Attention Authors: Have You Received A Call Like This? > Likes and Comments
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Thank you ! I just got the call from Anthony Holms... same come on... I don't think I will call back!
Timing is everything Elizabeth and glad I could help.
I do have a tip for you. If marketing is an issue or interest to you, you might consider the November Book Marketing Conference that will be held in Philadelphia and sponsored by APSS/SPAN (well, it isn't SPAN any more it is APSS. Sponsors also include Ingram and Bowker. If you want more information visit www.bookapss.org.
Personally I think it is about time a resource was available to authors to help them learn places to sell their books other than the traditional brick and mortar or online stores.
Thank you I just got a call from them took. This was helpful.
I just got a call this morning and was on the phone for quite some time before the topic of money was raised. Up until then I was under the impression I was being asked for a news interview. I had never heard of the group, and appreciate any warnings before I wade into something that separates me from resources that could be better spent. Thanks!
Thanks so much for posting all of this. I just got a phone call telling me that it would only be $2500 to advertise with them. Always check things out!
They are still alive in 2015. I received a call yesterday from Mr. Separano asking me to participate in a Radio Series about Empowering Women in Coaching......I did not answer the call nor will I call back. The number they called from was 631-850-3314. Thanks for these posts.
I received a call yesterday from Andi Romero as well about a coaching segment. As he was telling me all of the benefits (which sounded great) I started waiting for the other shoe to drop. It finally happened in the form of $1250 for their scripwriter. When I told my husband he said, hell...I'm a scriptwriter (true) and I'll do it for FREE. Unfortunately calls out of the blue like this are never what they seem. It's a shame they exist. Thank you everyone for sharing your experience. It was this blog that kept me from saying YES!!
Hellena Jones Elbling
This scam is still alive - just got a voicemail baiting me.
Kelley wrote: "This scam is still alive - just got a voicemail baiting me."
Amazing!
Oh dear. I am scheduled for a radio interview in 2 days and some character named Christopher Johnson is trying to sell me 5 more interviews to see if I would qualify for an interview with NBC News. Of course I will get all my money back with $6000 speaking engagements. I'm not sure who would pay that much to hear me say anything or if I have enough to say for six radio shows. I write children's books and have published two. I can't find any authors from Cutv who have appeared on Nbc. Cutv did a press release for me and I never heard of most of these publications and the graphics were really poor. Plus I did not have the opportunity to approve anything as I was promised. This appears to be a first rate scam orchestrated by the "Music Men". They are very good. They should be ashamed as part of my brand is reaching out to bereaved parents as I lost my son and only child, as well as my husband and am a cancer survivor.
Thank you so much for posting this. I was just called and saw this and another posting on who Bobby Banks is a scam artist. Scumbag!
Thanks,
Michelle
I received a call last week which went to message. I checked the website, assumed it was pay-to-play at best. I decided to play anyway and called back today. (Call me a masochist...)
The director, Jennifer, didn't really lie to me like I've seen other people on other blogs say had happened to them. I assume that's what makes it just this side of legal? I did get told that I was "one of 7 from my area to be showcased", if I was chosen. I listened to her, answered her questions about my career, my team, and my methods, yada yada. I knew she was going to choose me no matter what I said. She did, and then she hit me with the same stuff everyone else is commenting on. She tried the claws-in push to make up my mind "now". She had to know by tonight's deadline.
I asked her questions which she answered pretty well.
She held it together until I told her I don't work alone; I have a team and we all benefit from one another so we all make decisions. She wasn't getting a yes on the spot. She was pretty put out at that point, and so were her "bosses" sitting in the background. I could hear them screaming at her to "say this" and "try that". She says she's going to call me and my team this evening when we're together. Yeah. Sure.
I'm not sure where she got my info, but this is the second scam this week. Check out the directories you are listed with to see if they sell their member information, and always be on guard and aware.
I am a Life Coach and I too was solicited. I was solicited by a man named Frank Michaels with CUTV. Many of my coaching friends were solicited too. Thanks for the info and confirming what I thought originally.
Laura Reichert
BIYLifeCoaching.com
I, too, was solicited for my formidable 'business coaching' skills. Boy, did this opportunity sound great. After hearing multiple times how many years they were in this business, their ability/need to move fast, and assurances that I need not be worried, I ended the call. She called back twice. I answered not.
I thank all of you for your comments. I just received the call from a Bobby Bank. He was very impressive. Fortunately, I began to research the information and found this site. I'm sure this information just saved me a lot of time and energy as well as money.
I just received a call from a Frank Michael on behalf of Bob Banks of CUTVNews.com to interview me for a series of shows they have planned on Blog Talk Radio. It sounded fishy so I Googled them and found this post. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I received a second call today from Mr. Banks. The first was last December while I was on vacation with my family. I asked then if he could reach out to me on a specific day when I returned but never heard back. Needless to say, he didn't give up!!!
Spoke to me again about the opportunity which all sounded AMAZING!! Who doesn't want to become and be the expert in their industry locally and nationally?
But come on... I'm a former police officer turned Women's Leadership Coach and question when something sounds too good to be true??
He did, however, send me information which included the contract. I plan to do my due diligence and reach out to someone who was recently interviewed and ask about their experience.
Just received an email from them to appear on their channel. After reading this I will not even bother responding. I am grateful for this article. Thank you.
I just received a voicemail from a Frank Michael (516-502-8267) at CUTV News regarding an opportunity to be interviewed on their 30-minute radio show focused on Health & Wellness. Sounds like they are targeting new and small business owners. Appreciate the shared experiences and insight from all of you!
Emily wrote: "I just received a voicemail from a Frank Michael (516-502-8267) at CUTV News regarding an opportunity to be interviewed on their 30-minute radio show focused on Health & Wellness. Sounds like they ..."
Tina wrote: "I received a call last week which went to message. I checked the website, assumed it was pay-to-play at best. I decided to play anyway and called back today. (Call me a masochist...)
The director,..."
I just received a call from Frank Michael 516-502-8267 wanted to interview me for alternative health show - was hoping it was the real deal but after reading this I am going with it's not. Question how do you report these people?
I got a call this morning, also -- and as soon as they mentioned money, I tactfully cut them off.
See - I have done broadcasting; yes, it was an in-house military broadcast outlet and more that two decades ago, but the thing is that legit outlets are desperate for interesting content! They have an insatiable desire for interesting and relevant content, usually.
If they want money, it's called "advertising".
I just got a call from Frank Michael stating that their producer Alexis Rose would be interviewing me tomorrow. My gut told me to check this out before that call because Frank sounds a bit sales. I see a relative of Alexis, Barbara Rose, won entrepreneur of the year (?). So that confirmed to me further this is a scam. I then read your site and wanted to THANK ALL OF YOU for sharing your own scam stories. Yes, I'd like to get my work out into the public. But I also like my time and money to go towards productive things.
I received a voicemail yesterday from Bobby Banks with CUTV radio that said I had been selected to sit on a panel of experts on a future segment about eating disorders. I decided to do a little research before I called back and I’m glad I did. I guess if it sounds too good to be true..... it is. Thanks for posting everyone!!
Got a call this morning from Frank Michael - left a voicemail saying they want to interview me for a segment on natural therapies for mental health. The voicemail was a red flag, because I'm not an author and have nothing of note to be interviewed for. I didn't call him back, and he tried to call 2 more times. Thanks for posting your stories, it'll help the next person avoid at best, a waste of time of a faux sales call, and at worst, losing thousands.
I just received a voice mail from Frank Michael wanting to interview me for a radio series on mental health "both conventional and holistic." I'm a mental health counselor with a holistic orientation. Seemed a bit fishy so I googled his name and phone number (516-502-8267) and found this site. Good to know that my intuition is right about this being a scam!
So glad I found this post online because I was contacted by an Anne Silar about an interview- they wanted to talk to me about wellness and coaching. I think they are after small businesses. I am an author and I have a small business, wondered how they found me. When she called me, she made it sound like they were very impressed with my work and my social media visibility, but then the topic of money came up- instant red flag- so I started googling them right away while I was on the phone with her, and I found this post as well as other complaints. No, thank you- I don't have that kind of disposable income. BEWARE!!
Wow, glad I started doing research on CUTV! I was contacted by Anne Silar, executive producer at CUTV News, wanting to interview me in February about editorial services (I'm a professional copy editor). We actually are set to talk by phone today about the February interview, and I"m guessing she's going to give me the spiel and ask for money. No way should anyone pay to be interviewed!!
Just got my call this evening. Janet, thanks for the heads up! We all want to be famous, admired, and interviewed... but at what cost.
Thank you for the warnings! I was suspicious because the message was on my CELL phone instead of email which is available everywhere and used my personal name not my pen name. Hum... Mary's Song
I'm so glad I read this. Just got a call yesterday from Frank Michael, who said he was going to schedule me a preliminary phone interview with Bob from www.cutvnews.com, to do a series focusing on holistic practitioners and Naturopathic Doctors. I'm so glad I researched his name and find this. Todays phone interview Bob said the service is not free, that it would be 1500$ for the service. Such a scam!! Can't believe they've been scamming people like this for years! Thank you everyone for posting your experience and comments. Just saved me 1500$ and a heap of time!
Wow - so sad.... just got a call from Bobby Whatever with the SAME EXACT SHTICK. Doug Llewellyn. National exposure. $1500. Luckily, I don't have Stupid on my forehead - I also worked for lawyers for 15 years, so I have a strong nose for BS.
BE WARNED - they are targeting us with what they are calling their Empowered Women Series. Don't give them a dime.
The sad thing is, they have women on there who seem to have done this, about 20, but on their interviews, there is no link to their business. There are videos, but everything looks so cheap and awful to me.
And he gave me the line about them being A+ rated by the BBB - yeah, they have no reviews on there and one complaint, which we cannot see. He says, "we can't just put that up on our website." Uh, sure you can, you just copy the image!
Anyway, run, don't walk, away from CUTV.....
Well, there's 30 minutes of my life I'll never get back. Reminder to do due diligence BEFORE having the conversation. Spoke to Alexis and was told what an amazing compliment I would be for their "Women's Empowerment" series. I was just beginning to noodle around on the internet when she got to the very low price of $1500 for me to participate. At least she didn't give me a hard time when I said I'd do my research and speak to her about "getting on the calendar" tomorrow. No calendar for me. Thanks, all, for sharing your experience!
Thank you for sharing. Im a divorce coach and author based in the U.K. so was very suprised when Alexis Rose left me a voicemail on my mobile asking me to call the U.S! I’ve previously done A few interviews on shows for Blog Talk Radio and have never paid for them.
I won’t be returning her call!
Emma
I think it stinks that a scam like this exists. I am a life coach and was targeted for the "empowered" women series as well. Just a reminder to everyone when you get a call like this...if it sounds to good to be true...it is a scam.
I also received a call today from Frank "Michael"--he needs to perfect his schtick because a different last name popped up on my phone ID which was a red flag. He urged me to instantly talk with his producer "Anne". I declined and said he could send me an email explaining his project, which I roughly gathered was to expose my writing to the world at a vast profit to me (haha, I'm a poet). Anyway, he did follow up with an email confirming that "Anne" would be calling me tomorrow. Lots of luck, Anne. I did a little on-line sleuthing and discovered these people have been at it for quite awhile. Shame on them.
I AM CERTAIN THEY ARE PREYING ON GOODREADS AUTHORS. I NEVER GOT A REPLY FROM THIS INQUIRY. I DOUBT THE REAL DOUG LLEWELYN HAS ANY PART IN THIS SCAM.
Dear Mr. Llewelyn:
A telephone solicitor name Donna Kushner claims that you are the TV program The People’s Court Doug Llewelyn and that your company is interested in the possibility of interviewing me for a program you are doing on authors.
Kevin
When I investigated CUTV News Radio this is what I found:
According to other authors you should watch out for this scam from this organization. They talk to you for 30 minutes and tell you how great you are then they FINALLY tell you they need up front money of $1,250-5,000 so they can give you $40,000 of services. Authors who have been solicited say they are very persistent!
1) The Caller ID reads, 631-421-6074 Unknown Caller and leaves a message saying they want you to call one of their interviewers, Frank Michael 516-502-8267 is one. Anthony Holt is another.
2) When you call they want you to check out their Close-Up Talk Radio web site at: http://www.closeuptvnews.com The solicitor then tells you that another person will call you the next day and interview you. Donna Kushner is one of those solicitors.
3) Donna or another second contacts is a closer. That person will try to make you believe your writing is the best thing since sliced bread and throw out big names they say they are affiliated with. They claim to be with Doug Llewelyn of CUTV News Radio and invite you to contact him.at this e-mail: dlprod@ioa.com
4) If you pay them the down-payment they have another person contact you to get more info.
HERE IS THE WARNING WEBSITE
Solicitation Alert: Close-up TV News / Close-up Talk Radio
Solicitation Alert: Close-up TV News / Close-up Talk Radio
Writer Beware shines a bright light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of scams, schemes, and pitfalls th...
HERE IS ANOTHER WARNING SITE:
Kathleen Valentine's Blog - Attention Authors: Have You Received A Call Like This? - February 14, 2013 11:09
Kathleen Valentine's Blog - Attention Authors: Have You Received A Call ...
Like most writers, I long for that bigbreak, that get-noticed moment when some teeny bit of magic happensand one...
On Monday, July 15, 2019 10:13:40 AM CDT, Donna wrote:
Hi Kevin,
Nice speaking to you . Please reach out to Doug
dlprod@ioa.com , looking forward to hearing hear with you.
Sincerely,
Donna Kushner
Executive Producer
631-850-4171 office
516-652-7784 cell
www.cutvnews.com
donna@cutvnews.com
150 Broadhollow Rd., Suite 312
Melville, NY 11747
Just got a call today! Same thing. It felt strange so I told him I'd have to do some research and call him back. I won't.
I just had an experience today. I reached out to them on Linked In because I did a Blog Talk Radio Interview for free with someone on another show and I was looking at other Blog Talk Radio Hosts to see if they would have me on their show. I am an Indy Author on Amazon, I have a blog and my son has been telling me hosts are looking for people to interview.
Anne Saylar got back to me quickly on Linked In and asked me to email her which I did and then she asked for my number and emailed me back asking if now was a good time to talk,
It all sounded so good (too good) the host knows Gail KIng Oprah's friend and would pass my book onto her. So when she asked if I knew they charged I was not surprised. She was very nice - not pushy at all when I told her I was looking for free.
I looked to see if they were a scam and your email came up.
I will be giving a talk about Indy Publishing at my writer's group in March so this makes a good story.
Thank you for putting this out there because too many authors are believing things that are "Too good to be true" and getting taken for money, sometimes locking themselves into contracts for years that give them nothing. Master Kataka Gara has the best advice - build up your true fans over time - this is a marathon, not a sprint. We need to build up our catalog of books and our readers over time.
This verified what I thought. Thank you so much for this info.
Belynda Wilson Thomas
It's not just authors: They are now branching out to coaches. This dude called me when I was in my car waiting for my pup at the vet (COVID precautions in place), and the guy said Katy Nash would like to interview to maybe be on their radio show. Why would they pick me out of 1,000s more experienced coaches? Spidey senses went off, and I started doing research. Like Belinda said, this is a marathon as we grow our brand, passion, and calling.
Thank you very much for the post. I just have a call from Frank Mitchel. The situation is exactly as Zoe describes. The scam is still alive)) Thank you for sharing. It has save my time and money as I guess.
So glad I found this page. I got the same thing - a call with no context on how they got my info and it sounds the same as above. The producer then sent me the following email - I would run from this kind of business!
Hello Aaron,
I am following up on your conversation with Frank Mitchell to set up a time for us to go over the process of scheduling your radio interview, let me know what works for you.
Close Up Television & Radio with veteran award-winning broadcast TV and radio hosts/media personalities Jim Masters and Doug Llewelyn is an exciting, informative, entertaining, thought provoking and empowering broadcast series featuring LIVE episodes daily. Please visit our website, www.closeuptelevision.com, click on Talk Radio and listen to some of our interviews.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/closeupr...
Close Up Radio Online
Close Up Radio with veteran award-winning broadcast TV and radio hosts/media personalities Jim Masters and Doug Llewelyn.
www.blogtalkradio.com
http://www.facebook.com/CloseUpTelevi...
Anne SeylarAnne Seylar
Executive Producer Close Up Television & Radio
150 Broadhollow Rd., Suite 312
Melville, N.Y. 11747
www.closeuptelevision.com
631-957-0742
anneseylar@closeuptelevision.com
Talk Radio Live And On Demand!
BE: Inspired + Motivated + Activated + Regenerated!
Thank you for posting here. I just received this overnight... Decided to search for any references or comments... Thank goodness I did.
I guess this is the latest theme for the scam:
"We would like to possibly feature you on an upcoming segment of our celebrated Empowered Women Series hosted by veteran award -winning broadcast TV and radio hosts/media personalities Doug Llewelyn and Jim Masters on BLOG talk radio. Our website is XXXX where you can listen to all our fabulous inspiring interviews. Please give me a call at 631 850 4039."
Alexis Nicolle - is the name on the message.
I'll not be replying. THANKS everyone!
Thank you all SO MUCH. I have gotten calls from Frank Mitchell of Close up Radio (using this number: 516-320-1485), saying they want to interview me for my coaching expertise. Fortunately for me, I have only received voicemails. Guess I'm the winner of our phone tag game because after reading all of this, I am done. Grateful for these posts.
I was just contacted today from the 1485 number mentioned above. Bobby’s representative said Bobby wanted to talk to me but he just stepped out for a moment and could he (Bobby) call me back in a few minutes? Thanks for the heads up. I will be blocking this number.
I just got a call from Frank Mitchell at the same number. He said they are lining up their schedule and ‘might’ be interested in having me on their show as a coach. I’ve not found anything that’s shows how they are legit. I always check these shows out before communicating with them.
I have gotten a call from Frank Mitchell of Close up Radio (using this number: 516-320-1485), saying they wanted to possibly interview me on talk radio. I am a massage therapist/Somatic Bodyworker. He left a message, but it was hard to hear him say "CloseUp Radio", and since I wasn't sure that's what he said, I just entered the phone number into Google, and this blog was the first thing to come up.
Thank goodness. What a waste of time that would have been.
So many years later, he is still out there calling people. it was this article that saved me.
I am so very grateful for all you did so many years ago to expose this terrible scam.
Thank you
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Thank you ! I just got the call from Anthony Holms... same come on... I don't think I will call back!
Timing is everything Elizabeth and glad I could help.I do have a tip for you. If marketing is an issue or interest to you, you might consider the November Book Marketing Conference that will be held in Philadelphia and sponsored by APSS/SPAN (well, it isn't SPAN any more it is APSS. Sponsors also include Ingram and Bowker. If you want more information visit www.bookapss.org.
Personally I think it is about time a resource was available to authors to help them learn places to sell their books other than the traditional brick and mortar or online stores.
Thank you I just got a call from them took. This was helpful.
I just got a call this morning and was on the phone for quite some time before the topic of money was raised. Up until then I was under the impression I was being asked for a news interview. I had never heard of the group, and appreciate any warnings before I wade into something that separates me from resources that could be better spent. Thanks!
Thanks so much for posting all of this. I just got a phone call telling me that it would only be $2500 to advertise with them. Always check things out!
Kathleen- Thank you so much for posting this. I found your post because I did a search called "scam cutv.com". It lead me to the name "Lou Ceparano". I then searched his name and your blog came up.
You just saved me tons of time and energy! I am ever so grateful.
I just received a call from a guy from the same company
(CUTVnews.com) , named Andi Romero and apparently I qualified for a "coaching program" for their Radio segment.
The number they called me on was 631.421.6073 ( similar to the number you got but off by 1 number).
Now, I am a 30-year International Reiki Master Sound healer and author (not really a coach but I do talk people through their personal challenges). I have enough business that I really do not need a radio show to feature me but it is always a possibility.
And really, anyone can build a fame platform for their specific industry or genre, if they do it themselves and are are patient enough to build it, as I did over the years. Plus, with all the tools out there online, you can do it for mostly free. That is what I did.
So, I usually answer my biz line phone because clients and students call me for sessions and classes. People usually find me on Yelp because I have over 100 5-star reviews.
Andi started asking me questions immediately, that anyone who would have found me online would have known: that I have a comprehensive website, videos and information that explain everything about what I do to anyone who is curious to know.
I asked Andi if he found me on yelp or google and he mentioned his team of researchers found me but that he didn't have any info about me. And he stated he wanted to "hear it directly from me".
I asked him if there was a cost and he quickly mentioned "there is a cost for the writer's to create your radio show but that's about it".
He brushed over that question very quickly and stated he had a few questions for me to see if I qualified as the top coach, compared to the top 3 other coaches ( whomever that was...).
I stopped him right there and told him I had to call him back due to a Reiki sound healing client coming over soon. (I thought it would also give me some time to do some research about this company to make sure they were legit.)
Fortunately, I discovered yours and others experiences before I decided to waste time and money with a service I do not need.
I'm sure they are only legit in the sense that they are a company that attempts to provide a service to people who feel that they cannot get the attention they need and must pay for radio or TV shows.
Perhaps this works for some people, but if an artist, writer, coach, healer or musician focuses on their website, facebook ,twitter, youtube and their blog ( such as yourself, Kathleen), they can garner enough "fans" to create a successful business. One does not need 1 million + fans.
There is a concept called "1,000 true fans" that really helped me understand that quality is actually better than quantity; and more manageable with honest conversations online than a bunch of anonymous static. If you are a small business ( as we all are) you must create and nurture authentic connections online.
Anyway, I hope my comment helps others too. Thank you again Kathleen and best of luck to you.
I'm sending positive Reiki healing energy to you as a thank you for posting this.
Blessings,
Master Kataka Gara
You just saved me tons of time and energy! I am ever so grateful.
I just received a call from a guy from the same company
(CUTVnews.com) , named Andi Romero and apparently I qualified for a "coaching program" for their Radio segment.
The number they called me on was 631.421.6073 ( similar to the number you got but off by 1 number).
Now, I am a 30-year International Reiki Master Sound healer and author (not really a coach but I do talk people through their personal challenges). I have enough business that I really do not need a radio show to feature me but it is always a possibility.
And really, anyone can build a fame platform for their specific industry or genre, if they do it themselves and are are patient enough to build it, as I did over the years. Plus, with all the tools out there online, you can do it for mostly free. That is what I did.
So, I usually answer my biz line phone because clients and students call me for sessions and classes. People usually find me on Yelp because I have over 100 5-star reviews.
Andi started asking me questions immediately, that anyone who would have found me online would have known: that I have a comprehensive website, videos and information that explain everything about what I do to anyone who is curious to know.
I asked Andi if he found me on yelp or google and he mentioned his team of researchers found me but that he didn't have any info about me. And he stated he wanted to "hear it directly from me".
I asked him if there was a cost and he quickly mentioned "there is a cost for the writer's to create your radio show but that's about it".
He brushed over that question very quickly and stated he had a few questions for me to see if I qualified as the top coach, compared to the top 3 other coaches ( whomever that was...).
I stopped him right there and told him I had to call him back due to a Reiki sound healing client coming over soon. (I thought it would also give me some time to do some research about this company to make sure they were legit.)
Fortunately, I discovered yours and others experiences before I decided to waste time and money with a service I do not need.
I'm sure they are only legit in the sense that they are a company that attempts to provide a service to people who feel that they cannot get the attention they need and must pay for radio or TV shows.
Perhaps this works for some people, but if an artist, writer, coach, healer or musician focuses on their website, facebook ,twitter, youtube and their blog ( such as yourself, Kathleen), they can garner enough "fans" to create a successful business. One does not need 1 million + fans.
There is a concept called "1,000 true fans" that really helped me understand that quality is actually better than quantity; and more manageable with honest conversations online than a bunch of anonymous static. If you are a small business ( as we all are) you must create and nurture authentic connections online.
Anyway, I hope my comment helps others too. Thank you again Kathleen and best of luck to you.
I'm sending positive Reiki healing energy to you as a thank you for posting this.
Blessings,
Master Kataka Gara
They are still alive in 2015. I received a call yesterday from Mr. Separano asking me to participate in a Radio Series about Empowering Women in Coaching......I did not answer the call nor will I call back. The number they called from was 631-850-3314. Thanks for these posts.
I received a call yesterday from Andi Romero as well about a coaching segment. As he was telling me all of the benefits (which sounded great) I started waiting for the other shoe to drop. It finally happened in the form of $1250 for their scripwriter. When I told my husband he said, hell...I'm a scriptwriter (true) and I'll do it for FREE. Unfortunately calls out of the blue like this are never what they seem. It's a shame they exist. Thank you everyone for sharing your experience. It was this blog that kept me from saying YES!!Hellena Jones Elbling
This scam is still alive - just got a voicemail baiting me.
Kelley wrote: "This scam is still alive - just got a voicemail baiting me."Amazing!
Oh dear. I am scheduled for a radio interview in 2 days and some character named Christopher Johnson is trying to sell me 5 more interviews to see if I would qualify for an interview with NBC News. Of course I will get all my money back with $6000 speaking engagements. I'm not sure who would pay that much to hear me say anything or if I have enough to say for six radio shows. I write children's books and have published two. I can't find any authors from Cutv who have appeared on Nbc. Cutv did a press release for me and I never heard of most of these publications and the graphics were really poor. Plus I did not have the opportunity to approve anything as I was promised. This appears to be a first rate scam orchestrated by the "Music Men". They are very good. They should be ashamed as part of my brand is reaching out to bereaved parents as I lost my son and only child, as well as my husband and am a cancer survivor.
Thank you so much for posting this. I was just called and saw this and another posting on who Bobby Banks is a scam artist. Scumbag!Thanks,
Michelle
I received a call last week which went to message. I checked the website, assumed it was pay-to-play at best. I decided to play anyway and called back today. (Call me a masochist...)The director, Jennifer, didn't really lie to me like I've seen other people on other blogs say had happened to them. I assume that's what makes it just this side of legal? I did get told that I was "one of 7 from my area to be showcased", if I was chosen. I listened to her, answered her questions about my career, my team, and my methods, yada yada. I knew she was going to choose me no matter what I said. She did, and then she hit me with the same stuff everyone else is commenting on. She tried the claws-in push to make up my mind "now". She had to know by tonight's deadline.
I asked her questions which she answered pretty well.
She held it together until I told her I don't work alone; I have a team and we all benefit from one another so we all make decisions. She wasn't getting a yes on the spot. She was pretty put out at that point, and so were her "bosses" sitting in the background. I could hear them screaming at her to "say this" and "try that". She says she's going to call me and my team this evening when we're together. Yeah. Sure.
I'm not sure where she got my info, but this is the second scam this week. Check out the directories you are listed with to see if they sell their member information, and always be on guard and aware.
I am a Life Coach and I too was solicited. I was solicited by a man named Frank Michaels with CUTV. Many of my coaching friends were solicited too. Thanks for the info and confirming what I thought originally.Laura Reichert
BIYLifeCoaching.com
I, too, was solicited for my formidable 'business coaching' skills. Boy, did this opportunity sound great. After hearing multiple times how many years they were in this business, their ability/need to move fast, and assurances that I need not be worried, I ended the call. She called back twice. I answered not.
I thank all of you for your comments. I just received the call from a Bobby Bank. He was very impressive. Fortunately, I began to research the information and found this site. I'm sure this information just saved me a lot of time and energy as well as money.
I just received a call from a Frank Michael on behalf of Bob Banks of CUTVNews.com to interview me for a series of shows they have planned on Blog Talk Radio. It sounded fishy so I Googled them and found this post. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I received a second call today from Mr. Banks. The first was last December while I was on vacation with my family. I asked then if he could reach out to me on a specific day when I returned but never heard back. Needless to say, he didn't give up!!!Spoke to me again about the opportunity which all sounded AMAZING!! Who doesn't want to become and be the expert in their industry locally and nationally?
But come on... I'm a former police officer turned Women's Leadership Coach and question when something sounds too good to be true??
He did, however, send me information which included the contract. I plan to do my due diligence and reach out to someone who was recently interviewed and ask about their experience.
Just received an email from them to appear on their channel. After reading this I will not even bother responding. I am grateful for this article. Thank you.
I just received a voicemail from a Frank Michael (516-502-8267) at CUTV News regarding an opportunity to be interviewed on their 30-minute radio show focused on Health & Wellness. Sounds like they are targeting new and small business owners. Appreciate the shared experiences and insight from all of you!
Emily wrote: "I just received a voicemail from a Frank Michael (516-502-8267) at CUTV News regarding an opportunity to be interviewed on their 30-minute radio show focused on Health & Wellness. Sounds like they ..."Tina wrote: "I received a call last week which went to message. I checked the website, assumed it was pay-to-play at best. I decided to play anyway and called back today. (Call me a masochist...)
The director,..."
I just received a call from Frank Michael 516-502-8267 wanted to interview me for alternative health show - was hoping it was the real deal but after reading this I am going with it's not. Question how do you report these people?
I got a call this morning, also -- and as soon as they mentioned money, I tactfully cut them off.See - I have done broadcasting; yes, it was an in-house military broadcast outlet and more that two decades ago, but the thing is that legit outlets are desperate for interesting content! They have an insatiable desire for interesting and relevant content, usually.
If they want money, it's called "advertising".
I just got a call from Frank Michael stating that their producer Alexis Rose would be interviewing me tomorrow. My gut told me to check this out before that call because Frank sounds a bit sales. I see a relative of Alexis, Barbara Rose, won entrepreneur of the year (?). So that confirmed to me further this is a scam. I then read your site and wanted to THANK ALL OF YOU for sharing your own scam stories. Yes, I'd like to get my work out into the public. But I also like my time and money to go towards productive things.
I received a voicemail yesterday from Bobby Banks with CUTV radio that said I had been selected to sit on a panel of experts on a future segment about eating disorders. I decided to do a little research before I called back and I’m glad I did. I guess if it sounds too good to be true..... it is. Thanks for posting everyone!!
Got a call this morning from Frank Michael - left a voicemail saying they want to interview me for a segment on natural therapies for mental health. The voicemail was a red flag, because I'm not an author and have nothing of note to be interviewed for. I didn't call him back, and he tried to call 2 more times. Thanks for posting your stories, it'll help the next person avoid at best, a waste of time of a faux sales call, and at worst, losing thousands.
I just received a voice mail from Frank Michael wanting to interview me for a radio series on mental health "both conventional and holistic." I'm a mental health counselor with a holistic orientation. Seemed a bit fishy so I googled his name and phone number (516-502-8267) and found this site. Good to know that my intuition is right about this being a scam!
So glad I found this post online because I was contacted by an Anne Silar about an interview- they wanted to talk to me about wellness and coaching. I think they are after small businesses. I am an author and I have a small business, wondered how they found me. When she called me, she made it sound like they were very impressed with my work and my social media visibility, but then the topic of money came up- instant red flag- so I started googling them right away while I was on the phone with her, and I found this post as well as other complaints. No, thank you- I don't have that kind of disposable income. BEWARE!!
Wow, glad I started doing research on CUTV! I was contacted by Anne Silar, executive producer at CUTV News, wanting to interview me in February about editorial services (I'm a professional copy editor). We actually are set to talk by phone today about the February interview, and I"m guessing she's going to give me the spiel and ask for money. No way should anyone pay to be interviewed!!
Just got my call this evening. Janet, thanks for the heads up! We all want to be famous, admired, and interviewed... but at what cost.
Thank you for the warnings! I was suspicious because the message was on my CELL phone instead of email which is available everywhere and used my personal name not my pen name. Hum... Mary's Song
I'm so glad I read this. Just got a call yesterday from Frank Michael, who said he was going to schedule me a preliminary phone interview with Bob from www.cutvnews.com, to do a series focusing on holistic practitioners and Naturopathic Doctors. I'm so glad I researched his name and find this. Todays phone interview Bob said the service is not free, that it would be 1500$ for the service. Such a scam!! Can't believe they've been scamming people like this for years! Thank you everyone for posting your experience and comments. Just saved me 1500$ and a heap of time!
Wow - so sad.... just got a call from Bobby Whatever with the SAME EXACT SHTICK. Doug Llewellyn. National exposure. $1500. Luckily, I don't have Stupid on my forehead - I also worked for lawyers for 15 years, so I have a strong nose for BS.BE WARNED - they are targeting us with what they are calling their Empowered Women Series. Don't give them a dime.
The sad thing is, they have women on there who seem to have done this, about 20, but on their interviews, there is no link to their business. There are videos, but everything looks so cheap and awful to me.
And he gave me the line about them being A+ rated by the BBB - yeah, they have no reviews on there and one complaint, which we cannot see. He says, "we can't just put that up on our website." Uh, sure you can, you just copy the image!
Anyway, run, don't walk, away from CUTV.....
Well, there's 30 minutes of my life I'll never get back. Reminder to do due diligence BEFORE having the conversation. Spoke to Alexis and was told what an amazing compliment I would be for their "Women's Empowerment" series. I was just beginning to noodle around on the internet when she got to the very low price of $1500 for me to participate. At least she didn't give me a hard time when I said I'd do my research and speak to her about "getting on the calendar" tomorrow. No calendar for me. Thanks, all, for sharing your experience!
Thank you for sharing. Im a divorce coach and author based in the U.K. so was very suprised when Alexis Rose left me a voicemail on my mobile asking me to call the U.S! I’ve previously done A few interviews on shows for Blog Talk Radio and have never paid for them.I won’t be returning her call!
Emma
I think it stinks that a scam like this exists. I am a life coach and was targeted for the "empowered" women series as well. Just a reminder to everyone when you get a call like this...if it sounds to good to be true...it is a scam.
I also received a call today from Frank "Michael"--he needs to perfect his schtick because a different last name popped up on my phone ID which was a red flag. He urged me to instantly talk with his producer "Anne". I declined and said he could send me an email explaining his project, which I roughly gathered was to expose my writing to the world at a vast profit to me (haha, I'm a poet). Anyway, he did follow up with an email confirming that "Anne" would be calling me tomorrow. Lots of luck, Anne. I did a little on-line sleuthing and discovered these people have been at it for quite awhile. Shame on them.
I AM CERTAIN THEY ARE PREYING ON GOODREADS AUTHORS. I NEVER GOT A REPLY FROM THIS INQUIRY. I DOUBT THE REAL DOUG LLEWELYN HAS ANY PART IN THIS SCAM.Dear Mr. Llewelyn:
A telephone solicitor name Donna Kushner claims that you are the TV program The People’s Court Doug Llewelyn and that your company is interested in the possibility of interviewing me for a program you are doing on authors.
Kevin
When I investigated CUTV News Radio this is what I found:
According to other authors you should watch out for this scam from this organization. They talk to you for 30 minutes and tell you how great you are then they FINALLY tell you they need up front money of $1,250-5,000 so they can give you $40,000 of services. Authors who have been solicited say they are very persistent!
1) The Caller ID reads, 631-421-6074 Unknown Caller and leaves a message saying they want you to call one of their interviewers, Frank Michael 516-502-8267 is one. Anthony Holt is another.
2) When you call they want you to check out their Close-Up Talk Radio web site at: http://www.closeuptvnews.com The solicitor then tells you that another person will call you the next day and interview you. Donna Kushner is one of those solicitors.
3) Donna or another second contacts is a closer. That person will try to make you believe your writing is the best thing since sliced bread and throw out big names they say they are affiliated with. They claim to be with Doug Llewelyn of CUTV News Radio and invite you to contact him.at this e-mail: dlprod@ioa.com
4) If you pay them the down-payment they have another person contact you to get more info.
HERE IS THE WARNING WEBSITE
Solicitation Alert: Close-up TV News / Close-up Talk Radio
Solicitation Alert: Close-up TV News / Close-up Talk Radio
Writer Beware shines a bright light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of scams, schemes, and pitfalls th...
HERE IS ANOTHER WARNING SITE:
Kathleen Valentine's Blog - Attention Authors: Have You Received A Call Like This? - February 14, 2013 11:09
Kathleen Valentine's Blog - Attention Authors: Have You Received A Call ...
Like most writers, I long for that bigbreak, that get-noticed moment when some teeny bit of magic happensand one...
On Monday, July 15, 2019 10:13:40 AM CDT, Donna wrote:
Hi Kevin,
Nice speaking to you . Please reach out to Doug
dlprod@ioa.com , looking forward to hearing hear with you.
Sincerely,
Donna Kushner
Executive Producer
631-850-4171 office
516-652-7784 cell
www.cutvnews.com
donna@cutvnews.com
150 Broadhollow Rd., Suite 312
Melville, NY 11747
Just got a call today! Same thing. It felt strange so I told him I'd have to do some research and call him back. I won't.
I just had an experience today. I reached out to them on Linked In because I did a Blog Talk Radio Interview for free with someone on another show and I was looking at other Blog Talk Radio Hosts to see if they would have me on their show. I am an Indy Author on Amazon, I have a blog and my son has been telling me hosts are looking for people to interview. Anne Saylar got back to me quickly on Linked In and asked me to email her which I did and then she asked for my number and emailed me back asking if now was a good time to talk,
It all sounded so good (too good) the host knows Gail KIng Oprah's friend and would pass my book onto her. So when she asked if I knew they charged I was not surprised. She was very nice - not pushy at all when I told her I was looking for free.
I looked to see if they were a scam and your email came up.
I will be giving a talk about Indy Publishing at my writer's group in March so this makes a good story.
Thank you for putting this out there because too many authors are believing things that are "Too good to be true" and getting taken for money, sometimes locking themselves into contracts for years that give them nothing. Master Kataka Gara has the best advice - build up your true fans over time - this is a marathon, not a sprint. We need to build up our catalog of books and our readers over time.
This verified what I thought. Thank you so much for this info.
Belynda Wilson Thomas
It's not just authors: They are now branching out to coaches. This dude called me when I was in my car waiting for my pup at the vet (COVID precautions in place), and the guy said Katy Nash would like to interview to maybe be on their radio show. Why would they pick me out of 1,000s more experienced coaches? Spidey senses went off, and I started doing research. Like Belinda said, this is a marathon as we grow our brand, passion, and calling.
Thank you very much for the post. I just have a call from Frank Mitchel. The situation is exactly as Zoe describes. The scam is still alive)) Thank you for sharing. It has save my time and money as I guess.
So glad I found this page. I got the same thing - a call with no context on how they got my info and it sounds the same as above. The producer then sent me the following email - I would run from this kind of business!Hello Aaron,
I am following up on your conversation with Frank Mitchell to set up a time for us to go over the process of scheduling your radio interview, let me know what works for you.
Close Up Television & Radio with veteran award-winning broadcast TV and radio hosts/media personalities Jim Masters and Doug Llewelyn is an exciting, informative, entertaining, thought provoking and empowering broadcast series featuring LIVE episodes daily. Please visit our website, www.closeuptelevision.com, click on Talk Radio and listen to some of our interviews.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/closeupr...
Close Up Radio Online
Close Up Radio with veteran award-winning broadcast TV and radio hosts/media personalities Jim Masters and Doug Llewelyn.
www.blogtalkradio.com
http://www.facebook.com/CloseUpTelevi...
Anne SeylarAnne Seylar
Executive Producer Close Up Television & Radio
150 Broadhollow Rd., Suite 312
Melville, N.Y. 11747
www.closeuptelevision.com
631-957-0742
anneseylar@closeuptelevision.com
Talk Radio Live And On Demand!
BE: Inspired + Motivated + Activated + Regenerated!
Thank you for posting here. I just received this overnight... Decided to search for any references or comments... Thank goodness I did.I guess this is the latest theme for the scam:
"We would like to possibly feature you on an upcoming segment of our celebrated Empowered Women Series hosted by veteran award -winning broadcast TV and radio hosts/media personalities Doug Llewelyn and Jim Masters on BLOG talk radio. Our website is XXXX where you can listen to all our fabulous inspiring interviews. Please give me a call at 631 850 4039."
Alexis Nicolle - is the name on the message.
I'll not be replying. THANKS everyone!
Thank you all SO MUCH. I have gotten calls from Frank Mitchell of Close up Radio (using this number: 516-320-1485), saying they want to interview me for my coaching expertise. Fortunately for me, I have only received voicemails. Guess I'm the winner of our phone tag game because after reading all of this, I am done. Grateful for these posts.
I was just contacted today from the 1485 number mentioned above. Bobby’s representative said Bobby wanted to talk to me but he just stepped out for a moment and could he (Bobby) call me back in a few minutes? Thanks for the heads up. I will be blocking this number.
I just got a call from Frank Mitchell at the same number. He said they are lining up their schedule and ‘might’ be interested in having me on their show as a coach. I’ve not found anything that’s shows how they are legit. I always check these shows out before communicating with them.
I have gotten a call from Frank Mitchell of Close up Radio (using this number: 516-320-1485), saying they wanted to possibly interview me on talk radio. I am a massage therapist/Somatic Bodyworker. He left a message, but it was hard to hear him say "CloseUp Radio", and since I wasn't sure that's what he said, I just entered the phone number into Google, and this blog was the first thing to come up. Thank goodness. What a waste of time that would have been.
So many years later, he is still out there calling people. it was this article that saved me.I am so very grateful for all you did so many years ago to expose this terrible scam.
Thank you
I wanted to share with you my experiences with Close-Up TV News. Understand my experience is not unique. This is a telemarketing scheme - scam - and hordes of people are affected. They are being investigated by the FL, CA and NY Offices of Attorney General, the BBB and the FBI Melville, NY office. This is not the first fraud scam that has been perpetuated by these people.
Close-Up TV News contacted me via telephone and led me to believe that I was contracting for interviews on Close-UP TV News. The paperwork I later received referred to Close-Up Talk Radio. Never did anything or anyone refer to or use “blog talk radio”. I actually did not know until about two minutes before the interview, when I called-in for the interview, that the interview was being conducted under “blog talk radio”, NOT Close-Up TV News or Close-Up TV News Radio. That was extremely misleading and a misrepresentation on their part.
In my case, the services Close-Up TV News provided were, and are not in dispute:
The 4 interviews
The 30 second promotions
The DVD recordings
Press release with photo or video distribution to major news outlets - there was nothing personalized about this. The release was distributed through a random newspaper clipping service.
The services not provided were: Close-Up TV continues to not address these services.
The email list - Anthony Holmes required that I agree to clear my calendar to be available to accept requests for public speaking engagements and be able to travel after he sent requests to the Fortune 500 companies urging them to schedule me. According to Holmes, “If we tell a Fortune 500 company to hire someone, they do”. I agreed.
Press release with photo or video distribution to media publications
Press release with photo or video distribution to networks - Anthony Holmes required that I agree to clear my calendar to be available to accept requests for interviews and be able to travel after he sent requests to the networks and radio and television talk shows urging they schedule me. I agreed.
Promotional campaign for products, services, books, etc.
Provide company visibility on the major search engines
Professionally scripted interviews
Live streaming from website (Holmes insisted this feature be added to my website)
Podcast of interview series (Holmes insisted this feature be added to my website)
Stats on live callers to show
Stats on listeners
Detailed year long media campaign
Under the second contract dated 1/17/2013 the same applies. Close-Up TV continues to not address these services.
Provided:
Website design – Close-Up TV News did not redesign page 1 however I do not dispute that Kevin Rocke recommended that a pix be relocated, and I did that. Rocke also answered a question re the legality of using the guest book feature. Rocke made no changes on page 2 and there was no input, suggestions or recommendations for page 3; though Rocke did compliment me on a job well done.
The website was actually an existing working website that had been designed and maintained by me. The redesign had been demanded of Close-Up TV News (Anthony Holmes and Louis Ceparano) and the work was to be completed prior to the release of the press release or the first interview. I felt I had no choice but to agree – a contract was never signed.
Not Provided: Close-Up TV continues to not address these services.
Website tech support – Questions were asked and not answered. The banner was changed without authorization or approval. I asked that those changes be removed – they were not. While I liked the visual affect, it was not usable because it was not layered.
Website design completion – There was no input on pages 2 or 3; unauthorized changes were not undone.
Lou Ceparano and Anthony Holmes are on "watch" lists because of their prior convictions. Agencies are building cases against them as I write.
If you did not record your phone conversations with them - do it now. Start building a way to protect yourself. If you need more information on how to do this, let me know. I now have a large database of people who have been scammed in this scheme. Do not be embarrassed because of being caught up in this scheme. Believe me you are in good company.
Be embarrassed only if you do nothing to stop this. Help protect others.
Ceparano has since admitted to the NY BBB the services were not rendered. He also said the reason the services were not rendered was because it was a year-long contract. That stuck his foot in his mouth because then there was no justification for approaching me about a second contract when there was 10 months left in the one year contract.
On my website you can follow the paper trail and read the articles I have written and published on this experience in an attempt to help others. There were many before me.
Also, from what I have found out, which I am not sure what is true, they are listed as a sound recording service in NY when actually, I believe they are a telemarketing company. I don't know about your state but in FL they are not licensed to conduct telemarketing.
I did get a letter from their attorney insinuating their business was suffering because of my complaints. I thanked them for giving me credit for the complaints submtted before me and that it perhaps was not fair to those previous complainers. The tone of the letter was leaning toward extortion. The threats were definitely there - do this or else. He never denied to me that the services were not rendered and he never proved that the services had been performed. Neither has Ceparano - but he did admit they were not done in writing to the BBB in NY.
Anyway, as things happen and articles are written and published, I am posting them on my website so hopefully other authors can avoid this mess. www.janethorton.net