Suntasia Strategia And Many Many Others TeleMarketors Largo Florida

Hey thought all you should know this place is finally closed. You should get ahold of the Largo Police, Clearwater Police, or Pinellase County Sheriff's office for more details.


LARGO (Bay News 9) -- Federal investigators say a nationwide telemarketing scam based in Largo defrauded victims out of millions of dollars.

Investigators said the telemarketing company, Suntasia, operated under more than a dozen different names for the past several years.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, Suntasia telemarketers cold-called consumers with offers of free trial memberships for buyers' and travel clubs. They would then get checking account information and charge the consumers monthly fees. If the consumers didn't call to cancel, the company would take the money out of their checking account, which is called a negative option.

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"I have been doing consumer fraud cases for the Federal Trade Commission for 25 years, said Steven Baker from the FTC. "And I believe this may well be the biggest telemarketing fraud I've ever seen."

Baker said the company would make it difficult to cancel and get a refund. Investigators say tens of millions of victims were defrauded.

The FTC has placed a restraining order on Suntasia and its six owners. If any criminal charges are filed, those charges would have to come from a a state or federal law enforcement agency.

Suntasia operated out of at least 15 different locations in Pinellas County with more than 800 employees.

The Largo Police Department and the United States Postal Service assisted in the investigation.

J
Paradise, Florida
U.S.A.