they have my name, old address and routing number of one of my banks, they wanted to know my account number, when I told them that I feel uncomfortable giving this info, the guy hang up on me.

They called and said the same thing about the vouchers and gave me a hard time when i didn't want to give them my account information but when i hung up they called back. They gave me all their names and the manager picked up when I didn't agree so i thought it would be okay...but now i am worried...

Another Ex Suntasia/Strategia Employee Spoke Out and Talked to Fox 13 News in Tampa.

For weeks, Cory Millican put his nagging suspicions on hold and picked up the phone 450 times a day. What was he hoping to get? "Their checking account number," Millican said.

Millican says he didn't feel right doing it, but Strategia marketing pressured their employees to get the caller's checking account number. They did it, he says, by tricking potential customers with discounts and freebies.

He was very clear about how the scam worked and how his conscience would not let him continue. He realized that the product was a sham because there were people who had no need for the travel or gas vouchers but his manager kept pushing him to do it. If you want to see the interview click below.

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/Home ... TY&pageId=1.1.1

Also Eric Seidel, he is the consumer lawyer for the station did a story on the fraud and illegal activity that went on. Click below to see video.

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/MyFox/page ... =1&locale=EN-US

Former Employees Speak Out About Suntasia's Inside Operations

For those who don't know how everything operated at Suntasia Marketing, I am going to link you to a website that gives you inside information on how these crooks got away with this scam for so long. Everything that has been posted here concerning the questionable practices of this company is true. Now here it for yourself.

Alex Eckelberry is the host of the website http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com where he did a podcast interview with two former Suntasia (aka Strategia Marketing) employees. The two women agreed to be interviewed providing that their REAL names be with held due to fear of retaliation. They go by the names Stephanie and Carol. Many of the things they revealed I experienced myself but the fact that it is verified by these two women proves what I and others have been posting all along.

They talked about how;

* they presented the script over the phone to the unsuspecting consumer and how the agents tricked consumers by asking the name & city location of their bank so they could pull up the routing number and pretend to have their account #

* they heard other agents (ballers: high sales people) misrepresent themselves by saying that they needed the account number to verify that they had an open checking acount.

* everyone had to use the main key word "TODAY" because that was stating in the recording that they are not being billed for that day, but what Suntasia's agents don't tell you is that the consumer is going to be billed the next day and the next days to come even though it was suppose to be a two week free trial.

* they rebuttaled the person over and over again if they didn't want to give up their account information. The slick wording that was used.

* Suntasia management also scammed the employees when their paychecks were wrong and how hard it was to get it corrected.

* Suntasia doesn't care about your experience and just wanted you on the phone to make sales as quickly as possible.

* they felt the area (company grounds) was very restricted because of all the so called "secrets" between each room that was selling different products.

* the three different offers had three different numbers to call in case the consumer wanted to cancel. Unfortunately the consumer wasn't made aware of this.

* the sales person would claim they were in the shipping department and never would give details about the products being offered.


To hear the entire interview, you can download the Mp3 podcast by clicking below.

http://www.sunbelt-software.com/ihs/interview2d88.mp3

A blank screen will pop up and a little white box in the bottom left hand corner will appear. Once the audio clip has finished downloading, the screen will show a gray Quicktime audio bar. From there you can click play. The interview is very lengthy but so worth it. I hope this helps you understand how massive this scam was.

Update

KDKA Channel 2 in Pittsburgh has updated a story they did on one of Suntasia's sub companies, "Distinct Advantage", the discount savings program that was promoted up until a few months ago when the name changed to "Variety". Same scam just different name.

A local woman a year ago named Shirley Smorey of McKeesport, Pa was one of the consumers to get caught up in the scam. She says she was promised $100 in gas coupons and $500 in airline vouchers just for trying a ?free? membership in a discount buyers club. I am sure she is happy to know these scam artists were shutdown on Wednesday morning July the 25th. You can see Consumer Editor Yvonne Zanos new report by clicking on the link below and then just click play on the video at the upper right corner of the page.

http://kdka.com/consumer/local_story_207184342.html

According to Steve Baker, Director of the FTC?s Midwest Region, this is probably one of THE largest telemarketing scams in recent history. They estimated Suntasia aka Strategia made over $100 million dollars, operated in 18 different locations around Pinellas County, Florida and employed 800 employees.

Consumers complained in near-record numbers about Suntasia?s practices. In total, the FTC collected and reviewed more than 5,000 formal consumer complaints against Suntasia that were submitted to various law enforcement agencies and the Better Business Bureau.

You can?t keep scamming people and get away with it. Yes I am very happy they shut down this shameful company. See what happens when you open your mouth and start bragging? Bryan Wolf and the rest of those crooked owners were simply just too over confident and cocky that they would never get caught. Well, well, well they finally were. Buying yachts and living the high life off the backs of innocent people. Chalk one up for the good guys.

So now here it is folks. The media blitz on what we all now know as one of the biggest telemarketing scams in history. Click on the links below to see the video of the news stories on the feds bust.

Baynews 9 Report

http://baynews9.com/content/36/2007/7/25/2745 ... marketing+fraud

ABC Action News Report

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story ... 64-fbccf0a6f692

News Channel 8 Report

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/jul/25/telem ... /?news-breaking

WTSP ? Tampa Bay?s 10 News

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=59847

Sadly there is always going to be another "Bryan Wolf" out there who thinks they can get away with scamming the public. I am afraid to say that another "Suntasia" like company is always lurking around the corner but for now we can feel safe that our pocket books are out of the reach from these scam artists.

UPDATE: BREAKING NEWS ! !

FEDERAL AGENTS RAID STRATEGIA MARKETING AKA SUNTASIA AND SHUT IT DOWN.

For Release: July 25, 2007

FTC Stops Massive, Deceptive Telemarketer

The Federal Trade Commission, with assistance from local police and the United States Postal Inspection Service, today halted the operations of a massive, Largo, Florida-based telemarketing scheme operated by Suntasia Marketing, Inc. The FTC alleges that over the last several years, Suntasia used at least fifteen different business names to defraud consumers across the United States out of tens, and perhaps hundreds, of millions of dollars. According to the FTC, when Suntasia?s telemarketers called consumers to offer supposedly ?free? trial memberships in discount buyers and travel clubs, they deceived consumers into divulging their bank account information and later charged consumers without authorization for a series of negative option programs. With a negative option agreement, a company takes a consumer?s silence or failure to cancel as acceptance of the offer, and permission to bill them.

?The essence of this massive telemarketing scam was simple: trick people into giving out their checking account numbers, send them a brochure on a travel and buyers club, take money out of their bank accounts for as long as possible, and make it very difficult to cancel and get a refund,? said C. Steven Baker, Director of the FTC?s Midwest Region.

Consumers complained in near-record numbers about Suntasia?s practices. In total, the FTC collected and reviewed more than 5,000 formal consumer complaints against Suntasia that were submitted to various law enforcement agencies and the Better Business Bureau.

According to the FTC?s complaint, telemarketers typically began their sales pitch by indicating that they were calling in regard to the ?banking account? of their ?valued customers,? to make consumers believe that Suntasia was affiliated with their banks. The telemarketers explained that the consumers had been chosen to receive a series of ?free gifts,? typically a combination of either ?$100 in gas coupons,? ?$400 in airlines savings vouchers,? or ?two free nights of hotel accommodations.? Consumers were told that they could keep these gifts even if they ultimately canceled Suntasia?s negative option program. These gifts turned out to be laden with undisclosed conditions and restrictions that rendered them effectively worthless. Also, the FTC alleges that the defendants honored the ?gift? vouchers only if consumers maintained enrollment in their programs, despite the telemarketers? promises.

After offering the ?free gifts,? Suntasia telemarketers quickly attempted to obtain consumers? account numbers. They indicated that they needed to ?verify? this information to confirm consumers? eligibility to receive the gifts. Having already pretended to be affiliated with consumers? banks, the telemarketers now purported to already possess consumers? bank account numbers. They read consumers their publicly available bank routing numbers, and then asked consumers to ?verify? the remainder of the account number from the bottom of a check. According to the FTC, many consumers disclosed their account numbers because they believed they were simply verifying information that the telemarketers already had. The FTC also alleges that consumers frequently thought their account number was being ?verified? solely to confirm their eligibility to receive the free gifts, not to authorize any future charges to their accounts.

According to the FTC?s court documents, after consumers divulged their bank account number, the telemarketers quickly began recording a ?verification,? asking consumers to repeat the account number they had just ?provided.? At the end of the recording, Suntasia telemarketers quickly offered consumers two additional negative option programs, commonly referred to as ?upsells.? The FTC alleges, however, that these ?upsell? offers were presented in such a way that consumers did not realize they were being asked to authorize the purchase of additional products and services.

The FTC maintains that Suntasia never disclosed key information about its negative option programs. For instance, the telemarketers did not tell consumers the date that Suntasia?s charges would be debited from their accounts, or the telephone numbers consumers must call to cancel to avoid being charged. Nor did Suntasia tell consumers that they would be required to call three separate telephone numbers to cancel the initial program and the two ?upsells.?

If Suntasia telemarketers did discuss the length of the free trial period, they represented that this period would begin only once consumers received program materials in the mail. The FTC alleges that Suntasia actually started consumers? free trial periods on the date of the sales call, however, meaning that consumers often had little, if any, time to cancel Suntasia?s programs without being charged. According to the FTC?s complaint, some consumers did not receive any program mailings from Suntasia and thus had no opportunity to cancel before they were charged. In many instances, these consumers received their first notice of the trial memberships when the defendants began charging them. In other instances, consumers received the program mailings only a day or two before their accounts were to be charged. Suntasia did not provide any consumers with the free trial period that was promised in their telemarketing calls.
The package consumers received in the mail also disclosed, for the first time, the telephone number that consumers must call to cancel. Prior to receiving this package, consumers had no way to contact Suntasia to cancel or to ask questions. The FTC alleges that in some instances, Suntasia proceeded to charge the accounts of even those consumers who canceled its programs. In addition, if consumers successfully canceled one program, they were not told that they still may be charged for two other programs, or that they must call different telephone numbers to cancel each of those programs.

The FTC alleges that the defendants misrepresented their affiliation with consumers? banks or other third parties, that they already had consumers? account numbers, the starting point and length of the free trial period, that they would honor consumers? cancellation requests, that consumers may easily cancel their participation in a program, and that consumers are entitled to keep and to use the promised free gifts even if they ultimately cancel the negative option program. The FTC also alleges that the defendants failed to disclose, or to disclose adequately, the following: that the consumer?s account would be charged unless the consumer takes affirmative action to avoid the charge, that consumer?s checking account information would be used to debit their bank accounts, the cost of the programs, the dates the consumers? account would be charged, the dates that the trial period begins and ends, the specific steps consumers must take in order to cancel, including that consumers must cancel each of the programs by calling a separate telephone number, and the conditions and restrictions on the ?free gift? vouchers that severely limit their value and usefulness.

The FTC also alleges that the defendants debited funds from consumers? accounts without their express verifiable authorization and express informed consent, and that they did not clearly and conspicuously disclose that the purpose of their call was to sell goods or services and the nature of those goods or services, as required by the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The defendants also allegedly illegally purchased leads containing consumers? unencrypted bank account numbers for use in telemarketing.

At the FTC?s request, a U.S. district court in Tampa has entered a temporary restraining order that temporarily halts the allegedly deceptive scheme, freezes the assets of all defendants, and appoints a temporary receiver over the scheme?s corporate participants. According to the FTC, the scheme is run by nine interrelated companies that employ more than 700 people. The defendants charged are: FTN Promotions, Inc., doing business as Suntasia Inc., Suntasia Marketing, Inc., and Capital Vacations; Guardian Marketing Services Corp, doing business as Guardian Escrow Service; Strategia Marketing, LLC; Co-Compliance, LLC; JPW Consultants, Inc., doing business as Freedom Gold, Variety!, Credit Life, and Freedom Ring ULD; Travel Agents Direct, LLC, doing business as Travel Agents Go Direct, Florida Direct, and Lucid Long Distance; Agent?s Travel Network, Inc., doing business as Florida Passport; Bay Pines Travel, Inc.; Suntasia Properties, Inc.; Byron W. Wolf; Roy A. Eliasson; Alfred H. Wolf; Donald L. Booth; Jeffrey P. Wolf; and John Louis Smith II.

The FTC received invaluable assistance in this matter from the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Largo, Florida Police Department, the Better Business Bureau of West Florida, Inc., and the Pinellas County Department of Justice and Consumer Services.
The Commission vote to authorize staff to file the complaint was 5-0. The complaint and temporary restraining order were filed under seal in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, with the seal lifting today.

NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has ?reason to believe? that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendant has actually violated the law. The case will be decided by the court.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, click http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.shtm or call 1-877-382-4357. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,600 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. For free information on a variety of consumer topics, click http://ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.shtm.

The Better Business Bureau has updated Strategia Marketing's report. It shows an unsatisfactory record including all the DBA names it has operated under such as Suntasia, FTN Promotions and so on.

Interesting to note they have created yet another LLC known as "Co-Compliance". Whatever that means. It even has an email address, legal@co-compliance.com. I guess Bryan Wolf will keep creating companies until he runs out of names to call his unethical practices. Anyway, you can see the report for yourself below.

BBB Reliability Report

The Better Business Bureau®
Serving Florida's West Coast
P.O. Box 7950
Clearwater, FL 33758-7950
(727) 535-5522 (24 Hours)
http://www.bbbwestflorida.org/

Strategia Marketing, LLC
8751 Ulmerton Rd
Largo, FL  33771-3832
Telephone: (929) 245-5050
Fax: (727) 254-5055
http://strategia.com

The BBB reports on members and non-members. If a company is a member of the BBB, it is stated in this report.

Original Business Start Date: November 1999
Principal: Mr. Bryon W. Wolf, Managing Member
Customer Contact: Mr. Donald L. Booth, General Counsel - (727) 471-0276 or legal@co-compliance.com

Entity: Corporation
Incorporated: December 2006, FL
TOB Classification: Telemarketing Service(s), Vacation Certificates & Vouchers
BBB Membership: This company is not a member.

This company previously was named Suntasia Marketing, Inc. The company changed its name to Strategia Marketing, LLC on April 30, 2007.

This report also references Co-Compliance, LLC, an affiliate of Strategia Marketing. These companies operate out of the same offices in Largo, Florida.


Additional DBA Names

Co-Compliance, LLC
Suntasia Marketing, Inc. (previously)
Guardian Marketing Services Corporation (previously)
FTN Promotions, Inc.
Capital Vacations


Nature Of Business

Strategia Marketing, LLC conducts telemarketing services for for various companies, which are listed in detail in the Customer Experience section of this report.

This company report also references the name Co-Compliance, LLC, an affiliate of Strategia Marketing. Co-Compliance provides the customer service for Strategia Marketing and the various companies that it telemarkets.


Customer Experience

Strategia Marketing has an unsatisfactory record due to a pattern of complaints concerning misrepresentation in sales practices, unauthorized billing, refund disputes, and delivery issues.

Strategia Marketing provides telemarketing services for the products of various companies. Each of these companies has its own BBB reliability report detailing the company and its complaint history. As the telemarketing service provider for these companies' products, Strategia Marketing is the source for many of the complaints. You may get these companies' reliability reports by contacting the BBB of West Florida at 800) 525-1447 or its website, http://www.bbbwestflorida.org/.

These companies include, but may not be limited to:

1. Agents Travel, 3993 Tyrone Blvd, St Petersburg, FL, (800) 432-6350
2. Distinct Advantage, 10500 Ulmerton Rd Ste 726-302, Largo, FL, (866) 545-5486
3. Florida Passport, 6822 22nd Ave N PMB 432, St Petersburg, FL, (888) 612-2894
4. Floridaway Dream Escape, 2655 Ulmerton Rd Ste 407, Clearwater, FL, (888) 488-8770
5. Freedom Gold, 10500 Ulmerton Rd, Largo, FL, Ste 726-302, (800) 853-0473
6. Prism Communications, 3665 E Bay Dr Ste 201B, Largo, FL, (888) 694-9151
7. Teliflex Communications, 3303 Seffner Dr, Holiday, FL, (866) 821-8674
8. Travel Agents Go Direct, 11125 Park Blvd Ste 104-364, Seminole, FL, (888) 546-8844
9. VersaTalk, 3303 Seffner Dr, Holiday, FL, (877) 494-7363
10. Variety, 13785 Walsingham Rd Ste 113, Largo, 33774, (800) 869-2909
11. Credit Life, 10460 Roosevelt Blvd N Ste 312, Saint Petersburg, FL, (800) 869-2909
12. Freedom Ring, 13799 Park Blvd Ste 312, Seminole, FL 33776, (866) 405-3952


Strategia Marketing's complaint information is as follows:

When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

The Bureau processed a total of 176 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 176 complaints closed in 36 months, 58 were closed in the last year.

Licensing

This company is in an industry that may require licensing, bonding or registration in order to lawfully do business. The Bureau encourages you to check with the appropriate agency to be certain any requirements are currently being met.


Company Management

Additional company management personnel include:

Mr. Roy A. Eliasson - Managing Member
Mr. Vance Vogel - Executive Director of Sales & Marketing
Mr. Michael Berndgen - Chief Financial Officer

Bryon Wolf, Managing Member of Strategia Marketing, LLC, and Roy Eliasson, Managing Member, are respectively the CEO and Vice President of Bay Pines Travel, Inc. The Bureau has a separate reliability report on Bay Pines Travel, Inc., located in Saint Petersburg, Florida.


Additional Addresses, Telephone Numbers, Fax Numbers, and Web Addresses

Additional Addresses
9641 Gulf Blvd
Treasure Island, FL  33706-3209
Tel: (727) 367-6887


5621 Park St N
Saint Petersburg, FL  33709-6310
Tel: (727) 544-0776


5510 Gulfport Blvd S
Gulfport, FL  33707-4827
Tel: (727) 683-2240


13799 Park Blvd # 301
Seminole, FL  33776-3402


8601B Somerset Dr
Largo, FL  33773-2714


Additional Phone Numbers
Tel: (727) 363-4506
Tel: (888) 824-7675
Tel: (727) 360-5889
Tel: (727) 471-2058
Tel: (727) 471-0276
Tel: (727) 471-1777
Tel: (727) 471-1414
Tel: (800) 639-8326
Tel: (727) 342-5900


Additional Fax Numbers
Fax: (727) 471-0274
Fax: (727) 342-5905


Additional Web Addresses
http://www.suntasia.com/

Industry Tips

Amended Telemarketing Sales Rule Can Change the Way You Do Business

End of Report


Don't forget that they also have http://strategia.com/ which is the same as the old site but a slightly different color. Now you are better informed.

Another Alert On Suntasia/Strategia Promotions

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THIS IS A BBB NEWS RELEASE ON VARIETY!, A PROGRAM PROMOTED BY STRATEGIA MARKETING(FORMERLY KNOWN AS SUNTASIA) !

Variety's Telemarketing Tactics Deceptive And Questionable
Caller ID Displays 727-252-0434, Toll-Free 877-777-2709

Spokane, WA- May 24, 2007 - Variety is targeting our region with telemarketing calls that are raising red flags which include the quoting of sensitive personal info BEFORE you even give it to them!

Variety has the following contact info:

13785 Walsingham Road, Suite 113 , Largo , FL, 33774-3221, phone (800) 869-2909 (plus a slew of other 800#s), web site: http://www.myvarietyclub.com/

This company has an unsatisfactory record with the West Florida BBB due to a pattern of complaints and has failed to correct the underlying reason for the complaints. Complaints mostly concern sales practice issues.

A regional consumer called to report that she received a call from Variety stating that she was on a "special list" and was "chosen" to receive a variety of coupons and other free offers, but they first required her social security number as well as her check numbers. The consumer refused to give this sensitive information to a cold caller.

The number that showed up on her Caller ID was: 727-252-0434.

When the BBB researched this number at: bbb.org we came up with a report for <VARIETY< i>as well as a report for Travel Agents Go Direct with the following contact info:

11125 Park Blvd., Suite 104 - 364, Seminole , FL , 33772-4757 , phone (888) 546- 8844, web site: http://www.travelagentsgodirect.com/

This company has an unsatisfactory record with the West Florida BBB due to failure to respond to one or more complaints and two or more unresolved complaints. However, the business has resolved most complaints presented by the BBB. As of the date of this release, this company has had 259 complaints in the last three-year reporting period. Complaints mostly concern billing, sales and refund issues.

The BBB did further research regarding this number by surfing online, and came up with a variety of blog sites that relayed such things about the 727-252-0434 number as:

1. "Called me today on my cell phone and said I am eligible for $100 in gas coupons. They asked to confirm my name and address, and then asked for my bank name and account number. The lady who talked to me called her supervisor, and her supervisor talked to me because I refused to give my bank info. I finally got tired of playing along, and hung up.

2. "I received an enormous amount of calls from Variety to my pre-paid cell phone. They wanted my personal information including my bank account numbers, home address and my SSN."

3. "Told me i earned 100$ in free gas vouchers for good banking account usage. Wanted the bank I used. Wouldn't give it to him. Tried to keep me on the phone and convince me he was trying to verify information. Didn't fall for it and hung up!"

4. "I recieved an obsessive amount of calls on my cell phone from Variety wanting personal information including my bank account numbers, home address and birth city. I urge you all to report this to the FCC at: fccinfo@fcc.gov."

TIPS

1. Gain as much information on the company you are speaking to as possible before you confirm or verify ANY personal info. If the caller hesitates or refuses to answer your questions, promptly end the call by telling them to take you off their list or you will report them to the FTC and hang up.

2. If the calls become harassment, then report them to the FCC, as well.

3. Whenever your personal information is quoted back to you by someone you don't know, hang up ASAP and contact the appropriate bank or credit card company(ies) and report that your personal info was quoted to you by a stranger. Request that no unauthorized charges go through without your permission. Then----

4. Check ALL bank and credit card statements regularly. In fact, make this a habit. If any questionable or unauthorized transactions are present, you can be pro- active ASAP.

5. Check the company out with the BBB FIRST before agreeing to anything via a cold call. If you have an unresolved issue concerning this or other companies, file formal complaints with your local BBB for resolve!

END OF ALERT !

If you want to see the warning for yourself then click below.

http://www.spokane.net/stay_connected/PressReleases.aspx?prid=699

Everyone needs to call the FCC Toll Free: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice, 1-888-TELL- FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY. I almost got screw i called and they hung up on me the second time first time i said why were they calling me and why are they asking me for bank information they said they didnt know my acct number if i had talk to the right people then they give me the 1877-777-2709 number called there and they scream at me dont be calling there to call the other people that called me all BS BS dicline i will travel to the address they give me from the 877-777-2709 number track it by company and address the address is 10500ulmertom raod suite 726-30735 Largo FL 33771 att demographic....why are they getting mad if i wanna find out what their doing so i said why you want my bank acct they are BS ......

I called my bank and they said i should close acct or stop payment of the amount they said the package cost the best thing to do is clse acct do it i call back and they hung up on me....

Caller called from 727-252-0515, didnt catch name , had all my information if you run into this problem get in contact with bank , STOP PAYMENT and  I personally Pray and believe that these guys will be caught in Jesus name, if this is a scam! Thank you Father GOD for hearing my prayer and the prayer of others who are concerned, and have a right to be , it is all part of the wisdom you have given us to handle situations like this, in your sons HOLY name JESUS CHRIST,Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

called telling me they were working with Wachovia (my bank) to give air fare vouchers to checking customers. I fell for it. i confirmed my routing number over the phone till i found out 5 minutes later that i would be automatically charged for some magazine subscription?? that i would have to actively cancel before the service could be stopped. i told the woman on the phone to cancel the service right then but she was very beligerant and more or less refused to acknowledge my wishes. we had a verbal spat. now i am getting harassing phone calls at all hours from the 727 and 772 area codes. who can i complain to? or do i have to just drive up the coast and find these people?

Caller informed me that as my checking account was in good standing for this past year I was going to win $400 in airline fare and $100 in gas vouchers.  These vouchers were free, and they would pay the shipping and handling and were good for a year, and could be transfered to my family members if I wanted.  They told me my full name and address and where my bank was located, then they asked me to state the name of my bank.  After I told them the name of my bank, they told me the routing number and proceeded to ask me what my account number was...just to verify that I was me.  I told him I was unsure and asked him to tell me my account number.  I figured that if they knew what standing my account was in they would also know the number.  He said that he wanted to verify that I was the right person and asked me again to tell my number.  I asked him to tell me the number that he had in front of him, informing him that I was afraid of being scammed.  He gave me the phone number and name of the company, but still failed to tell me my account number. As he asked for it again and told me that the prize came with no strings attached, I hung up because I knew it was a scam.

I received a call today on my cell phone informing me that I was awarded $100 in free gas and $400 airline travel voucher for a recent purchase with through a check. They wanted to verify my information and said they had my information and wanted to know which Bank My checking account was and then asked for routing number. I told Richard Butler I didn't know this information and after being pressed several times with me saying I didn't know. I didn't give him any information. He said he would call back.I tried to call him back on the number on caller ID only to get a busy signal.

I received a call today at my office from "Travel Life" saying I won a free trip because of a recent purchase online or through an event through one of their affiliates.  I asked her what affiliate and she couldn't tell me. She verified my home address and wanted the name of my bank.  When I questioned why she said she couldn't do anything with a name of a bank and gave me the bank she belongs to (which I've never heard before).  When I wanted to call her back to make sure she was from a legitimate company, she gave me this 877-777-2709 number and that they'd know the company that provided my information.  I then called that number for "Membership Services" out of Largo FL and was given the same run-around.  I questioned the validity and he confirmed that they were legitimate company out of Largo FL working for Variety.  I said that wasn't who had called me and he said who and I said Travel Life.  He then reacted and said they are a discount provider of travel services.  I told him I was uncomfortable being called at work and anyone having my information and that with the rise in fraud I wasn't participating and hung up.

DOOO not give any information to these people if they call you!! I work for a credit card company and have had many people call me stating that they got calls from this number and also 1-727-252-0435. It is a phishing company trying to get any information out of you possible to make fraudulent activity on bank accounts/credit cards. Be careful and if your ever suspicious of a call, hang up and call the number on the back of your card.. because that will always be somebody working with your credit card company

THIS WAS AN ALERT BY THE BBB DONE BACK EIGHT MONTHS AGO. I THOUGHT I WOULD RE-POST IT FROM ANOTHER SITE.

Suntasia Marketing Targeting Area with Deceptive Calls
Date: November 13, 2006

Suntasia Marketing Targeting Area with Deceptive Calls
Company Saying "You've Won a Vacation," Quoting Personal Info

Spokane, WA. - November 13, 2006 - An elderly woman from Spokane received a call a couple nights ago from Travel Agents Direct. The person calling was named Arthur Holden, and the number displayed on her Caller ID was 877-777-2709, and yet the number the telemarketer left for her to call was 727-683-1112.

When she tried a call to the 877# number, a voice recording stated that "this is a call to which long distance charges apply, please dial "1" first.

The telemarketer was offering 2 nights anywhere in the US, and airfare up to $500 on American Airlines for a shipping and handling fee of $1.95.

The elderly woman said, "NO, I do not give you permission to take money out of my account," to which the telemarketer said they already HAD her account number. They proceeded to read her CORRECT banking info off, both her routing and account number.

The elderly woman, with her adult child, went to the bank immediately to report this activity, and the bank is watching her account for any unauthorized activity.

Scary, or what? And who, exactly is this company, anyway?

BBB investigations came to find that the long distance number given for this company is directly linked to Suntasia, a marketing group for vacation packages/promotions and long distance service located at 8751 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL, 33771-3832, Web site: www.suntasia.com

This company has amassed 160 complaints as of the release of this alert, and based on BBB West Florida files, this company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to failure to respond to one or more complaints and two or more unresolved complaints. However the business has resolved most complaints presented to the Bureau.

This company also has an unsatisfactory record due to a pattern of complaints concerning misrepresentation and sales practices, unauthorized billing and credit issues, refund disputes and delivery issues.

This company has responded to some complaints regarding such companies as, but not limited to, FreeStuffForYou, Imperial Majesty, Paradise Vacations, Membership Services, Capital Travel, Capital Vacations, Two Talk Communications, and Travel Agent Network (TAN).

LINK:

http://www.spokane.bbb.org/alerts/alerts.html?newsid=882&newstype=1

Don't be fooled bc they are continuing to promote the same product. They are as follows.

Travel Agents Go Direct or Travel Life Direct
Variety
Credit Life
Freedom Gold
FloridaWay
Freedom Ring Communications
Florida Direct
West gates Resorts

Here is a list of programs they use to promote:

Agents Travel Network
Distinct Advantage (Changed to Variety)
Prism Communications (Changed to Freedom Ring)
Capitol Vacations
Florida Passport
Travel Agency Network
Teliflex Communications
VersaTalk

Remember it's always a different name but the same scam. You'll receive $400 of travel or grocery vouchers along with $100 of gas vouchers in exchange for your bank information. DON'T BE FOOLED! DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION!

If you receive a call from them and want it to stop, just send them a "certified" CEASE and DESIST letter. The calls will stop I promise, otherwise Suntasia/Strategia will be facing a major lawsuit and these crooks know it very well.

Hope this helps you understand a little bit better who these clowns are.

Suntasia recently changed their corporate name to Strategia Marketing, LLC. Now they have a new website with a different name. The only thing is that it's just a copy of the old one. Take a look.

Suntasia's Website: (former)

http://www.suntasia.com/

Strategia's Website: (new)

http://www.strategia.com/

The only exception between the two is the different colors on the opening page using black instead of gold but the wording is still the same. If want to know who runs this crooked empire, click below.

http://www.strategia.com/home.shtml

Remember it is STILL the same people, same scam (gas, grocery and travel vouchers), same products just a different name.

For the past couple of weeks now, I have received calls from both 727-252-0512 and 214-508-6869. I have answered calls from both numbers, and once they say I won a vacation I hang up. They claimed that since I used my primary checking account so many times that I won a vacation. I knew this was not true, because I don't have a checking account in my name but in my fiance's name. I called the 1-877-777-2709 and confronted some guy on the phone. I told him that I cannot be receiving calls from them because I am a busy doctor and they are interfering with calls from my patients. He said I would be taken off the call list, and then I told him that he needs to get a life and quit scamming people! I am so beyond upset.

THe same thing happened to me! I did NOT give them my account number nor confirm my routing number. I will be monitoring my account, but I think I'm okay because I did not say yes to anything. They offered me 2 $300.00 airflight vouchures and a 3 day, 2 night excursion. I asked "Where?" and they said where ever I wanted. Then I asked for them to send it to me in the mail, and he said he would once he confirmed the account/routing number. That brought up a red flag for me.

He said his name was JASON CLARK #138 ID number and that I would need that to confirm whatever I was to confirm. I told them no and hung up.

Needless to say, they haven't called back yet, but I'm ready in case they do!

The Florida Attorney Generals Office is conducting an investigation on Suntasia which is now known as "Strategia Marketing". The attorney generals office though is stating on their website that, "The case file cited below relates to a civil -- not a criminal -- investigation. The existence of an investigation does not constitute proof of any violation of law".

Here is the rest of it.

Case Number: L05-3-1172

Subject of investigation:
FTN Promotions, Inc.

Subject's address:
8751 Ulmerton Blvd., Largo, FL 33771

Subject's business:
Inbound/outbound telemarketing sales

Allegation or issue being investigated:

Unfair and deceptive trade practices regarding telemarketing sales and unauthorized debiting of consumer bank and credit accounts.

AG unit handling case:
Economic Crimes Division in Tampa, Florida

If you want to see the information for yourself, just go to the http://myfloridalegal.com and type the letters

Yeah, a lady called me and said that i would recieve in the mail $400.00 in travel vouchers and 2 nights free in a hotel of my choice. I asked her how was i entered to receive such a thing, she said because of something i had purchased before over the phone or on the internet. Right then and there when she wasn't sure what i had bought or who i had bought it from i knew something wasn't right. But i went along with it anyway just to see what she would say. She says to me again all the details of what i won and blah blah blah...  Then she verified my home address and asked me the name of the bank where i have my banking account. I told her that i didn't want to give her that kind of information and that if i won something they can just send it to me or not. She told me that she wanted to verify that my checking account was still active and that i could be a potential customer. I told her, "So your telling me that ALL i have to do is give you the name of my bank and you will send me free travel vouchers?" The lady responded yeah that's all i had to do. Because i explained to her that a lot of sales people have called me or something that i want to buy and they usually lie to me and don't tell me what the catch is. THERE'S ALWAYS A CATCH!!!!!!! NOTHING IS FOR FREE IN THIS LIFE!!! they just don't call people giving out free travel passes! So i gave her the name to my bank, and she's starts to read off a routing number and then says "what are the numbers that follow?" That's when i got mad and i told her "That's the kind of crap that i'm talking about, i asked you what was the catch i told you that if i gave you the name of my bank you would send me travel vouchers. You lied, and i HATE when people lie to me. So you can either say that you will send me the travel vouchers or this phone call is over with."  The lady then started DEMANDING that i give her my account number. I told her "yeah this call is over with, bye". As i put down the phone i could hear her yell something to me like she was angry. I'm just waiting for them to call again so i can play along with their little game to piss them off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ha ha ha They want to play games i got games too!!!!!!

Contact the FTC (federal Trade Commision), your State attorney's office, the media etc. There is a list of people you can contact. Just read the posts in this forum please so as to not repeat the same thing over and over.

I just had the same SCAM attempt happen to me.  How can I report these guys???

TRAVEL LIFE CONTACTED ME WITH MY OWN BANK INFO THEY GOT THIS FROM ADVANCE PAY DAY LOAN COMPANY I HAVE NOW SHUT MY ACCOUNT DOWN .... JUST BY BORROWING A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS ONE TIME THEY GAVE MY INFO TO SCAM ARTIST... WHAT THEY DID NOT KNOW IS I AM A PI... I USE TO BE A COP... I AM NOT PLAYING THERE GAME

I got a call from some guy on my cell phone telling me I had won a free trip...now, like everybody on this blog I know better. But I thought I would be ok as long as I didn't give them any banking information or email addresses. I got this call over a month ago, so I don't remember all the information I gave them or what all he was pitching, but I am positive I would not have given any banking information. I remember telling him that I would not agree to/sign up for anything over the phone - I asked him to please send me the information by mail and if I was interested I would reply to the mailing. Well I never got anything in the mail, but I checked my bank account online today and found a withdrawal from a company I had never heard of. My bank offers a scanned image of all checks - when I clicked into it I saw that they had my name spelled wrong and my address was incorrect. The name of the company on the check was Lucid, address was 6860 Gulfport Blvd. Ste 148, South Pasadena, FL 33707. I called the phone number they listed below their address (877-470-4631) and it went through menu options for a long distance telephone service provider. I finally got to an operator who says that I agreed to sign up for a trial of their long distance services over the phone - after the trial period had supposedly expired, they charged $49.95 to my bank account. She proceeded to play the recorded phone conversation I had with this a-hole back to me...it got to the part where I was giving him my mailing address (god I'm an idiot) and the guy repeats it back to me incorrectly 2 times - I keep correcting him...then I started talking over the recording to get the operator's attention and told her - look, I asked for information to be sent by mail...I never received it. You just heard where I gave my correct address 2 times, and I never received anything from them telling giving me an option to opt out of whatever I supposedly signed up for. I explained to her that even the name and address on thier check in my bank account was wrong. She put me on hold for awhile then came back and said they would refund my account for the full amount and another one that's about to be posting to my account again this week. Never again. I swear to god. I hope they get blown away by a freakin hurricane.

AGH! I accepted. Me being a dummy! I called my bank (commerce) and they said I had to pay $25 for a stop payment fee. I am just going to go to the bank and change my account.

For those who are not aware how important it is to let people know about these scam artists including those in the media, here are some links on news stories that were done in 2006 on Suntasia Marketing (name changed to Strategia) and the products they promoted like ?Distinct Advantage?, ?Travel Agents Direct?. Just click below and watch a woman in Pennsylvania who was being taken for a ride as well as others they tried to scam.

Consumer Alert: Discount Membership Clubs - KDKA Channel 2

Link:

http://kdka.com/consumer/local_story_265165935.html

?Man Warns About Suspected Phone Solicitation Scam? KETV Channel 7

Link:

http://www.ketv.com/iteam/9727067/detail.html

?Telemarketers Using Costco?s Name to Entice You To Buy? KOMO 4 News in Seattle.

Link:

http://www.kendallwatch.us/community/telemark ... tice-you-to-buy

They have not only been exposed by the media but as many as 8 bank alerts in the last year alone were sent out to warn consumers about this scam not to mention a second State investigation still on going since July of 2006.

If you think if can?t happen to you think again. Remember ALL the products that are marketed and sold come from one place ONLY, SUNTASIA MARKETING (which is now known as Strategia) in Largo, Florida.

Don't be fooled bc they are continuing to promote the same product. They are as follows.

Travel Agents Go Direct or Travel Life Direct
Variety
Credit Life
Freedom Gold
FloridaWay
Freedom Ring Communications
Florida Direct
West gates Resorts

Here is a list of programs they use to promote:

Agents Travel Network
Distinct Advantage (Changed to Variety)
Prism Communications (Changed to Freedom Ring)
Capitol Vacations
Florida Passport
Travel Agency Network
Teliflex Communications
VersaTalk

http://suntasia.com/

They are located at:

Suntasia Marketing (Name changed to Strategia)
8751 Ulmerton Road
Largo, FL 33771
Tel#: 727-471-0276 or 1-800-NEW-TEAM

Any questions are welcomed but please read some of the posts in this site so as to not repeat the same information again. My last few posts answer 95% of your questions on who these guys are.

Hope this helps clear things up a bit. Comments welcomed.