The Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AG) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have filed a lawsuit against Government Careers Inc. (GCI); a Tucson company that Better Business Bureau has received 50 complaints against since June, 2009.
In a press release the AG’s Office and the FTC accused GCI of “engaging in allegedly deceptive employment services,” and estimated that as many as 10,000 consumers across the country and 1,500 Arizona residents had been victims of GCI.
Between June and December of 2009, GCI racked up 50 complaints with BBB as consumers across the nation searched for jobs amidst the worst recession in 60 years. GCI was BBB’s third most complained about company in 2009, with complaints coming from over 20 states.
In the complaints consumers told BBB they were unaware they were signing up for GCI’s services when they responded to what they thought were job postings for government positions with the U.S. Postal Service, Border Patrol, and National Park Service at CareerBuilder.com and other job listing sites.
In the press release the AG’s office outlines the following accusations against GCI:
• Deceptively misleading consumers into believing that GCI would or could guarantee government employment when it was not the case.
• Falsely advertising jobs in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Postal Service during specific time periods when such jobs were not available.
• Deceptively misleading consumers into believing that certain federal agencies required consumers to take a written test to obtain federal employment.
• Failing to honor its guarantee that they would refund consumers who did not receive federal jobs.
• Failing to provide up to date and useful information to consumers in its educational packages.
For more information on GCI or other employment services contact BBB at (520)888-5353, or visit
www.tucson.bbb.org.