International Law

Where Do Cons Advertise? Part 1

Interesting little story out of Denver Englewood 'Artist' Arrested For Alleged Fraud

"An Englewood man who said he was a sculptor, recruiting women to work in his "art gallery," is now jailed, charged with theft and check fraud.

Englewood police arrested and jailed Donald Tuttle, 47, shortly after Tuttle was caught in an undercover CBS4 investigation."

Apparently Tuttle didn't pay the women, and sometimes asked them to recruit models who would pose nude. He recruited the women by placing ads in the classifieds.

But the interesting angle in the story was the following.

"Shameca Faris said she is angry with Tuttle, but also irritated that he was allowed to run classified ads.

"I would advise people to be more careful when they are looking at classified ads," said Faris.

Teri Driskell of Westword, said classified ad problems usually come from ads promising business opportunities, not from employment ads.

What you are seeing these days is more biz op frauds appearing in employment advertising.

Many of the major newspapers no longer have separate business opportunities in their classified sections and you will now find, for example, the vending scam pitches in the national employment databases run by newspapers.

One of the great innovations in the Florida Business Opportunity law was the requirement that in order to advertise in a classified paper, the business opportunity seller would be required to give the newspaper proof that they had registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

This is a very simple idea which should be followed up on a international scale between the United States and Canada.

More on why tomorrow.

Full post as published by Misleading Advertising Law on February 12, 2008 (boomark / email).