Scam Alert May Be the Return of Shady Company

[SlapHappy]

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Scam Alert May Be the Return of Shady Company
by Casey Ek Sep 28, 2018 Updated Sep 28, 2018 0


Businesses in Belle Plaine may need to be careful who they engage with over the phone when it comes to advertising, according to Belle Plaine Activities Director John Bergs who said that residents have been complaining about calls and emails from a woman named Mary who claims to be working with the school basketball team for fund raising efforts. No such agreement is in place, and residents are advised by Bergs and by Belle Plaine Police by way of a public scam alert not to give any personal information to such an individual or those with similar pitches.

“We will never solicit business over the phone,” Bergs said. “Any call remotely similar to these will come from our main office and not an outside company.”

A scam that surfaced last year when Bergs got a frustrated call from Rob Holtberg of RDH Drywall about a banner he had purchased not being displayed in the high school gymnasium and T-shirts not being passed out may be circulating once again.

Bergs sent out a tweet Wednesday that stated :

NOTICE TO AREA BUSINESSES: Please be aware of calls regarding T-shirts on behalf of BPHS, specifically Basketball. This is a scam!! If unsure, please contact BPHS prior to purchase!!”

A Scam in Belle Plaine

The operation that police and BPHS are calling a scam might be one run by company that goes by the name of Boost Sports, according to Holtberg, who fell victim to the company last year.

The company, Holtberg stated, called him last year to ask about the prospect of advertising in the form of 500 printed t-shirts that he believed would be passed out at basketball games.

The company stated that they were working with a school dance instructor named Shyler Egan in order to raise money for the dance team. One of Holtberg’s helpers, a high schooler, at the time verified that Egan did in fact work at the school, so Holtberg felt no cause for concern.

Boost Sports initially asked Holtberg for upward of $2700 for the T-shirts, but when he expressed concerns over the company’s legitimacy, they dropped the price to $2250 and threw in a banner, so Holtberg agreed to the deal. This was in the summer of last year.

When basketball season was approaching, Holtberg figured it was time to check on his investment, so he called the school to see if they had received the shirts and banner. They had received the banner and roughly 40 shirts, Holtberg said but did not initially agree to hang the banner. The reason: They had no idea where it came from and at no point worked with the company to have it hung, according to Bergs.

School policy currently does not allow for advertising within the school except for special circumstances, but they decided to allow the banner to be hung out of empathy for Holtberg’s circumstances, Bergs said.

“We had no idea where it all came from,” Bergs said. “We can’t just hang up any banner that a business sends to the school.”

Infuriated with the company and the school, in fact, over what he characterized as an inconsistent advertising policy, Holtberg called Boost Sports to get an explanation to his circumstances.

A representative over the phone stated that the order was only for 300 shirts and that they could not refund his money, but could send the remainder of the shirts. He was left with shirts of what he called “dollar store” quality and a sour taste in his mouth, Holtberg said. They never sent the remaining shirts

“I was scammed,” Holtberg said.

Scams Across America

The "company", based in Fort Worth, Texas is, in fact, a real company-or at least entity- and they have been known to commit similar schemes all over the country, according to Star-Telegram, a Texas-based newspaper who wrote an expose’ about the company April, 2017 with follow-up stories continuing to trickle out until November 2017.

Star-Telegram reporting indicated that the company Boost Sports has operated under multiple pseudonyms in the past, such as Touchdown Sports and most recently Sports Media Advertising.

The businesses have a total of 30 customer complaints on the Better Business Bureau’s website, with Touchdown Sports earning and F grade on the site. All three businesses have the same mailing address on the BBB website. The complaints bear a resemblance to Holtberg’s account. Residents in Belle Plaine are also reporting similar pitches involving banners and T-shirts.

Act two for the unscrupulous company?

Now Bergs, said, the company may be active in Belle Plaine again., citing that a local businesses have been emailing the school wondering if the calls and emails they have been receiving from a mysterious woman named Mary are legitimate. Mary claims to be a woman working with the school in some capacity. The email address she operates with: Mary.sportsmedia@gmail.com.

Any connection “Mary” might have to Boost Sports has not been verified, though if one was to call the number on Boost Sports BBB page, they will likely not get in contact with a representative and would instead reach a voicemail with a voice that says, “Sports Media,” followed by an answering machine tone.

“I kind of hoped it was a one time deal, but apparently not,” Bergs said.

Boost Media has responded to many of the complaints on BBB’s website, citing that the contracts customers sign may offer some loophole for the company. Contracts, according to responses state that the company is not in any way affiliated with schools and therefore cannot guarantee that promotional materials be distributed at sports events.

The latest reports of the company's activity have come out of Wayland, MD, as of Sept. 18.

When asked about the involvement with the Boost Sports, Egan, who was in fact the dance instructor at the school at one time , denied any involvement with the company.

“I have not heard of the company Boost Sports,” Egan said.”I haven’t been in contact and have had no involvement with the company.”

The Belle Police Department issued a statement warning residents not to give credit card info over the phone

Bergs also noted that he and representatives from the school would be happy to answer questions regarding the voracity of any requests for money involving promotional items at school activities.

“If it doesn’t seem right, call the high school,” Bergs said. “It won’t bother us to get another call or two.”

Scam Bphs Belle Plaine Scam Mary Scam