Late last week, a judge in Polk County ordered the owner of a design services company to pay $100,000 for his role in mail solicitations aimed at misleading and cheating elderly Iowans. The judgment levied against Robert C. Schneider, who was doing business as Schneider Creative of Englewood, N.J., came at the conclusion of a fraud lawsuit in March brought by Iowa Attorney General, Tom Miller. The lawsuit alleged that Schneider designed mailings, described as slick and predatory, that allowed scammers to cheat Iowans on fixed incomes. Miller said Schneider was also responsible for designing a psychic scam that drained one Iowa woman’s bank account and cheated others. The judgment requires Schneider to pay $50,000 to reimburse Iowa victims, $40,000 in civil penalties and $10,000 to cover investigation and litigation costs. Schneider is also prohibited from designing future mailings that violate the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. Miller cautions Iowans, however, to be wary of similar solicitations as scammers tend to sell the lists of susceptible people, allowing them to zero in on anyone who has previously shown a vulnerability. For more information or to file a complaint, contact the Consumer Protection Division by following this link.
