Empower Security Services Empower Services False Advertisement Jamaica New York

This company contacted me in regards to a Front Desk position, which I had applied to online. They asked me to bring a $100 deposit to get my fingerprints done because I was required to monitor cameras and needed a background check. I was asked to come in the following day for an interview and upon coming in I was attended by a different person than the one who had called. Ms. Kay called me to schedule and interview and told me to ask for her but Ms. Melendez (The Supervisor) was the person that interviewed me. She told me that the position would require me to take some classes and that I had to pay $300, we came to an agreement that I would pay $200 since that was too much money for me. However for clarification, I asked her if this was a guaranteed position.

She assured me that their company had different hotel locations in Manhattan and that I would be making $14 to $22 an hour. The $100 would be sent to the department to get my fingerprints taken (the department name/address was not disclosed) Also after the first 90 days I would have a pay increase because that was the probation period. I paid the following week and took the classes from Thursday to Sunday; I was the contacted after class and the person did not disclose their name but told me I had to go get my fingerprints done the following day. I registered online and found out I had to pay $102 for my fingerprints which I assumed I had already made a deposit for. When I tried to call back the person from Empower that called me for clarification, she did not pick up my call.

I called her 5 times and nothing, I decided to just pay since I already had my certification. At this point I was fully aware that this was not a Front Desk position but security guard service. Upon getting my fingerprints done I was then asked to pay an additional $36 for the application fee, which was not disclosed to me as well. The social Security Department told me I had been scammed and that I should not have paid any money in advance for the service. They also told me I should probably not go back, however, I wanted to see what their last step in the process would be so I returned. I came in to Empower around 9:40 am for my 10 am placement appointment on 8/21/13.

Mostly everyone from my class showed up and we were brought in groups of two to talk to the job-placing agent. I was called in around 10:40 am along with another person. Once we went inside the room, there were no certifications or licenses on the walls, just a guy sitting on a desk making calls from a Metro PCS red flip phone that looks similar to the Samsung SCH R250. In front across from him sat three African American women some who seemed to have their kids with them making phone calls. Upon sitting there for my placement I tried to ignore them being there but their chatter overpowered what I had been listening to. When I turned my ears to what they were doing, they had been calling people to come in for an orientation the following day for the job they had applied for online.

One call was to a person that applied for a front desk position another was for a housekeeping position. I then turned my attention to the "agent" who was offering me an undercover position in a supermarket. This was after asking me how much money I wanted to make, since I was told between $14 to $22 and hour that is what I said, to this he answered that since I was only available in the morning he could only offer me a position that pays $9 an hour. I said I did not want it, and he took care of everyone that came in after me (there were three other people beside me) and left me for last. He said the undercover position would be at a supermarket and that the company hiring me would pay me $10 an hour, while the supermarket would pay me $7.50 an hour.

So in total I would be making $17.50 an hour, and that I did not even need my security guard license. At that moment I decided I was definitely going home, I was really disrespected and scammed beyond belief. I came across as having an attitude but there was a clear dishonesty in these people that made me very disgusted and I decided to leave and not come back. Miss Batista (who I had never met before) tried to convince me to come back the next day when I was calm but I explained to her I have no desire of ever setting foot into that place again. My time and my money were wasted. I recorded everything that happened during the last interview to carry some evidence since they deny that they ever said anything we were told.