Latin Card Plus Pro-line Rip-Off latin card plus has been busted Alexandria Virginia

mi nombre es carmen rios yo tambien fui victima de esta compania latin card plus, ellos me dijeron que si le enviaba $400.00 dolares me darian un credito de $7,000.00 dolares, cuando recibi el paquete y trate de comunicarme a los telefonos que ellos daban y el fax nada contestaba, espero puedan ayudarnos atodos los que hemos sido victima de este fraude.

attentamente

The frauds set up right beside the Miami police! How much more brazen can you get?

They were stealing $7 million a year. And, what happened?

A cease and desist order! That means stop stealing any new money. They get to keep all the money that they have already stolen. The cops get to keep $80,000 and some office stuff.

Don't count on getting any refunds!

And, they'll be back with the same scam. Just with a different name. The Hispanic credit network. Just like I said!

There is only one sure way to keep this from happening to you. Keep your money in your pocket! Every time you decide to send it away for something, you risk getting ripped off.

I'll bet that $299 buys a lot of tortillas. Remember that the next time you are tempted to do something like this again!

I'm glad this looser got busted, but I bet the money has been allready ship to god knows where.
It's unreal this guys stold millions and millions of dollars out of this poor people. And who do we have to blame for this, let's start pointing fingers at the people that are extremly responsible for this screw up. Univision, Telemundo were very aware of everything and did nothing to stop it. Check it out in all the reports and any one would like to know names, dates and times feel free to ask.

Thanks

From eastbayexpress.com
Originally published by East Bay Express Oct 06, 2004
2004 New Times, Inc. All rights reserved.

Pro Line Gotcha!
Miami police and federal agents shut down a credit card scheme that victimized Bay Area Latinos.
BY KIRK NIELSEN
Chris Duffey

E-mail kirk.nielsen@miami newtimes.com
News Category: Crime

When detectives Yolanda Lombrage and David Colon of the Miami-Dade Police Economic Crimes Bureau swung into action to bust their biggest credit-card caper in memory, they didn't even have to leave the building.

The bureau is headquartered in Suite 301 of a suburban Miami office complex. On September 17, following a preliminary huddle in their office with agents from the Federal Trade Commission, the detectives simply walked across the hall and knocked on the door of Suite 318.

Inside, telemarketers were standing by for calls from credit-starved immigrants, lured by commercials on Univision and Telemundo affiliates across the United States. Just send a money order for $299, and soon a credit card as good as a MasterCard or Visa would be on its way -- or so they allegedly told would-be recipients. The card advertised in the Bay Area was called Pro Line, but customers in other markets were pitched Latin Card Plus, Advantage Platinum Card, La Familia Gold Card, Stored Value MasterCard, Premier Card Plus, or Kapital Card Plus.

"We don't ask nothing about the person -- where they work, how much they are making in the payroll," Carlos Mendez, a principal of Pro Line Card LLC, told the Express in August, when reporter Kara Platoni was investigating complaints from local Latinos who'd found that their new "credit" cards were about as useful as an old Woolworth's card (See "Latinos Warn of 'False' Credit Card," Cityside, 9/1). The Pro Line card, for example, was accepted only by a Pro Line Web site and catalogue operation offering merchandise such as computers, televisions, CD players, watches, and drum kits at grossly inflated prices and shipping charges.

Lombrage and Colon encountered no resistance as they served their soon-to-be-ex-neighbors a document ordering them to cease operations and turn over computers and financial records. Then the cops were off to Suite 407, one floor up, where a similar racket was abuzz.

Next stop: a five-story building about twenty blocks north. By the time they arrived, however, the telemarketers and managers had split. Lombrage says they left behind telephones and computer terminals, but took their computer server. "The security guards said everyone just ran out of there," the detective recounts. Over the next two weeks, the detectives and FTC agents closed down three more call centers and served restraining orders on several defendants instructing them to cease operations.

Lew Freeman, an accountant with much experience in federal fraud cases, is among the FTC's lead investigators on the case. He says the credit-card operation started sometime last year with the establishment of several companies, including Call Center Express and Pro Line.

Two people who helped make and advertise the cards are Cuban Americans, detectives say, but most of the eleven defendants named thus far are Guatemalan. They include principals Carlos Felipe Mendez and Julio Cesar Sandoval of Pro Line Card LLC; Edgar Alirio Gonzalez and Pablo Jose Martinez of Call Center Express, Inc.; and 33-year-old Jose Armando Llort Quinteno, an ex-banker and fugitive from Guatemala where, according to Freeman, he was charged with embezzling millions of dollars from the Banco de Credito Hipotecario Nacional. "He's Mr. Big," Freeman says.

Investigators believe the seven operations busted thus far were bringing in $600,000 per month -- $7.2 million per year. And they suspect there are other "franchises" in operation. "I think we got the tip of the iceberg," Freeman says.

Lombrage says Martinez wasn't home when she and her partner showed up to serve him. But someone at the residence called him and passed the phone to the detective, who persuaded Martinez to come home along with defendant Gonzalez. "They didn't give me a hard time," she says. "I think they responded because I made it very clear they weren't going to be arrested."

Not arrested? Well, not yet, anyway. A criminal case may ensue, but the restraining orders are a civil matter in which the FTC has filed a series of complaints against the business operators citing federal laws regarding telemarketing and consumer fraud.

Pending the outcome, a court-appointed receiver (Freeman, in this case) takes control of all of the defendants' assets he can get his hands on. As of last week, they included computers, telephones, office furniture, some of the merchandise once available on the credit-card Web sites, and about $80,000 from one of the Call Center Express bank accounts.

In his report to the FTC, Freeman says he has identified eight banks the defendants used. Several of those accounts have a "preponderance of overdrafted balances," he notes, which means a lot of the money has probably departed these shores. Perhaps some of the defendants have, too -- Lombrage has tried to deliver restraining orders to Sandoval and the Cubans, but has yet to locate them.

My name is Norma Reyes and I was one of the victims of latin card plus.
When i saw the commercial on tv on channal 15 on las vegas i believed it too. In that moment i call to apply and the first think they ask me was for my social security and job verification. When in the commercial they said they didnt ask for social or job verification. The think is that they ask for all my information and they told me to wait for a minute while they check with the creditors.
After that they told me that i was approve and that my credit line was $7,500 dallors but with a deposit of $399 dallors. They told me that i was going to recieve two credit cards one to used anywhere and the other one to use in there website www.latincardplus.com. They told me that I had to have a money oder ready in two days and personally be thare when it arrive. And they told me once it arrive to call tham back She gave me her name that was Kelly Matos and gave me the phone number to call her back and ask for her at this number 1(800)285-6595. In that moment i believed it and told her to send the credit cards. I recieved it on September 2 by mail. That they i wasn't home and the mail guy left me letter saying I had to pick it up in the nearest post office. The next day I went to pick it up and when i recieved it I was suprise because there was no credit card the only thing that where in the envelope was somes papers and card that didn't have my name it only had some numbers and the expiring date on it and the papers where for me to fax them so they could activate the card so i could used it in there website. In that moment i call them they told me they where having problems with there phone lines and to call back in week. I call back in week to talk to Kelly Matos they told me that she was helping other
customers and if wanted to leave my name and phone so she could call me back as soon as possibles. Five hours went by she didnt call back.
I call back that same evening they told me she left for the day. I call the next day they told me the same think and waited for her to call back She never did. I kept on calling that whole week they always had a excuse that she was not working that day or that she was helping other customers. I got tire of waiting and call back and talk to another person that person told me that I would be recieving my credit card in 7 says. I waited 7 day for my card to arrive it never did. I call back and ask to talk to one of there managers or supervisors. I talk to a Supervisor her name was Ana. I told her that i hadn't recieved my credit card and that i was trying to reach kelly matos because she told me that i recieved it to call her. She told me that Kelly Matos was sick and that propably she'll be back in week. And that my credit card will be getting it in 30 days. So that day i Call the number that the catalog had so i could order a TV . They told me that i had to put some money down for the tv because the card was just a membership card. And from that day i been waiting for my card that never arrived and never call since that day. Just from a week ago I have been calling and the numbers are disconnect or out of service. This how i knew that it was a fruad becuase i read the El Diario/prensan. So i have been a victim of there fruad too.

Vivo en Puerto Rico, y cuando contacte a la persona de Latin Card Plus el Sr. Tom Aguilar el me indico que habia cualificado para una tarjeta visa por la cantidad de 3,000.00 y que tenia que enviar un giro por la cantidad de 300.00. Cuando recibi el paquete solamente tenia una tarjeta dorado y no recibi la tarjeta de credito. Me he tratado de comunicarme varias veces al tel 1-800-473-0640 y no he logrado comunicacion desde septiembre. Debemos tomar alguna accion legal contra esta compania, aun tengo el sobre con la direccion en donde me enviaron el catalogo.

I sent in 300.00 dollars. They sent the card but cant use it or even contact them. How do we get our money back.

This guys are stealing money from people and no one is stopping them, what the hell is going on, where the police, FBI, and all this agencies that are there to protect the innocent. Here is the botton line this people have scamed more than 3 million dollars out of innocent people, their wesite is down, their phones numbers are disconnected and they continue to take money from people. Beacuse the all this people are sitting on their asses waiting for god knows whay to happen. I think we are all waiting for someone to go jail god knows I do.

I saw the annoucement in Telemundo called them and they were all so nice until after they got my money I couldn't contact them because there phones were disconnected all I want to do is to try to recover my money and am doing the necessary steps to try and recover my loses. I was also astounded that I was not the only one. And I also hope that they pay every cent and go to jail for the big FRAUD case they made out of this!!!!

I new it was to good to be true, I told my husband not to fall for it but he did.

What can we do???

Help please ....

FTC got them. Send all complaints to them.

I have been mislead, and I feel that these people
and others like them should be held more accountable before placing these scam adds. They shoud be sceened and have to face heavy penaties when caugth.

No I'm pretty sure something happened

No I'm pretty sure something happened

No I'm pretty sure something happened

Luis, did you buy the latin card? I hope not.

Trust me, the people aren't in jail. They're setting up the next fraud. It will be the "hispanic credit network".

Hispanic? Trouble getting credit? American banks won't help you! You need to come to me, Jose Garcia. I created the hispanic credit network just for us! Just send me $129 and....

Luis, look for it or something like it. Laugh at it, and tell all your friends.

Good luck!