Pocono News Section

I-Team Update: School Scam Showing Up All Over

I-Team Update: School Scam Showing Up All Over - Friday, September 26, 2008 at 5:56PM EST

Reported by: Joe Holden
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 @ 05:56pm EST
PITTSTON TWP., LUZERNE COUNTY- It's day two of our I-Team investigation claiming a Florida business is taking local restaurants and companies for a ride. We first showed the story Thursday about a Pittston Township restaurant owner who believes he was scammed. Since then, our phones have lit up with similar stories all over Northeast PA.

And the story jogged a lot of peoples' memories. All were approached by a salesman from an advertising company. They were told about an opportunity to advertise in a folder or calendar that was connected with a local school district. Most thought it was a legitimate business opportunity.

Eyewitness News has learned business owners from Factoryville to Pittston to Nanticoke believe they were scammed by a company that uses two different names. “Well hopefully with you guys, maybe getting the word out, the company will be investigated and possibly maybe we get our money back,” said Mike Sarnak of Sarny’s Fitness Center in Nanticoke.

Sarnak says a salesman from Student Relations, Inc. visited him three months ago. We've learned the company also goes by the name Students of America.

Sarnak was asked to put up $250,000 to advertise in a folder to be published on behalf of Luzerne County Community College. “We purchased the folders and what the gentlemen said was that the folders for the fall semester would be distributed to every incoming freshman. And the folders weren’t even at the college for the opening,” said Sarnak.

In fact Sarnak said he only received one single copy. We spoke with a marketing official at the college. He said, "The Marketing Department never initiated anything. We're very protective of our logo. This puts us in a difficult situation."

This story mirrors reports of a scam in the Pittston area. There we spoke with the owner of a restaurant who was told calendars and folders would be printed on behalf of the Pittston Area School District. He paid $300 for calendars.

Over the phone, a company manager told the I-Team they had a contract with a Pittston Area principal. The school district fired back saying that's a lie.

And when we spoke to that business, they provided multiple explanations when we asked about their product and their alleged relationships with local school districts.