Description

I was recruited into a fraudulent “appointment setting” scheme advertised on Instagram. After submitting my credit score, I was contacted the same day (July 9, 2025) by someone named Samar, who arranged a Zoom interview with a supposed hiring manager named Erik. I was then placed on a call with ***** ****** (************) to discuss my “career goals.” During this call, ****** pressured me to apply for multiple credit cards to fund their so-called “training program.” After I repeatedly declined, he convinced me to apply for an AMEX Gold card. He even called American Express directly and merged me into a three-way call with a customer representative to ensure approval. Once I was approved, Younis immediately charged $6,000 in two transactions ($1,000 and $5,000) under the merchant name Fanbasis, rather than Appointment Setting Co., which was a deliberate attempt to deceive me. After making the payment, ASC invited me to their Slack channel, where “executives” posted vague motivational messages and directed new “trainees” to lead-generation tasks. These so-called “warm leads” were essentially just other people who had responded to the same Instagram ad, essentially recruiting victims into the same scam. The contract they required me to sign contained several alarming red flags: - A chargeback prohibition that stated I could not dispute any charges. - A vague job placement guarantee contingent on impossible quotas (50 daily touchpoints involving calls, texts, and emails). - A non-disparagement clause that prevented me from posting negative reviews. - A payment obligation regardless of services rendered, binding me even if ASC failed to deliver any training. They promised that if I worked 15 hours per week, I could earn $3,000 per month, and if I worked 30 hours or more, I could earn $6,000 or more per month. In reality, the quotas required far more than the promised 15 hours per week. This was a classic bait-and-switch tactic: they marketed the program as flexible training and job placement but pressured participants into recruiting others under burdensome terms. I completed one vague introductory call in mid-July and scheduled my first onboarding call for late July. However, the person on Zoom gave evasive answers and pushed me to book another onboarding session, with the earliest slot being weeks out. When I reached out for help via Slack, no one responded—communication ceased entirely. Shortly afterward, I received suspicious texts and emails from “Tina ******” in the Finance Department at ASC, requesting that I authenticate my AMEX card for direct deposit. Her email addresses contained misspellings, and subsequent correspondence came from different domains and phone numbers, raising further red flags. Realizing I had been scammed, I contacted AMEX on July 23, 2025, to dispute the charges. AMEX confirmed that the merchant was Fanbasis (not ASC) and refunded the full $6,000 within 24 hours after launching a fraud investigation. Since early September 2025, I have been harassed daily with threatening emails and texts from: - “Tina ******” (Finance Department) - “Samantha G.” (Legal Team) - An unnamed “3rd Party Resolutions Specialist” - Entities using the names Timeless Capital LLC and Appointment Setting Co. These individuals falsely claim that I breached a “legally binding” contract, demanding repayment of $6,000 and threatening collections and legal action. Their communications use scare tactics, arbitrary deadlines, and vague legal jargon. They have even admitted to retaining “DocuSign records and call recordings,” but refuse to provide legitimate documentation. Their website, which previously operated under “AppointmentSettingCo.com,” has since disappeared. Based on reviews and reports, this company has repeatedly changed its name and legal entities (e.g., ASC, Timeless Capital LLC, Fanbasis) to avoid accountability. This is not a legitimate training or hiring company. No legitimate company would contact you using a general Gmail address and harass you over texts, calls, and emails. It is a coordinated scam designed to steal money through credit card fraud, deceptive contracts, and persistent harassment. I have filed a complaint with the FTC as well as with my state’s Attorney General’s office. Unfortunately, it has become clear that there is virtually no way to track down or hold the individuals involved accountable, as they hide behind constantly changing business names, fake titles, disposable phone numbers, and free email accounts. Just a few days ago—nearly a month after cancelling the AMEX Gold Card they had on file—I checked the Slack workspace where all communication was taking place and discovered that I had been completely removed from the group. This appears to be a common tactic they use once they realize a victim has stopped making payments or initiated a chargeback. Their disappearance makes it nearly impossible to get any clear information about who they are or where they operate from. Adding to the confusion is the fact that the individuals themselves often go by vague or inconsistent names. While I recall speaking to “Samar,” “Erik,” and “Y**** ******” during the initial recruitment process, my onboarding calls and Slack conversations included people whose names I can hardly remember, many of whom provided no last name at all. The so-called “Finance Department” representative, Tina ******, used multiple phone numbers and Gmail addresses, and the supposed “Legal Team” contact, Samantha G., also used an unprofessional email address. These shifting identities make it clear that this is a coordinated scam run by a rotating cast of people who vanish the moment they are challenged. I strongly urge the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to flag this company under all known aliases (including Appointment Setting Co., Timeless Capital LLC, Fanbasis, and any new shell names they adopt) to prevent others from being exploited.