I received a call from them today as well which I let go to voicemail because the # on my caller id was 561.  Thank you for these posts.  I knew it sounded scammy, but its nice to have confirmation of my suspicions.

Got phone call from "John Parrish", claimed himself the producer of "American Milestones", from an unavailable caller ID, wants me to call him at 561-826-0741.

We get these calls all the time.  They're scams.  Ask for the address, punch it google maps, look at street view and you'll often see a PO box place that rents addresses.  A serious official story, a website, name dropping and wella....SCAM.

Call from a Linda Gardner with American Milestones at extension 197, same main line 754 242 3178,

Same call from John Parish. Don't give them money!

I was surprised today to get a call from this number (x207 and American Milestones). I let it go to voicemail largely because the caller ID on my cellphone showed a callback number I'd never seen before: just "0". The "producer" sounded like it was her first day on the job; not very familiar with the script and had a halting delivery. Thanks to those who've previously posted comments; potentially saved me a lot of time.

We have been getting repeated calls at our office for various MDs - so glad we read these posts!

Same situation today....  A "John Parish" contacted me and left a message first.  When I returned the call he asked me to go to the "Shows" website.  He attempted to establish credibility by showing me other company logos, etc, and a fancy media schedule.  I was very cautious from the beginning which I am certain he felt in the conversation.  He then said I will be going in a different direction, and hung up quickly.
I then did some research on "American Milestones" and American Milestone's website.  I am finding scam details everywhere on this.  Hopefully, business folks will be smart and do their research before trusting anyone over the phone/ email, etc.

Same story. Thanks for the info. Anyway to get them to stop?

I am the same poster from above.  They have now tried again to reach our CEO, one month later.  When you try and block their number it comes up as "Caller Unknown" - clearly they are trying to be evasive.  Asking them to take you off their list does absolutely NOTHING.

Over the years I've fended off these people at several companies.  Basically, they want to lure you into an "interview" for their television series, which is no more than a $25-30k opportunity to pay them for their off-hours fake tv show.  I keep trying to block their calls, but they have gotten smart and the call comes through with "caller unknown" ID.   What a bunch of stupid losers.

American Milestones with Joan Lunden is a scam run by a company called Vision Media Television (doing a search for them will scare you straight). They keep changing their name to stay ahead of people catching on, but this isn't new.

I've been working in Biotech/Medical Device companies for years and getting calls from these people the entire time (clearly there is a sucker born every 10 minutes or they wouldn't be in business this long).  I keep telling them not to call back, and would block their number, however, they leave their incoming number blank on purpose.  Finally, I got an email asking for an interview, etc. etc. and told them to take us off their list.  In the past, I've gotten responses like, "What List?" - Whatever.  I pity the next person I have to speak to from their organization.  I'll probably resort to swearing.  How unprofessional of me.

These people are dishonest pathetic people who are using the admirable Joan Lunden to sell what will really be a promotional piece for you to use (WITHOUT JOAN IN IT) Joan has worked so hard to build a respectable career and these scumbags are using her and lying to their potential victims. They should be ashamed of themselves and get a real job selling their own talents, not using those of other hard working people.

http://www.joanlunden.com/advisory_warning3.html

It has come to my attention that entities identifying themselves variously as American Milestones, The Journal, World Progress Report, Inside America, BiographyPT, Healthwise, Staying Current, Lifeline, Medwatch 411, Spotlight, The Bio Series, and Imagine, Explore, Discover have been using my name in an improper manner that is without my consent in solicitations promoting the production (at a substantial cost) of public relations videos, commercials and paid-for news segments. The videos and commercials are described in these sales pitches as being for distribution, among other places, through "internet narrowcasting" and public television. Recipients of these solicitations may also be told that I have approved of or am endorsing their product or service, and that such endorsement will be featured in the video. In addition, I have been alerted to the existence of numerous web sites that use my name in their domain names without my permission, apparently as part of these unauthorized sales pitches.

I wish to make clear that I am NOT connected with, and do not sponsor, endorse or approve of any such unauthorized activities. Such uses of my name, and any implication that I or any one in my office is the producer of such programming, or in the solicitations for such programming, is wholly unauthorized. Any person soliciting this type of programming who states that they are my assistant, my producer, my employee, or calling from my office, is doing so falsely. In addition, the use of my name in a product or service endorsement, as well as any statements that I have endorsed or approve of a product or service in connection with this programming, are false.

It appears to me that the unauthorized use of my name may have arisen from my participation, in 2008, in the filming of certain generic "openings and closings" for what I was told would be educational television segments of less than 5 minutes in length. These segments were later to be produced on topics such as medicine, law and business, and were to be distributed by a company known as World Media Television, Inc. However, the authorized use of my name, likeness and image in such short segments was strictly limited to United States public television station exhibition. I did not create, narrate or appear in the segment content. Nor did I express approval of any products or services depicted in the segments. I have asked World Media Television and its related entities to provide a listing of the air times on public television for its programming (which they claim has aired), but I have not received such a listing to date.

To reiterate, I have not authorized my name to be used in the improper ways described above and certainly not to endorse any product or service.

Please feel free to contact us at info@joanlunden.com should you have any questions about this advisory.

Our nonprofit org received a call from Randi, assistant to producer Lorraine Messler. We set up a call, but I found this site and Joan Lunden's warning in the meantime and cancelled the phone appointment immediately. Her response to my statement that we chose "not to participate" confirmed the suspicious nature of the entire affair. The callback number we were given was 754-242-3178 x 294. It's all very convincing on the surface.

My organization was also contacted by American Milestones with Joan Lunden for a hefty pricetag of $22,900.

It appears the number is used by an organization called American Milestone. The company claims to be associated with Joan Lunden.