5618260770

Thank goodness this is not a scam. My husband and I were so excited about being featured on this show then I found this website and read what you people were saying. I
immediately screamed for my husband Peter. He simply said "you can't believe everything you read on the internet". I trusted him and as usually, he was right. They were very professional and we are very happy with how things went. Happy Holidays!  Liz

many of these organizations probably are insulted by the financials because it is way beyond their budget

Note the name change!

http://consumerist.com/2010/02/scam-productio ... s-scamming.html

By Ben Popken on February 5, 2010 2:40 PM

Received a call from 772-237-8518 World Progress Report with Joan London.  Same scam as the Hugh Downs scam.  Beware

World Progress Report = Great America HD = InsightHD = InsightsHD = VT Media = Vision Media = SCAM!

All the same company hiding behind their devilish ways and a new name.  Telemarketers selling advertising and will lie, cheat and even say they are "Producers".  Yea right.  Almost laughable.  Ask them what else they have produced Mr Producer.  20 - 30 years in the business yet the names are 6 months to a year old...  Makes you want to go hummmmmm.

From,

You're Not Going To Scam Me

I work for a very large Non-Profit company, the lady called me this morning wanting to speak to the director, she was extreamly rude and pushy! She said they she is calling representing Joan Loundon and that the Discover Program (?? really ??) was putting together a segment for a show called Imagine, Discover, Explore, (googled it and there is no such show) when I mentioned sending her to PR she just about bit my head off saying that PR couldnt answer the questions they had! Sounds fishy to me! The same lady called a few months ago and I think our PR person spoke with her, probably why she refuses to talk to her again... hmmmm

The call we received today was for a show called Inside America which would feature Joan Lunden. All the descriptions on this thread match the pitch the person laid out to me. Glad to have found this site as it's confirmed my notion that the offer sounded fishy.

Received a call indicating that our nonprofit group would be featured on Inside America with Joan Lunden part of the Imagine, Explore and Discover series on public television.  Looks like a reincarnation of the Hugh Downs scheme.  I am scheduled for a call back from the "producer" but will call and cancel.

We received a call like this to do a segment with Inside America with Joan Lunden. FYI - I called Joan Lunden's agent and this is 100% FAKE. She is not affiliated with this "program" at all and now her people are in the loop.

Contacted by people from "Inside America" for this same sales pitch.  Just called Joan Lunden's office and spoke with her assistant.  Joan Lunden is not affiliated in any way with this marketing "plan," or scam as it appears to me.

In the contract they get people to sign, the video they film is "distributed" to public television but no guarantees it will actually air.  They request $22,900 as a "pre-production fee."  Plus $3500.00 travel fee to film your organization (business).

Is there anyway that you could give me the contact information for Joan Lunden's agent?  Sadly we bit and are now trying to get our money back, well at least some of it.  I doubt it will happen or that we will have much recourse.  I thought I might let the agent know that the use of Joan Lunden's name and was a big reason we trusted them.  Thanks.

I see Joan is at least publicly warning people not to participate in this elaborate scam.  But you, Amm, should get a lawyer to get your money back and then contact the AGs in your state and Florida and maybe your FBI field office.  Sorry.


Lindsay Krauss
Joan Lunden Productions
Director of Public Relations & Media Development
(914) 219 5555

http://www.joanlunden.com/advisory_warning2.html

Wow...I wonder when this warning went up.  I sent a message to Joan Lunden on Tuesday via Facebook, and then sent one to her website on which this warning now appears.  We have did request our refund, less the "location shoot" fee in accordance with the contract.   We did this via our attorneys.  I have also filed a complaint with the AG in FL who responded that they were forwarding it to their economic crimes division.  We filed a complaint with the BBB.  Lastly, I filed one with the FTC.  The problem is it may cost us more to fight it than what we are owed, but we will pursue.  Thanks for the heads up!!

Same thing happened to us with a call from Boca Raton and a similar phone number number. Hugh Downs scam revisited using Joan Lunden. And the company name used for us is American Milestones. We almost fell for it--- BEWARE!!

Same scam.  Also from an "assistant producer" at "American Milestones".  I had to look ten pages into the google links before I could find anything on these folks that was not one of their canned press releases.  As I had gotten the "Hugh Downs" pitch previously all my BS detectors went off at once.

Just received a call from American Milestones from a call back number of 754-242-3178.  They called our org in Canada and apparently Lorraine Messler, the segmant producer will call us back on Monday.  Thanks to this site I can hardly wait for the call.

I feel terrible for you. I just got this same scam phone call this week. And something felt wrong and I did a search and found this forum.
What can I do about it? I have his address and am stringing him along until I know. This really pisses me off.

Absolutely, do not give any money or information to a company saying they are affiliated with Joan Lunden. Their latest company name is American Milestones. www.americanmilestones.com
They just keep changing their company name, but it's the same scam.

No surprise that they are in Boca Raton, scam capital of Florida.  Many scammers from Israel and Russia set up their cons there without fear of prosecution.

I got a call last week from Alissa on behalf of the produced Jesse Greer from American Milestones. Same pitch, did a call with them and it did not seem right.  Recieved lots of documentation and everything looked very real.  Scary.

I reported to the FBI via Internet Crime Compaint Center http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

I did not pay anything luckily.