Like many other people on this subject, I fell victim to the Larry Hahn scam. I too was eager to get a job, one that I would make money and have a career in. So I answered an ad in the Fresno Bee saying they needed an assistant immediately, no training, no experience necessary, and up to $500 dollars a week.
I was excited because I'm young and wanted to have a good job that would pay my bills and finally get me ahead in life while I am still going to college. I called them up and asked for Liz. I wasn't able to talk to her immediately, but I did talk to Kathy. She was very upbeat, almost annoying, but I just told myself that any job is better than none. She set up an appoitment for me four hours from then. I rushed to get ready and have my game face on. I was told that no resumes were required, which was odd also.
My boyfriend drove me there and waited while I went inside. When I first walked in the door, Kathy greeted me and told me to fill out this quick application. While doing this, one other lady was in the room, and the "Funky Co Medina" was playing on the stereo... Very loud! It kind of bugged me because I'm used to being professional when it comes to interviews. I brushed it off as nothing, and preceeded to enter the room with the other lady and Liz Roberg. Liz interviewed us together, which I thought was weird also.
After asking us a few questions each, she excused the lady and kept me there afterwards. She told me that I was what she was looking for and that she wanted to meet with me for the 2nd interview the next day at 6:30PM. My boyfriend quickly grew suspicious, but I reassured him that I wouldn't give any money to them, and if it was a scam, I'd get out of it.
The next evening I went to the 2nd interview. Again, there was music blarring, but this time is was "This is why I'm hot", an uncut version. She introduced me to her partner, Jamie Starnes. After a few minutes they rounded me and about 30 other young people in the second room and gave us fold out chairs to sit in. Liz then told us we'd start soon, but to copy the open cities and names of the top dogs that were on the board. All of us did just that. While things were winding down, and we were about to begin the interview, she like what many others have said before, started making jokes and cursing. They even had a calloge on the wall of their fun party work styles.
This too seemed odd, that if this company was so successful, how can you present yourself like this? While discussing the success of the company and not really describing what they actually do, I became annoyed, because I didn't even know they name of it. She mentioned Larry Hahn, Kerry Brunson, Mike Gilchrist, Mark Gray, Jamie Starnes and herself.
Jamie then got up and introduced himself and told a little background also. Supposedly he was in the army and went into the reserves, and blah blah blah. Come to find out later, he met up with my boyfriend, who was a Marine, and told him that he got booted out of the army, not the story he told us in the room.
She mentioned many different things like: 60-90 day learning process, stickability, that they are a different kind of company, be able to have a administrative position in three months, six figure salary after two or three years, vacations to vegas and maimi, etc. Seemed nice, but too good to be true.
Well, after two and a half hours of bullshit, they finally divided us up in pairs to go to the back office (which was bland, no computers, no phones, and a couple of desks), to see if we had made it to the final cut. I have made it. I was excited, but weirded out also. My boyfriend kept asking me questions about their company and I didn't have an answer for him.
The next morning I looked Larry Hahn up and found this site. Luckily for me because I would've gone for the ride. I also filed a report with the police department, and called up two news stations around. The funny thing is that they are down the street from a news station and a building away from the PD substation.
I am planning on going there on Monday morning and telling the other people what they are up to. I have also printed out others' stories so I have a back up. I'm going to make their lives miserable in Fresno, Ca, and hopefully spred the word to other cities. This is not right...
0 comments