of the screen throughout the advertisement. Over a montage of images, mostly of Disney theme parks, the announcer stated (translated from Spanish):“Attention! Pay attention! The moment to play and win with Holiday Vacations is here… Because today we will offer prizes to the first fifteen people that can say what animal lays eggs and is not a bird. Call right now to the number that appears on the screen and win four days and three nights to the magical world of Disney in Orlando or Anaheim,with a full paid hotel for you and your family, meals and tickets to the parks of your choice … More than four thousand dollars in prizes to use whenever you want. Dial now and tell me what animal lays eggs and is not a bird, and the whole family wins.”16.When consumers called the number in the advertisements, Defendants’ Spanish-speaking telemarketers asked for the consumers’ answers and then congratulated them for winning the prize. Apparently, every caller “won.”

Every underwriter lost.

Our last client with a “vacation” offer at that address lost $260,000 in chargebacks. Sadly, the principal fled to Ecuador where he was killed two weeks later in a car crash and his co-conspirator spouse was injured seriously, leaving two young children in Miami.

Happy Life!!

FTC Sanctions Rapture Sellers

For Parody Release May 26, 2011. The FTC today announced contempt actions against marketers and merchants who promoted and sold “Rapture” consulting, services and products via the internet. Such services include, but do not exclude pet care, emails to those not caught up, T shirts, mugs, hats, and routine home maintenance. Possibly included are specialRead More

Jesse Willms….again

I am so confident that underwriters would not have touched anything with a hint of Jesse Willms on it that I hesitate to even call attention to the new FTC filing. (http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/1023012/index.shtm) FTC v Jesse Willms, Peter Graver, Adam Sechrist, Brett Callister, Carey L. Milne also d/b/a Just Think Media, Credit Report America, eDirect Software,Read More

The Habit of Capitalists

When assets are frozen and requests for credits come in, do chargebacks increase? “While Defendants correctly state that enrichment is the “habit of capitalists,” Opp. at 7, they completely miss the point. What is significant is the totality of the circumstances and what emerges is Fadi Salim, a fraudster who: (1) bilked consumers out ofRead More