Evidence

THE GHOST OF REPS PAST

A section honoring past reps who’ve had the courage to expose these animals through websites, films, and novels.

• The original Devil Corp poster
• The Sweatshop of Wall Street
• The Slave Circle
• The Truth Behind Door-To-Door Sales
• Child Safety Enterprises
• Ringing the Bell:  My Life in “The Biz”

DEVIL CORP VIDEO

• Undercover Charities Scam
• Undercover
• Company raises money for charity without permission
• Fraud, abuse in free cell phone program costs millions
• Investigating door-to-door tactics used to sell Bell services
• Ethan Vanderbuilt’s Cydcor review
• Chris Pratt on the Conan O’Brien show
• Video shows sales team forced to simulate sex acts 
• Appco Class Action

DEVIL CORP AUDIO

• Marketing company scamming charity donors

DEVIL CORP ARTICLES

• Job from hell-ex-staff tells of office ‘rife with abuse’
• Be careful with your generosity
• Trama piramidal para defrauder las cuotas a la Seguridad Social de 4.000 empleados (Spanish article)
• Oktaviani dan Puluhan Temannya Disekap di Mataram (Indonesian article)
• Special investigation:  Charities use the hard sell
• Former ‘chuggers’ join class action against Appco alleging underpayment of wages
• Merced conman cheats elderly victim out of $100,000, police say
• Postkodlotteriet blev nitlott för dörrknackare (Swedish Article)
• Appco class action:  Video emerges showing sales team being forced to simulate sex acts with colleagues
• U.S. Businessman Fined 10000 On Immigration Charges
• Imputada la cúpula de la empresa que capta clientes para Iberdrola con falsos autónomos  (Spanish article)
• Appco:  Family slams marketing giant’s handling of son’s death after work function
• Piu sorrisi? Piu soldi! Un mese di lavoro gratuito per le campagne umanitarie (Italian article)
• El nada Humanitario negocio de captar socios para ONG (Spanish article)
• Charity workers ‘forced to shove cigarettes up their bottoms and lick underwear’ if they missed sales targets 
• Con falso anuncio de trabajo estafan a 100 jovenes (Spanish article)
• Clients fleeced in worthless SIM card scam
• Appco chuggers fight it out in ‘cock fight’ in new video
• CBC hidden camera investigation captures misleading sales tactics for Bell
• Investigation Reveals Charity Donors Misled 
• Alinta fined $300,000 for signing up customers without consent
• Marketing company paid just 80p an hour for 70-hour week, workers claim
• II no profit che si approfit:  lo scandalo della raccolta fondi solidale  (Italian article)
• New class action for underpaid workers aims to recover more than $100 million
• Angry workers reveal company’s humiliating sex confessions ritual
• Donasi Rp 100 Ribu dapat Diskon Spa Hingga Cuci Mobil (Indonesian article)
• Winnipeg marketing company accused of intimidating workers
• Vulnerable woman mugged for charity
• Residents tricked by sales ‘tactics’
• Undercover reporter in Norwich exposes how charity fundraisers can be paid nothing for a day’s work
• Centurylink Stops Ouotside Reps’ Marketing In Click! Territory Following Reports Of Lies
• No Requirement To Sign Electric Aggregation Contracts, City Of Quicy Says
• Rogue Energy Salespeople
• Timgab Situbondo Gerebek Penjual Alkes Tak Berizin (Indonesian article)
• Disgraced fundraising firm Legacy Marketing shuts its doors after dirty tactics revealed 
• Charity collectors keeping the lot
• Door-to-door charity_s $300,000 boast
• Dorrknackre tjanar nagra tusen for heltid (Swedish Article)
• Charities hidden costs: the company they keep
• Who’s at your door?  It might be someone selling AT&T U-verse 
• Apres Canadian Tire, BMO suspend ses relations avec Credico (French article)
• 50,000 for unfairly dismissed woman
• A1:  the legal jobs scam
• Crap employer of the month (page two)
• Sell The Dream
• D.A.R.E officer says group does not benefit local program
• Ciblez les pauvres : j’ai tenté de lever des fonds pour une ONG  (French article)
• Bad week at the office for Appco Group
• Cooper’s job ad ruled offside
• Protestan para demanda pago por trabjo realizado (Spanish article)
• Cobra Group makes a mint while “self-employed” reps get by on peanuts 
• Just 6 pounds for eight days work
• ‘Hello, I’ve come to save you money…’
• Street Charity Workers Are Invasive, Annoying And Insincere.  They’re Also Probably Being Exploited 
• Charity sales by for profit companies face crackdown
• Marketing company faces complaints over treatment of workers
• Cruz Roja recurre a una empresa piramidal para contratar falsos autonomos (Spanish article)
• Company raises money for charities without permission
• Nova Scotia fundraising company banned from Sobeys
• Montreal company linked to commissioned marketers selling products for charity
• Pipers’ closing leaves coupons out to lunch
• Where do your charity donations go?
• Knock knock – who’s there?
• North Red Cross Charity collectors probed
  
• Smart Circle, Signals United, OnPoint OC, and Looped In Field Agents Represented by Nichols Kaster, PLLP and Fitapelli and Schaffer, LLP File Minimum Wage and Overtime Lawsuit  * Mr. Gavidia voluntarily dismissed his case the day before Smart Circle’s answer to his complaint was due.
• Company uses DMCA to censor and expose a critical blogger
• Charity pulls collectors over suspicions of duress. (scroll down to article seven)
• Shetland resident “conned” by charity fundraiser
• Alannah and Madeline Foundation responds to criticism of its fundraising method
• Sandwich deal goes stale after coupon confusion
• Special Mail Investigation:  King of the Chuggers
• Un juzgado cita a 319 falsos autónomos demandados por la Seguridad Social  (Spanish Article)
• Major charities rethink contracts with Appco amid class action, exploitation claims
• Granton Akui Hanya 30 Persen ke YSKAI (Indonesian article)
• Shutting the door on door doorstep salesmen
• Young Appco workers share stories of ‘pain’ and alleged underpayment
• NOISE:  Firm’s sales staff ‘creating a racket’
• Appco:  the bulling and hazing inside Australia’s most humiliating workplace
• Northland couple frustrated over runaround with DirecTv damages
• Marketing boss made staff pelt colleagues with custard pies
• 100% to charity?  Think again
• Paralympian’s charity which charges 10 pounds for scratchcards spends almost 74% of its income on fundraising
• Court action for up to 12,000 each for young GMB members as Chester firm evades national minimum wage laws
• Commission investigates lotto sales complaints
• Drama unfolds around cinema, couponmaker
• La cara y la cruz de la captacion de socios en la calle (Spanish article)
• The business of charity
• Appco case reveals dark underbelly of charity
• Promosi Kekecewaan Waterboom Pantai lndah Kapuk (Indonesian article)
• Credico (USA) LLC, Red Tower Marketing Inc. accused of not paying a minimum wage
• Perusahaan Fiktif atau Penipuan lowongan kerja (Indonesian article)
• Application forms full of jobseekers’ personal details found dumped in bin of Norwich flat
• El negocio de la solidaridad: sueldos míseros, contratos abusivos y poca transparencia (Spanish article)
• Cruz Roja investigara a la subcontrata que le busca los falsos autonomos (Spanish article)
• Perth woman part of low-wage class action
• Nodhjaelp er blevet en pengemaskine (Danish article)
• The New Pyramid Scheme:  Smart Circle Under Different names
• สะเทือนคนใจบุญ! กะบริจาคครั้งเดียวจบ เจอมัดมือชกฉกทุกเดือน!!  (Thai article)
• MPs slam doorstep Del Boys
• Editorial: A review is needed of how ‘doorstep fundraisers respond to ‘no cold calling’ signs
• APPCO : la porte ouverte à des techniques de vente douteuses?  (French article)
• How Some Companies Are Deceiving you with “Internships”
• Οι φανφάρες των αγγελιών  (Greek article)
• Sons of the great whore (scroll through to page 10)
• Self-employment scheme targeting Cardiff graduates
• Zza plecow domokrazcy (Polish article)
• I was almost duped by a ‘scam job’ offer- and you could be to
• ONG, cosa si nasconde dietro la pettorina dei “dialogatori” (Italian article)
• Buyer Beware!  Door to Door guys trying to sell AT&T U-verse
• ALERTA:  estafa en ofertas de empleo!  (Spanish article)
• Class action against Appco expanded
• Juggling between school and work
• Promotion company authorizes cruise refund
• No Thanks, DirecTV, You Know Where You Can Stick Your High Pressure Sales Act

ARTICLE  PDFs

From time to time, articles are no longer available online, and if they haven’t been archived, they return to this site as a PDF.

• REVEALED: The door-to-door firm lying to residents
• not-very-charitable-as-collectors-are-underpaid
• salon-victim-of-fake-promotion

GOVERNMENT ACTION AGAINST DEVIL CORP

• The Pennsylvania Department of State ordered Ds-Max and their affiliates (Granton/Cydcor) to stop collecting for charity because they refused to register as professional fundraisers.    Or you can read all about it from PR Newswire.
• The New Zealand Lotteries Commission was less than impressed with so little of the proceeds going to charity that, as far as it was concerned, Appco shouldn’t be selling any more tickets.
• The Belgian Senate’s Committe on Finance and Economic Affairs questioned Appco’s recruiting method during session.
• The Spanish Labor Inspectorate sanctioned Appco ultimately bringing to closure some 20 street level offices.
• The New South Wales Office of Liquor, Gaming, and Racing decided to investigate Appco for its conduct while fundraising for the Special Olympics.
• When Granton wasn’t paying tax on its discount cards, the Tax Department in The Hague assessed that they owed almost 650,000 euros.  Not happy with that decision, Granton challenged it in court and ended up losing the case.
• New Zealand’s Commerce Commission issued a press release where Appco was found to be misleading while selling energy door to door.
• The Spanish Tax Administration Service denounced Appco for abuses committed during its campaign to recruit donors for the Red Cross.
• Unimpressed with the Minister of National Revenue’s decision that 27 of its employees were classed as “insurable employment”, Credico appealed only to have the case dismissed by The Tax Court of Canada.  To add insult to injury, The Federal Court of Appeal affirmed that decision.
• According to Wikipedia, the House of Commons’ Energy Select Committee released a report threatening to ban energy companies from using direct sales.  Apparently, video footage showed Cobra Group contracted companies lying to potential customers.
• The Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into Combating Modern Day Slavery mentioned Appco for wage exploitation.
• The Jakarta Regional Metropolitan Police apparently issued a warning about Granton/Optimo alleging fraud, inaccurate job ads, fleecing charities, and non-redeemable coupons all while working twelve hour days.
• The City of Glen Cove’s press release about Appco not having the required permits and being the proud owner of an expired certificate of not for profit status.
• Police Commissioner Wahono signed off on Cobra Group’s alleged consumer fraud.
• Although not a government agency, Truth in Advertising (an independent, non-profit, advertising watchdog organization), found that unsubstantiated income claims were being made by our friends at Smart Circle.  Imagine that.

DEVIL CORP LAWSUITS

• When the Georgia Northern District Court and The Honorable Judge Jones were about to dance all over their unscrupulous business practices, Cydcor opted for a six-figure settlement in their Fair Labor Standards Act case.  Alexander, et al vs. Cydcor case #1:11-cv-01578-SCJ.   Just enter Alexander vs Cydcor in the search bar.
• Eveready Battery Company vs. DS-Max in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. That’s where they paid $420,000 in damages according to PR Newswire.
• Here’s a settled patent infringement case against Innovage in the Illinois Northern District Court.  Senario v. Innovage case#1:06-cv-05419.
• How about a Devil Corp copyright infringement case?  That’s case # 2:2008cv05755 in the New Jersey District Court, Great American Sales Inc. vs. Applause Source LLC et al.  If you look at the list of defendants, you will see that they named Innovage, DS-Max and the H.M.F.I.C. Larry T.  
• DS-Max opted to settle when they were sued by the Do-lin Metal company in the California Northern District Court for patent infringement.  Shui-Shang et al vs. DS-Max International docket # 3:02cv04985
• The new look DS-Max (Innovage) was also sued for patent infringement this time in the United States District Court Central District of California Southern Division.  Case # SACV07-1334.  Apparently, they were ordered to destroy tens of thousands of toy helicopters.
• In case #9:99cv03762 in the New York Eastern District Court, DS-Max was enjoined from making and selling a competitor’s products.
• DS-Max’s clearance division (Innovage) is known for selling cheap, substandard and often times dangerous porducts.  Like when they were sued because their mugs and ceramic containers were full of lead.  Case #441499 in the San Francisco Superior Court.
• In case #449268 in the San Franscisco Superior Court, you will find that Innovage was sued for “knowingly and intentionally exposing persons to lead”.
• Another prop. 65 case against Innovage this time in the Alameda Superior Court. Innovage was sued because of the “defendant’s continuing failure to warn citizens about their exposure to DEHP”. Moore v. Innovage case #RG11594937.
• Although it may appear as if they can’t bring enough DEHP into the United States, the magnificent John Moore is usually there to keep them in line.  Moore v. MerchSource.
• Brimer v. Innovage in the San Francisco Superior Court CGC-05-440811.  That’s where they agreed to lose the lead and cadmium from their decorated glassware.

DEVIL CORP CHANGING NAMES

• Here’s proof from Adweek of Granton changing its name to Smart Circle.
• Here’s a link to Npros.com showing that DS-Max changed its name to Innovage.
• A link to the Consumer Product Safety Commission showing that DS-Max was once Wholesale Warehousing Industries.
• DS-Max’s Wikipedia page covering some of their name changes along with the company’s history and a brief overview of their business.
• Source Wire’s report on PerDM Services changing names to Credico.

DEVIL CORP LOSING BUSINESS

• Charity walks away from Appco as CEO defends ‘chuggers’ model
• Oxfam ends all door-to-door fundraising
• Royal British Legion ends all door-to-door fundraising
• VSO pulls out of door-to-door fundraising
• Statement from RSL Art Union on Appco Group Australia
• Camp Quality’s statement on Appco

DEVIL CORP CHICANERY

• Richard Shapero’s letters to the Consumerist.
• A follow-up from the Consumerist exposing Richard.

RANDOM CRIME IN DEVIL CORP OFFICES

• Mujer dirigia banda de ‘marcas’ que ingreso a robar en fabrica (Spanish article)
• Polresta Medan Tangkap Pelaku Pencurian Ribuan Voucher (Indonesian article)

DEVIL CORP RECALLS

• Ever go down to your basement, light 900,000 candles and think to yourself……….not enough?  If so, the FIXIT One Million Candlepower rechargeable spotlight might be for you.  Too bad they leak battery acid and have burned skin, clothing and upholstery according to The Seattle Times.
• Innovage recalled their toy helicopters because they could catch fire according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Innovage recalled their Discovery lamps because they were catching fire, damaging property and injuring a child according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• And of course their toy trucks.

THE SLAVE CIRCLE EXTRA TAKES

• Interview with former owner Alexa
• Interview with former owner Chloe
• Interview with former owner Rachel
• Interview with former owner Collen
• Interview with former assistant manager Mike

DEVIL CORP  YOU TUBE  TESTIMONIALS

• Take Notice  Cydcor Scam
• My brainwashed experience at DevilCorp
• Warning! [Recruitment Scam]
• Story Time:  I helped scam people
• Buscar trabajo puede ser PELIGROSO
• Be careful when searching for marketing jobs
• David Marketing Sucks
• Fears of Devil Corp

DEVIL CORP COMPLAINTS

The Internet is littered with complaints about this organization and it would be impossible to list them all.  Although you can find grievances on all major sites, I would like to provide links to some of their Ripoff Reports.  This one site has well over 1000 and that’s not taking into account reports filed by those who were unaware of the parent company (in my opinion, you could double if not triple this number).

• Cydcor – 578 reports
• Smart Circle – 199 reports
• Granton – 126
• Innovage – 136
• DS-MAX – 263
• Cobra – 40

Please take the time to peruse these complaints.  Besides being shocked by some reports, you will find almost identical accounts from all over the world at different points in time. They’ve been doing this for decades.

DEVIL CORP BLOG POSTS

• One Day On The Job-The Landers Group
• Psychopathy and the sales industry: The example of PerDM
• How I fell victim to a recruitment scam in the U.K.
• Suckerama:  How I Ended Up In A Marketing cult
• A brief overview of the PerDM, Cobra, Appco SCAM UK.
• Too Good To Be True? My Glimpse Inside an Alleged Chattanooga Sales Cult
• Name and Shame recruitment and job scams
• My Experience with an MLM Pyramid Scheme  Beware of cydcor
• Not a blog but here’s Urban Dictionary’s Devilcorp page.
• ‘IPG Imports LTD’ Uncovered
• The Truth – it’s a SCAM
• Troy International: Deceptive Practices and Questionable History
• The sweatshop “boss” boys and their multi-level marketing ploys in…  Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle:  The second coming.
• I got scammed into working for Smart Circle.  Twice.
• The Real Smart Circle International
• Things That Make You Go………………
• Employment Scam:  Are you next?
• No So Pro UK Consultants
• Not a blog but this story needs to be known.
• Job Scam Beware False Advertising
• My experience at DevilCorp
• I Used to Work for a Pyramyd Scheme
• Smart Circle Scam
• Innovage
• Charities Worldwide:  Boycott Appco Group and their fundraising fraud
• DS-Max The Aftermath
• My Near Miss With a Cargo Cult
• Here’s What Happened With Directv
• Warning:  Beware of Any Employment selling FW1
• America’s Worst Employers
• Horrific Scam Javelin – Cobra Marketing
• Birth of a Chugger: Charity, Commision and Direct Marketing
• My encounter with Appco Group in Hong Kong
• Smart Circle is an Employment Scam
• Avoid Appco Marketing groups at all costs!!!
• Charities must stop using Appco 
• Caught out by door to door charity collection-Appco strikes again
• Nasty Cydcor
• Cobra Group is a big BAD Pyramid Scheme
• The Real Marketing Consultants of Orlando
• Cydcor /Dsmax Scam Exposure
• Sully’s Blog
• Smart Circle Double-Dealing
• Appco/Cobra Group   Direct Marketing
• Exposing Scam Artists Who Use Craigslist
• My Interview Experience w/Appco
• Steer Clear of Smart Circle
• Job Scam Warning To Young Imurians
• Love From Florence
• Udine’s World
• Lazy Commerce Genius
• We are Anonymous
• Avoid Smart Circle or whatever they call themselves these days
• Charity Scam
• MAS Marketing
• Smart Circle Directv
• My day at 2313
• Melding of the Minds
• A warning to all job hunters
• Scam Alert
• Job Scam Doing The Rounds
• Let’s Talk About It
• Appco Group On Trial
• Imprudent loquaciousness
• Let Me Think On It
• Sebastian Cowie
• Annandale VA
• Smart Circle Lies
• Elite is a Scam
• Shout for Steph
• A Bigger Piece of Pie 
• Working For Devilcorp
• JRNALISM
• Smart Circle Truth
• Job Seekers Beware
• Graduates:  How to spot a job scam
• Anti DS-Max
• My New Client is Perverse – “Be Aware”
• Appco is een piramide spel of specifieker:
• London Marketing Services
• Nottingham Job Scams

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, stuck in the middle with you.

DIEGO PADRES HALL OF FAME:  Randy Jones, Nate Colbert, Ray Kroc, Dave Winfield, Buzzie Bavasi, Jerry Coleman, Tony Gwynn, Dick Williams, Trevor Hoffman, Benito Santiago, Garry Templeton, Ted Williams, Ken Caminiti, Jack McKeon, Kevin Towers.  In a similar vein to the Curse of the Bambino and the Curse of the Billy Goat, the San Diego Padres are hereby duly presented with the Curse of the Devil Corp.  May their next 49 years be just as productive as their first with zero championships to their name.  Smart Circle International, Cydcor, Credico Marketing, Appco Group, Optimo International, DS-MAX, Cobra Group of Companies, Innovage, Credico.  पिरामिड योजना, πυραμίδας, Pyramidenschema, schéma pyramidal, piramidespel, 金字塔计划, مخطط الهرم, ขายประตูสู่ประตู, ventas puerta a puerta, от двери до двери, ਘਰ ਦੇ ਦਰਵਾਜ਼ੇ ਦੀ ਵਿਕਰੀ, schema piramidale, sprzedaż od drzwi do drzwi, jualan pintu ke pintu, ドア・トゥ・ドア販売, 방문 판매, penjualan dari pintu ke pintu, vendite porta a porta, दरवाजा दरवाजा बिक्री, πωλήσεις από πόρτα σε πόρτα, ventes de porte à porte, Haus zu Haus Verkauf, mga benta sa pinto sa pinto, AT&T. Brand Ambassador