Workers: We were taught to deceive

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Employees at the struggling My Town Media call center said they were taught deceptive tactics to close deals with clients.

“The whole process of getting customers with the company is just a complete scam,” said former employee Lawrence Vaughn.

Vaughn and others told KXAN Austin News that workers were given a sales script, which cleverly worded certain charges the caller may not want or need.

Coty Ross quit her job with My Town Media just one day before the call center, which markets foreclosure information, shut its doors amid payroll problems.

“I was talking to a single mother and she was telling me her own story," said Ross. "I sold her things she didn’t want or need. When I got off the phone, I felt so guilty.”

RipoffReport.com lists the business, formerly known as Second Meta, on its website. Owner Christian Hunter had ownership in a similar company in California which was the subject of a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit in November 1998.

When contacted by phone, Hunter said workers new to the sales industry may feel uncomfortable with certain aspects of the job but that his business is ethical and that the FTC lawsuit settlement included no admission of liability from his business.

Hunter attributed the bounced checks workers received to insufficient leadership at the business and said My Town Media will be operated much more efficiently after the reorganization currently taking place.

Employees were told they could expect to receive all the money owed to them by 6 p.m. Friday. However, Hunter was working on securing the funds and now says the checks for all employees will be ready no later than Monday.