Legal News Watch - Consumer Rights Blog

U.S. Files Lawsuit Against National Audit Defense Network

April 16th, 2004 · 68 Comments

The Justice Department on Wednesday filed a civil lawsuit asking a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order against the National Audit Defense Network.

In court papers filed in a U.S. District Court in Law Vegas, the government said that NADN has sold fraudulent tax schemes, including phony web site businesses, to an estimated 100,000 customers, costing the Federal Treasury and estimated $324 million to date.

The Justice Department alleges that NADN runs a “tax-scam boiler room” that sells bogus “web sites,” home-based businesses, and “incorporation” packages designed to help customers claim bogus tax deductions and credits.

“People ought to use their common sense: the fact that a scheme is advertised on the radio or Internet, or sold by a large company, doesn’t make it legitimate,” said Eileen J. O’Connor, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “The Justice Department is striving to bring people who sell fraudulent tax schemes the response they deserve: injunctions, penalties, and-where warranted-criminal prosecutions.”

Also named in the suit were three other companies: ALR, Inc., which operates under the name Success Matrix Group; Free Trade Enterprises, which operates under the name Oryan Management; ADA Adventure; and thirteen individuals. The suit also asks the court to permanently bar NADN and four of the individual defendants from preparing federal income tax returns for others, and to order the defendants to turn over their customer lists.

The Alleged Scam:

The “websites” are allegedly designed to help customers claim to have a business with a website, and then improperly claim tax deductions and credits for supposedly “modifying” the website-purportedly to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to court papers, NADN charges customers $2,495 to make sham website modifications, but also adds a sham $7,980 promissory note as part of the ostensible purchase price to artificially raise the total cost to $10,475. NADN allegedly tells prospective purchasers that they can use that inflated cost to claim a $5,000 ADA income-tax credit and a $5,475 business tax deduction, thereby reducing their taxes by more than double the $2,495 they paid for the “modifications.”

In reality, according to court papers, purchasers never received their own website or their own ADA modifications. Instead, in what court papers say is “one of the oldest swindles in the book,” NADN allegedly sold one website 17,000 times, and modified it only once while charging each purchaser for supposed separate modifications. Moreover, the Justice Department alleges, the supposed ADA modifications were largely useless to disabled computer users, making the scheme “a cruel hoax.”

“The scale of this scheme is truly staggering,” said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. “As we’ve said time and time again, people shouldn’t fall prey to schemes and scams. No matter how slick the sales pitch, taxpayers should be wary of anyone promising to eliminate their taxes. There is no secret way to escape paying taxes, either through a home-based business or any other scam.”

The thirteen individuals named in the suit are Las Vegas-area residents Robert Bennington, Weston J. Coolidge, Alan L. Rodrigues, Adam Mangabang, Lee Panelli, Christine Reid, Jeffrey Klingenberg, Rich Klingenberg, and Marie Orie, as well as California residents Daniel W. Porter of Chino, Robert Goetsch of Hayward, Michelle M. Hernandez of Upland, and Joseph Prokop of Mt. Baldy.

This case is part of the Justice Department’s initiative to stop the spread of fraudulent tax schemes.

(via U.S. Department of Justice)

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Tags: IRS

68 responses so far ↓

  • Kathleen Clementi // Apr 22, 2004 at 8:36 am

    This company without my authorization after I had cancelled my membership, saying that their company was a scam went into my checking account and withdrew $3995. Needless to say I did not have that much money in my account. I called the company demanding they reverse the withdrawal they refused. Even though I had canceled my account. I told them I would go the to the attorney generals office they said “go ahead” and hung up on me. they then made me fax a letter requesting a reversal as my checking account was frozen due to the overdraft and all my check were bouncing. I called again to verify reciept of the fax demanding the reversal of the withdrawal, I recieved no confirmation of reciept. My bank informed I am responsible for all overdraft fees even though this was an unauthorized withdrawal. This has been a nightmare that has yet to be resolved. My bank stated I would have to hire a lawyer. I cannot even pay the overdraft fees yet pay a attorney.

  • James Ciraky // Apr 22, 2004 at 6:39 pm

    These Guys are still working .Thursday 9:00 est. Just sold me there plan. Looked up website, Found all this other info.

  • Gary Wilson // Apr 29, 2004 at 8:07 pm

    Yep, these guys snagged a lot of people. But, Eileen J. O’Connor, Assistant Attorney General, said that “People ought to use their common sense”. The fact is these people that she is going after produced a Message from Attorney General Ashcroft viewable in this Search engine cache:

    http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:FdOY0JuhNhoJ:www.oryan-biz.com/Ashcroft.cfm%3Fp%3DDMI+Oryan-Biz&hl=en

    …And even produced this item from President George Bush viewable in this Search Engine cache:

    http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:O0-mI4EPoAEJ:www.oryan-biz.com/President.cfm%3Fp%3DDMI+Oryan-Biz+++President+bush&hl=en

    It’s hard not to be duped when it “looks” like the leaders of the free world are on your side.

    If you want to view some more back door stuff do a search for “Oryan-Biz” (without the quotation marks)in any search engine that mantains a cache. (Google is the one I used for these examples, others may have more) You will have to view the cached documents, because a lot of this disappeared when the lawsuit began!!! You can also find many complaints on-line.

  • Carol Gumbert // Apr 30, 2004 at 10:48 am

    They charged my B. of A. credit card, refused to reverse even though I cancelled it within their review period and now B. of A. has put my account with to a collections agency even though I explained to them and fased them a copy of the cancellation letter I sent to NADN. They are ruining my credit rating. I wish I could afford a lawyer to help with this.

  • Wayne McCormick // May 4, 2004 at 6:54 pm

    They should also name Cort Christie in this lawsuit. 3 years ago I worked closely with Cort before I found out how little he cared for people and how much he loved the almighty dollar. He was one of the 2 original founders of National Audit Defense Network. He ostensibly sold off his shares of NADN to Weston J. Coolidge in 2003 (named in the suit)but that was really just a way to try and protect his other company Nevada Corporate Headquarters from these legal problems. I have followed this very closely and I know that Wes still funnels money to Cort through “under the table” payoffs. Cort has transferred a lot of the same illegal sales practices and tax schemes to Nevada Corporate Headquarters. (Setting up Corporations or entities to magically avoid paying taxes) He even took veteran employees from NADN to staff his other company Nevada Corporate Headquarters. Hopefully the government will also look into Nevada Corporate Headquarters tax schemes and boiler room operations. Cort Christie’s latest acquisition is the incorporating firm Corporate Service Center in Reno, Nevada. Looks like he’s trying to stay ahead of lawsuits by buying up other companies and then teaching them to rip off the public like NADN, before they can catch up to him. So if you hate NADN stay away from Nevada Corporate Headquarters in Las Vegas, and Corporate Service Center in Reno. Both companies are nothing more than the bastard children of National Audit Defense Network and another slick tax scam perpetrated by the demented mind of Cort W. Christie.

  • Henry Zamora // May 11, 2004 at 3:41 pm

    I heard radio ad, called their number for free tax package. I was I could cancel anytime with 100 % Iron Clad guarantee. I cancelled the next day. They already had charged up to my available limit $500. It took me more than 30 calls from Oct 14,2003 to Feb.15,2004 to finally receive my complete refund. I called the Radio Station WOAI in San Antonio, Tx. and voiced my complaint to the program mgr. He told he was receiving alot of complaints.

  • Beverly // May 12, 2004 at 11:35 am

    I regret the day my husband first called them about their tax book. We made the mistake of buying two malls from them and now all they want is more money. Beware these people will do anything and tell you anything to get your money. They have had my taxes since Feb. and they still are not done. THis is the first year we have ever had to file an extention. And I would not be surprised if we do get auditted with them doing our taxes.

    Does anyone have a hit generator with them. They called my yesterday saying it is gaurenteed to make 1500 to 2000 a month, Each generator is 2500.

    I just want to pay off my notes and then have nothing to do with them anymore.

  • Angie White // May 13, 2004 at 10:14 pm

    These people made false promises to me and now will not stand behind them. I have been literally begging them to refund my membership fee, and they will not do it even though my reason for wanting a refund is because of their lies! These are horrible people. Does anyone know of a way that I can force them to give me my money back?

  • Sarah Collins // May 23, 2004 at 10:16 am

    I got involved with nadn in July 2002. Their tax attorneys told me I should, since I had purchased the website, to incorporate. I tried to get out within the 30 day trial. They continued to call me and explain only a fool would not take advantages of their “tax credit” I have an invoice dated Sept.15,2003 for Corporate Tax Prep for a cost of 6,000.

    They drafted my account on 9/29/2003. I have faxed them many times: 10/11/03, 10/14/03, 10/15/03, 10/16/03.

    They also debited my bank account for additional 6,000. for 10 years tax preparations. I mailed a certified letter to them, but of course you cannot read who signed for it.

    I have checks showing drafts totaling 28,480. just for this year. On 9/22/03 they hit my account twice for a total10,200. in ONE DAY.

    I have filed with Nevada Sec. of State, Federal Trade Commission, BBB, Nevada Attorney General.

    What else can I do?

    Thank you for reading this.

    Sincerely,

    Sarah Collins

    Date occurred: Sept. 22,2003

    Date(s) complained to Company: Oct 10,2003

    To Whom: Mike Jones

    Product/Service involved: web site to help the disabled.

    Brand Name of Manufacturer:

    Model Name or Number:

    Date Purchased:

    Order, Contract, Acct or Policy#: 777227

    Name of Salesperson: Kenneth Scott

    Has this gone to court?: NO

    Have you already paid for the product or service?: paid

    Purchase Price: 44,131.00

    Amount in Dispute: 16,000.

    Method of Payment: cashiers check

    Desired Settlement: total of 44,131.

    5/10/2004The names of people I has spoken to at NADN and Oryan are as follows:

    Ken Forte 800-292-9477 Ext. 1163

    Marc Hatcher Ext. 2177

    Tim Obrien 800-8659 Ext. 2103

    Chris Eagerton 909-981-9675

    Joe Prokop

  • jackies35@hotmail.com // May 26, 2004 at 2:14 pm

    I’m one of those who even did research before I bought in, even got a :better deal” because Toby “talked with his supervisor” and etc. etc.

    I would like out also , What to do. I agree with 95% of what every one else has complined about!!! So I was foolish, I really thought I could legally pay less taxes if I had a small business.

  • JACKI // May 27, 2004 at 8:49 pm

    NADN closed permanetly as of 5/26/04 without notice to anyone. They are gone, the employees are hopeless on getting their last checks, the clients are hopeless to get refunds, and the government failed because all of the people that embezzled the millions of dollars are still running around when they shoud be in jail! What went wrong? The FTC didn’t accomplish it, the AG didn’t, the DOJ lost, IRS even lost. As a former employee it is just stunning that the officers of the company just walked away yesterday loading their cars up with their personal shit and nothing happened to them! We couldn’t even advise the clients, where are the ethics in people these days?

  • Bev // May 28, 2004 at 2:27 pm

    Even though NADN is shut down the case against them is not over. The Justice Department is still going after them. If anyone was scammed by NADN ( who wasn’t ) please email Evan at Evan.J.Davis@USDOJ.gov –He is with the Justice Department and tell him about it. This is the only way we are going to get justice and make someone pay for scamming us.

  • Bev // May 28, 2004 at 2:34 pm

    added from post below-

    The worst part of this is those of us who NADN still had our taxes. I have been called for days with no return call and all of my emails have been returned. SO I don’t think there is a chance at all of getting our taxes or any information pertaining to them back. SO know we have to get all the information together that we have and find someone to do them. And hopefully you kept copies of everything.

    It takes nerve not to call your clients and tell them what is going on. I hope these people have to pay some how.

  • Jennifer Olson // Jun 3, 2004 at 7:40 am

    I am just wondering, what happens to our businesses that they incorporated? Are they legitimate or not? Is there anything we can do to get any of our money back? I don’t even know where to start looking into all of this!! If anyone knows anything, I would REALLY appreciate a response–thanks!

  • mike fouli // Jun 3, 2004 at 7:43 am

    i was also sucked in to this scam. they have had my taxes since 3/2 i have called many times with no reply. now im wondering if i owe money to irs because i did what they said was legal? and is there a way to get out of this website? do you still have to pay the promissory note?

  • Leo Richard // Jun 3, 2004 at 12:40 pm

    Joined this rip off in April04, was not satified after a week and tried to cancel.. with no success. Called my creditr card company and they are trying to work with me on this… I agree they should go jail. The employees knew something was up and yet continued to take orders and go on as business as usual.

  • johnnyb // Jun 3, 2004 at 9:00 pm

    just heard about news and shocked!!! They still have all my tax info/ whats next? an audit? If so, give me ceo names, and I’ll get a plane ticket….

  • j kevil // Jun 4, 2004 at 8:28 am

    can we get our tax information back for2003?

  • William and Sharon Ogren // Jun 5, 2004 at 6:42 am

    We have made all the arangements that all the others have made also. Would like to know what to do from here. They have a check for 7,995.00. Was issued to them on fri May 28th. Was put on hold for 72 Hrs. Can you please help me find the money. The check has not cleared at this time. Could someone please contact me with any information of who I need to contact in this matter. Thank You!

  • andrew johnson // Jun 5, 2004 at 12:34 pm

    i have too paid nadn a good sum of moneys to prepare my tax refunds with gaurantees of any repercusions of irs audits. as with many of you i’ve had all the problems mentioned you have. i have shopn2000& mallforall websites.just purchased a classic hit generator, and have an elite membership for tax preparation. all this with no way to know whats happening next due to the news of a federal restraining order about nadn selling account of phony websites. i’ve called there and never get through. however i recieved a email from jerry clingman at oryan management on weds june 02,04 that nadn has filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy. mentions that the websites are still active and will still be able to work your business and generate revenue. and in the next two weeks to look for neww releases of additional means of revenue generation. they mentioned they were overwhelmed with calls and e-mails but will respond quickly as possible. so with this i send off an e-mail of my concerns of nadn which i paid money of gaurantees of irs audit protection to which i don’t currently understand were i stand today. i will update any news that comes my way on this website help with any concerns we may have. concerned.., andrew.

  • Sean A. Clark // Jun 5, 2004 at 7:43 pm

    Wow, I have just finished reading the Dept. of Justice filings against NADN.

    They got me for $4000 to incorporate my small business in Nevada. I do own a small busness based in Ohio, but now might own a Nevada corporation that I have no use for without an agent or address to use in Nevada. Thankfully I did not purchase the internet tax break from them. Can anyone out there tell me what to do with this “corporation” that i purchased from them?

  • Nila Goracke // Jun 7, 2004 at 2:28 pm

    I too, was taken in by this scheme. Bought into the whole deal, except I did not incorporate or pay for 10 years tax prep. After all, what good was even one year of tax prep. I have received notice from the IRS that they are going to deny the Disabled Tax Credit for 2002 and charge penalties and interest. NADN also still has my tax packet with W2’s, etc. I kept copies of almost everything, but now do not know where to go to get my taxes done properly. Are there any tax attorneys out there who would like to help a large group of people through a very difficult time? Sure would like to hear from you. Maybe someone would like to just give us a heads up on how to go forward and be able to file our 2003 returns. We, too, have never filed an extension and have always paid our taxes very honestly. Now, I guess we are going to be penalized for trying to get ahead in this world.

    If anyone finds out how to proceed or if anyone is willing to help a very large group of people who were swindled, please reply.

    This was also money we did not have to lose, but I felt this must be a very legitimate deal, or I would never have gotten involved.

  • Ladydi // Jun 8, 2004 at 4:20 pm

    Hi to all! I have never been more scared in my life than right now! Can anyone email me to let me know what legal steps I need to take to make right my mistakes of getting involved with NADN and what legal actions can be taken against me for being so stupid as to fall for this scam??? I have no clue what I should do…I am so upset I can’t even think straight. At least I got copies of all my paperwork for 2003….and extensions were legally filed to the IRS…I at least checked and verified this. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who may be of help!

  • Lorie Thomas // Jun 9, 2004 at 2:27 pm

    I have felt sick ever since letting myself get talked into buying that mallforall website back in December, my head telling me that “it must be legitimate because NADN ‘has former IRS tax lawyers’ on their staff,” but my gut saying “something’s fishy” about a website with thousands of URL’s! So I spent $2695 for the website then $1500 for a “marketing plan”–which the original salesperson never mentioned I would need (in fact he specificaly said I would never have to do anything else if I didn’t want to) but I was intimidated into buying it when the marketing salesperson said I had “intentionally misunderstood”(!?) the original salesperson & did I think the website would just “sell itself”?? Then I was called just 2 weeks ago (it must have been a day or two before their doors were shut) by another hyper-aggressive salesperson about buying another hit generator plan involving getting my site at the top of the queue for various key words on various search engines–and they only had a few spots left, etc. I told him I’d never even got a copy of the first “marketing plan” OR my tax refund yet–did they really expect me to send them another dime?? The rat said the marketing plan had been mailed to me on such & such a date & outright said it was my own fault that I never received it. I demanded another copy be mailed to me as soon as possible & he implied that that was a totally unreasonable request–and furthermore that the price he was selling this new hit generator plan for was “discounted” because of my buying the previous plan that hadn’t worked, implying I was a fool not to buy this new plan. I hung up on him & refused to take any further calls from NADN, telling the operator I wouldn’t speak to another person at NADN until I’d received my marketing plan and tax refund. I felt even sicker after that, starting to really wonder if my worst fears about NADN being a scam were true. Then I got the email from Oryan that NADN was filing for bankruptcy & I went into a tailspin. After a sleepless night & a morning of total panic, I’m feeling much better since calling the IRS & finding out that my taxes never were filed, the extension NADN did file was legit, and now I can file my own taxes like I always have, honestly & legitimately, without fear of an audit for fraudulent business deductions & tax credit claims. My credit card company has also agreed to credit my account for the $4000+ charges paid by them to NADN pending further investigation (including the accrued interest charges). So I might actually not be out anything but the original $40 I paid to have my 2002 tax return “reviewed for any possible missed refund money due back to me” (to think the only reason I stayed on the phone with the original salesperson was to try to get that measly 40 bucks refunded per the original “money back guarantee” because of course they “didn’t find anything” except if I wanted a big tax refund for 2003 I could buy this website….) And even if I do end up having to pay the $4000+ credit card charges (though mostlikely the credit card company will end up “eating” most or all of them)I figure it could have been much worse after reading some of the other victims’ stories–my heart goes out to those who got scammed out of much, much more & to those whose taxes did get filed fraudulently & now have deal with getting audited &/or having to hire a lawyer–at least my good name with the IRS has not been ruined or marred in any way. And as far as the promisory note “due in 8 years,” it doesn’t look like Oryan is going to be around that long since being named in the federal lawsuit against NADN–whew. Maybe I got away “scot-free”–except feeling like a total idiot for not trusting my gut!

  • Ron Croteau // Jun 9, 2004 at 9:07 pm

    I am also or rather was a NADN customer. NADN filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy. Does anyone know the case number and where the bankruptcy was filed? Does anyone know who the trustee is? Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

  • Chaz // Jun 10, 2004 at 10:52 am

    I am also one of the “duped”.

    Go here and do a search on NADN.

    You will see there are many.

    File a report.

    http://www.ripoffreport.com

  • Beverly // Jun 10, 2004 at 4:39 pm

    The NADN case number is 03-17306

    and the trustee is :

    William A Leonard

    5030 Pasadina Road

    Suite B216

    Las Vegas, NV 89118

    phone 702- 262-9322

    everyone might want to check out this site. Go to NADN case and they have some info on our taxes. IT says we will not be recieving them in the near future.

    http://www.nvb.uscourts.gov/

    For anyone has has already sent in their taxes did you claim the 1099. I am not sure if we should claim them after the email I received today from the president of ORyan.

    Bev

  • Tom // Jun 10, 2004 at 5:15 pm

    I have been involved with this program for three years. I received a tax credit of $5000 each year. I also paid taxes on the 1099 income I received when my notes were paid off. Am I now going to have to pay back $15,000 in tax credits, PLUS interest AND penalties? HELP!

  • bev // Jun 11, 2004 at 7:15 am

    If your malls are incorporated and you don’t want that anymore here is an email I received from SOS in Nevada.

    Dear Customer,

    In order to dissolve this corporation you must file Dissolution of Corporation - filing fee is $75.00. This form can be downloaded from our website secretaryofstate.biz - click commercial recording, corporate forms, domestic corporation then dissolution of domestic corporation and submit in duplicate.

    Now that I think about it why are the malls incorporated ( who is going to sue us). We put way too much trust into NADN and Oryan.

    PS I hope everyone has written to Evan davis at the Justice Department to help with the case. The email address is Evan.J.Davis@USDOJ.gov and just tell him your story with NADN.

    Bev

    bev

    Thank you for contacting Secretary of State Dean Heller

  • JERRY BLAND // Jun 12, 2004 at 7:53 am

    HI MY NAME IS JERRY BLAND AND I BOUGHT A WEB SITE FROM NADN AND A HIT GENERATOR THEY HAVE MY 2003 TAX PAPERS AND I WANT TO KNOW CAN I FILE A IMCOME TAX ON THE WEB-SITE THEY SOLD ME OR WILL THE GOVT NOT ALLOW ME TO FILE ON THIS ALSO CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHO TO CONTACT ABOUT A POSSIBLE LAW SUIT AGAINT NADN THANK YOU JERRY BLAND

  • Bev // Jun 12, 2004 at 1:56 pm

    Jerry, I am sorry to tell you that we are not allowed to claim anything on the malls but we are required to add the 1099 misc ( which is for all clicks that were made on your site). Also if you claimed the tax break in previous years they recommend you do a tax amendment. This was from an email I received from Robert Goetsch from Oryan Management.

    Concerning a civil lawsuit- many people have talked about it but I have not heard anything about one yet. I quess the best thing to do is if you know of attorney take all your contracts to him and see if he is interested in a civil lawsuit. Once we hear of any attorney I am sure there will be many people signed up for the lawsuit. I don’t think many people know how to proceed so that is why nothing has been done.

    I also sent my taxes to NADN and never received them back. According to the trustee in the case they don’t know when we are going to received our tax information back.

    Bev

    my_email14@hotmail.com

  • Tom // Jun 12, 2004 at 3:31 pm

    I also sent my taxes to them in early February, never heard a word, but found out from the IRS that NADN did file an extension for us. I found out two weeks ago about the bankrupcy. I decided to go to taxact.com, and did my own taxes for $9.95 (fed) and $7.95, (state). It took only one week for me to re-construct all of the tax info, and I filed the 2003 taxes last week. Only this week did I start receiving the emails and discovered more info on google. I believe each of us is ultimately responsible for filing our taxes on time, and our extension is good til August 15, I think. So, I recommend to everyone to do your best to start gathering your tax info, and try to do it yourself. I did claim the $5,000 credit, but think I will do an amendment to remove that credit.

  • Mike Brocco // Jun 14, 2004 at 6:39 am

    If anyone is planning a civil suit I’m interested. The only thing I’m looking for is to void these contracts with Oryan Management. The webiste I was sold doesn’t function and hasn’t since November 2003. You couldn’t make a business out of this thing if you tried. Links don’t work; you cannot enter the stores; search results for specific items are bizarre. Even the “showcase links” are gone. This is worse than a scam. It’s downright illegal. I undersatnd the DOJ isn’t persuing any additioanl actions against Oryan so I would welcome assistance fromanyone who can help with this.

  • GORDON LULL // Jun 14, 2004 at 6:33 pm

    Too sick to post or even think about this.

  • Stay Calm // Jun 15, 2004 at 8:37 am

    Ok folks, let’s stay calm. First of all, go read the ADA tax credit details and understand what your MallforAll website does and how it was modified to comply with the law. http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/taxpack.htm These tax credits are similar in nature to the ones in the 1980’s during the energy crisis for people who made energy wise improvements to their homes. Secondly, realize that the reason your tax forms (and mine too) are ‘frozen’ is because the DOJ obtained an injunction against NADN PROHIBITING them from completing your returns (with or without the credit!). So share your anger with DOJ as well. Thirdly — in regards to the bankruptcy — if any of you attended the seminars in Las Vegas you would realize that NADN is simply following their own advice in regards to business operations… the beauty of LLCs, etc. I have been operating my website as a business. I have both click hits and sales commissions (do you check yours with the Backoffice feature?). I have also verified that I indeed do have the modifications that allow my e-commerce shopping website (it’s an e-commerce retail store folks!) to be accessible by the disabled. My question then is this… if I have an e-commerce business (and I do or I wouldn’t file Schedule C to claim the income/expenses) and if I have indeed had expenses to modify it in compliance with the Tax Incentives of the IRS — can you show me where the fraud is? Now I will agree that NADN is a pain in the a$$ to deal with and their salespeople can be forceful — but aren’t we adults and can’t we say NO? Oryan Mgt by the way has always been extremely helpful with my website (and truthful, too, I might add). Anyway, I think we all need to take a deep breath and realize that the real motive behind this lawsuit is because IT WAS WORKING — the IRS doesn’t want to give us these credits!

  • Bev // Jun 15, 2004 at 7:45 pm

    Stay Calm,

    what you wrote is just so funny. There is nothing legal about NADN. Yes we are all adults and we can say no but we all believed NADN and everything out of there mouths were lies. I blame both the company and the employees. I have three malls with them and the only time I sold something was when I bought it. I advertised in ever way that they told me. This company was after one thing and that was our money. THey didn’t care what they had to do to get it. It is funny how you blame everyone ( DOJ and IRS)for NADN s problems. If nadn was not doing anything illegal than the government would not be able to go after them. As for me I will help the DOJ go after NADN in any way I can.

    Bev

    my_email14@hotmail.com

  • Bev // Jun 17, 2004 at 4:49 am

    If anyone is interested in a class action lawsuit against NADN and Oryan Management please visit:

    http://www.christulino.com/archives/000043.html

    Bev

    my_email14@hotmail.com

  • Stay Calm // Jun 17, 2004 at 3:02 pm

    Bev — why do you believe that the money you gave NADN was YOURS but the money you give the IRS is theirs? It’s all OUR MONEY — and the less I give IRS the better I like it.

  • Bev // Jun 18, 2004 at 8:39 am

    If anyone receives a call from anyone selling us hit generators or ways to increase traffic to our malls please email the justice Department immediately. They recieved our names from some where and they are trying to find out where.

    DOJ email is :

    Evan.J.Davis@usdoj.gov

    Phyllis.Jo.Gervasio@usdoj.gov

    I received a call from ATM consulting they also went by interlink financial to sell me a hit generator. I emailed the DOJ and they were very interested.

    Bev

  • Sal Montesanti // Jun 20, 2004 at 4:44 pm

    I have the same rip off story as everyone else. I am not sure what to do. Should I go ahead and file my taxes (with out my w-2) or wait it out for something to happend. I would rather not go out and spend more money on a lawer. Any advise from anybody would greatly be appreciated.

  • Sal // Jun 20, 2004 at 4:55 pm

    Email is coachsal@rochester.rr.com

  • Tom // Jun 22, 2004 at 8:08 am

    Sal

    As I mentioned in one of my earlier emails, I went ahead and did my own taxes, using taxact.com If you do not have a copy of the W-2, ask your employer for another. Filing on taxact cost me $9.95 for federal and $7.95 for state. IRS told me the extensions are good until August 15. I did not feel I should wait, since it is the taxpayers responsibility to file.

  • Ruth Higson // Jun 24, 2004 at 11:39 am

    They sold me 2 malls, Elite membership, and 2 business plans that were unnecessay and unworkable. I am interested in being in on a civil sue. It took me a year to get documents proving what their sold me. They never returned my calls. I only received calls from them wanting to sell me something. Please let me know what I can do to stop this fraud.

  • R Ruiz // Jun 27, 2004 at 3:37 pm

    Well I was PRETTY DANG LUCKY, i ONLY LOST $55.00 I was on there $160.00 plan and only paid $55.00 coud had been worst

  • Bev // Jul 1, 2004 at 10:12 pm

    THere is some information concering our promissory notes and 1099’s over at the IRS website http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=106472,00.html

    hopefully this means things are starting to get better for us.

  • Rick Jones // Jul 5, 2004 at 9:20 am

    I also have fallen prey to NADN. I have been waiting for my return to be filed…still has not happened. They received the money from me in full. I will join in any class action.

    Rick

  • Emily Haggerty // Jul 6, 2004 at 4:03 pm

    Well, now I have to retype everything I’m trying to say, since AOL won’t let me stay online when the phone rings — but that’s another complaint department!

    I feel somewhat fortunate that I was only moderately “soaked” by NADN and that I never got around to sending them any tax forms. Their set of tape recordings offered nothing that applied to my lifestyle, and several phone calls from them never convinced me that I should put up a few thousand dollars to become part of their “Mall for All” scheme!

    When I finally started checking into things, I wasn’t too surprised to find that there is a connection between NADN and “Continuity Partners, Inc.,” the outfit that tries to send gas coupons and an enrollment for “U-Talk Unlimited” phone service as well as some “health insurance” plan. They wanted my checking account number; I gave them the bank’s real number, but a made-up account number. I was surprised that I actually received the phone information, and cancelled it promptly. Today I had a similar-sounding call from the “National Verification Office” of “American Benefits Group” in Centerville, Maine. They wanted to have my checking account number so they could “remove it from the websites that anyone can access and see it!” Oh, but THEY weren’t allowed to give ME any numbers!! I found the fictitious numbers I had written down, would you believe — THAT was the number they wanted to confirm!! AH-HAH!! Now, there are some probably-legit businesses using the “American Benefits Group” name, and there actually is a town of Centerville, Maine. However, with a population of 32, it doesn’t quite match up with an office on the TWELFTH FLOOR!!!! — that’s why the guy couldn’t go down to his car and find the area code or the zip code or any other information about this business center!!

    NOW — the GOOD NEWS THAT COINCIDENTALLY ARRIVED IN TODAY’S MAIL: AN OFFICIAL LOOKING MAILING FROM A LAW OFFICE IN LAS VEGAS (with enough phone numbers and addresses that can be cross-checked for verification)NOTIFYING ME OF THE BANKRUPTCY ACTION AGAINST NADN AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE AS ONE OF THEIR THOUSANDS OF CREDITORS/INTERESTED PARTIES!! I hope you all got one, too (unless you are one of those who are claiming profits from website scams)!!

  • Tom // Jul 18, 2004 at 3:01 pm

    In case any of us actually believes we will receive money from this lawsuit, we are probably mistaken. I have seen many class action lawsuits in the past, and the only winners are the government(who has the first lien on an assets) and the attorneys for both sides, who each get their full shares.

    Any assets that still remain, if any, is called the residue. The residual assets are then divided up among the hundreds of thousands of creditors.

    I am not counting on anything at this point. If so, it may be 1 cent on the dollar.

  • Ann Tews // Jul 21, 2004 at 3:18 pm

    In July 2002, I bought into the NADN/Oryan Management scam. I was also told that if I purchased a zipcode in the MallForAll web business that I would not have to pay anything. The note would pay for itself.

    I also thought that I purchased tax preparation for 2003 taxes. I did not get tax preparation for 2003 taxes. When I didn’t receive the organizer for my 2003 taxes, I started calling. All I got was the run around, hang-ups, no returned calls and put on hold until I was routed to voice mail to leave a message that I knew wouldn’t be returned.

    I have reviewed my MallForAll website and found that I have earned less than $70.00 and that each quarter interest is accruing. It is not paying for itself. NADN has continually called to sell more MallForAll website help.

    I am interested in joining a class action suit against NADN and Oryan Management.

    If anyone can help me with this I would definitely appreciate it. I was surprised to learn about Oryan Management’s involvement with this scam and DO NOT want to be responsible for any payments to them now or in the future.

    Ann Tews

    Santee, CA

    USA

  • Brad // Jul 23, 2004 at 4:44 pm

    the final act to the nadn/oryan schem was when oryan sent e-mail out stating they where going out of bussiness. nadn pionted finger at oryan,oryan pointed finger at nadn, goverment had finger up their ass. these people waklked away with slap on thier hand promiseing they would’nt do it again. what good is thier promise.

  • Bradley // Jul 27, 2004 at 4:52 pm

    I just received a phone call from cpr buisness solutions who knew that i was once a member with the NADN and they are offerring a prepaid legal package and to hook me up with other NADN members in a civil action suit they are looking to carry out. They mentioned that Oryan management had closed it’s doors and now the IRS was looking at the promissary notes as assets. They said they are making people pay these back in 90 days after contacting them. I received an e-mail previously stating they were being dissolved by Oryan management. Does anyone have any information about this CPR company to know if they are legit or just another Scam (they to are out of Nevada). Their website is http://www.cprbusinesssolutions.com. Any help would be appreciated. As of yet i have not joined there service.

    Brad

  • Elite Drywall // Jul 31, 2004 at 12:42 pm

    Our business has been scammed by NADN as well. We checked it out for 2 years and then decided to try it out. We didn’t lose as much as some but we are a small company and it hurts our business just the same. ( Almost $600) That was only 2 of the payments that the want us to pay to them. We didn’t get involved in the internet mall part of it. When we were about to cancel because the rep that was suppose to contact us never called, we received a notice that they had gone bankrupt. A big envelope with all kinds of court documents arrived the day I was calling to cancel. Then we tried calling them and the phones were either out of service or disconnected depending on the number we tried that they gave us. We hope that we recope some of our moneys. Some is always better then none. You would have thought that they would have been on the up and up since they were advertising on radio… Been hearing about them for years and then all of a sudden they are being sued… (former IRS Agents, LOL. Sorry but they were taught by the best I guess. Scam the tax payers again.

  • Warren Ehrhardt // Aug 7, 2004 at 6:46 pm

    I joined up with NADN a few months ago and just found out it was a scam. If anyone would let me know how to get in to any class action suits against them it would be greatly appreciated. I have about 5 thousand invested in them to receive nothing or have not been able to contact them or received any call backs from msg left. Thanks for your help

  • Vince // Aug 9, 2004 at 3:29 pm

    NADN is now in bankruptcy, but was they did constituted FRAUD. If anyone knows of a class action being brought against them please contact me.

    Thank You

  • Warren Ehrhardt // Aug 10, 2004 at 5:10 pm

    If anyone knows how to get involved with the lawsuits against NADN would you please advise. Thanks

  • Ralph Stowe // Aug 17, 2004 at 3:10 pm

    Thanks to all who shared their NADN testamonies — apparently I was suckered into believing that NADN was a legit business, especially after hearing their advertisemnet on a popular NYC radio station CD101.9. I really wanted to obtain their “free” mentioned on the radio advertisement. However, after calling the advertised toll free number, NADN “suckered” me to go ahead and sign up as a two-year subscriber to NADN at the “introductory one-year cost of $1,628.95, inwhich I was told that this cost is a tax write-off. However, I did receive a judgement notice from the US Bankruptcy Court of Nevada urging me to file a proof of claim or interest with the Court before 10/6/04 in order to be entitled for any distributions from NADN’s estate (I am also advised in the notice that there is no guaranty of assets recovery).

  • Elena // Aug 19, 2004 at 1:16 am

    My husband and I joined NADN toward the early part of 2000. We found several errors on our Tax forms. After numerous corrections on our part, NADN prepared the final documents which were filed that year. We ended up with a Tax Audit. We found out that NADN had duplicated several items and we had to pay back the credit we received with interest. After that, we went back to our old regular tax preparer! To date, we have had no other problems with our taxes. For years now, I thought we were the only ones swindled…until I read the postings on this site. I wish you all the best with the class action suit. Hope you all recover your losses. And I wish, like the rest of you, for more than a slap on the hand for the perpetrators!

  • Angry Guy // Sep 3, 2004 at 7:38 pm

    If you are interesting in being a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against Oryan then please email me for more information.

  • Angry Guy // Sep 3, 2004 at 7:50 pm

    If you are interesting in being a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against Oryan then please email me for more information: angryguyatnadn@hotmail.com

  • Gary Wilson // Sep 9, 2004 at 10:13 am

    Tax Dude,

    I don’t know enough about you to call you names, however from what you have written I get a mental picture of a guy doing Tax Returns, as a sideline, at a surf shop. This is not how I judged NADN. Please give me a better picture of yourself. Perhaps you could start by unveiling your credentials for minimal comparison to the following Editorial Review for “The Guaranteed Tax Savings System (2001 Edition)” at Amazon.com:

    “Robert Bennington is nationally recognized as an entrepreneur and an expert on taxation and the IRS. He is currently President or CEO of three companies that employ over 300 people and specialize in tax strategies that have helped over 60,000 Americans save nearly one hundred million dollars in new tax deductions. He has appeared as an expert on the IRS on more than 1,000 radio and TV shows including CNN, Hard Copy, and ABC News. Ernst and Young named Robert and his business partner, Cort Christie, Entrepreneurs of the Year in 1999 for emerging business people.”

    Apparently all those “respected” News, Information & Professional organizations collectively did not have the mental alacrity to exceed the individual mentality of a “peep” or an “idiot” in questioning relative credentials.

    I remind you that the people that you have attacked here were involved with NADN to remain on the legal side through NADN’s purported expertise and council and not to recklessly defy tax code. The tax aspect was supposed to be a dot the I’s and cross the T’s type of relationship. NADN supposedly researched and developed these “Tax Strategies”, not their clients. NADN & affiliates like Oryan Management obviously failed to produce workable products/strategies but succeeded at misleading many individuals for “profit”. As far as the “fine print” goes, many here tried to back out & cancel in the beginning (look at FTC’s lawsuit on that subject). Finding themselves stuck through deceptive default tactics, some ate the initial cost, but others chose to “make lemonade” by following NADN’s strategies.

    So if you are not an ex-employee of NADN/Oryan or the likes striking out at the people who are after you for what you have done; Then please explain what level of expertise, or involvement, that you have that qualifies you to be Judge & Jury over the people posting here. With the credentials available, under what rationale would you have expected NADN to develop an undefendable tax strategy? FYI, NADN’s “help” for “defendable” support was supposed to stop at the “Tax Court” door. That means a Tax Attorney after that. Because it is counterintuitive to me, I am very interested in your professional take on what you think would motivate a person to pay money to knowingly become a tax cheat with all the known risks, fees & penalties involved.

  • Angry Guy // Sep 9, 2004 at 5:56 pm

    Gary Wilson,

    I could not have said it better in your response to “Tax Dude”. “Tax Dude” reminds me of the stuff my baby leaves behind in her diaper. Gary, we could use you in our law suit. Send me an email at angryguyatnadn@hotmail.com

  • Gary Wilson // Sep 12, 2004 at 5:10 am

    Tax Dude,

    So are you saying that everyone that wants to do business with you as a CPA/Tax expert should contact the IRS first to make sure that you are legit and are giving sound advise? Why would anyone think that your single Certification would make you anymore of an expert than the “Team” of CPA’s, Tax Lawyers & others that came from the ranks of the IRS where even you “PeepMaster” have suggested that we should have gone? Are you saying that when employees leave the IRS for the private sector they suddenly don’t know about tax code anymore? If the people you see here were intentional tax cheats then you wouldn’t be seeing lawsuits against NADN & Oryan Management. Are all of your clients “peeps” because the don’t know tax code? Nice attitude, Dude! If you advised them to do something illegal or outside of code and charged for your services wouldn’t you expect to be sued?

  • Gary Wilson // Sep 19, 2004 at 4:51 am

    Every once and a while I sway from my personal policy of not trying to deal with opinionated name-calling types on an intellectual level. I think Tax Dude validates the worth of that policy. I’m sure Tax Dud is back for comment, now that he finished that 1040EZ refresher course, and we get to enjoy his wit and wisdom again. I’m happy to see that his name-calling bag has yielded a few new vocabulary entries. I wonder if he only has the “Playground” version of “the bag”?

    For others…NADN claimed its “ex-IRS” affiliation for years without the IRS issuing a word of warning. The “Virtual Malls” were marketed with for years, with the ADA tax credit feature in place, without a peep from the IRS. Today, to their credit, the IRS has this series at:

    http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=106472,00.html

    Hopefully this URL might help new visitors to this page, but that series wasn’t there in time to help with the problem when we were “checking” it out. Apparently the IRS, who “is” the authority on the subject, saw no clear problem at the same time most of us saw no clear problem with this company and its tax preparation or strategies.

    With the breakdown of secure job status in the US & with the outsourcing of jobs to other countries many have been trying to “feel out” new sources of income. The Internet is still a promising frontier. There seem to be a number of IRS accepted internet/virtual-mall type businesses out there. There are also businesses that do qualify for the ADA tax credit. The possibility that, as a “professional” organization, NADN put those two things together is not a far-fetched idea. That people were paying an exorbitant amount for these malls with ADA modifications, in my mind, is a valid observation. That is biased with the realization that what was received in return for payment was much less than what was promised or expected. Basically, the “x” money “equals” the “y” product “formula” did not materialize.

    Ask yourself if it was horrible to try to enter a business that also helped handicapped persons. If “horrible”, I guess it’s getting harder to do anything good in this world.

  • michelle hawk // Oct 2, 2004 at 5:45 pm

    I joined NADN in 2001 for $540, spent $500 for tax prep, and purchased 3 years of shopn2000.com, so i guess you could say I’m a sucker altho when you have former tax attorneys and former IRS agents etc who knows all the red tape and the sales agent saying “you can save on your taxes for the 1st couple of years with all these benifits then the website will take off, the money you make in the business will pay the promissory note (the note for 2001 was almost pd off) as well as the 1099 taxes” they will work with me all i have to do is advertise, which i then bought the hit generator for $1500. how could you not think that it was a great deal this company already went through the red tape for me and they are giving me all the benefits right now plus the money i was spending was coming back to me in taxes for the 1st 3 years. now im out my life savings and i owe all the taxed back. I have contacted 2 tax attorney and they tell me i have to amend my taxes as tho i never had a business. i don’t have the money for the taxes and i cant claim bankruptcy on my business cuz that would be fraud (how did NADN do then?) I dont know where to file a claim against NADN (I have a proof of claim form, but I’m not sure of how to fill it out) and i feel there is something i sould be able to claim on my amended taxes. HOW IS THIS A FRAUDULENT BUSINESS when there were companys advertising on the mall and business was being done? anybody have any suggestions? hawkeyes2@prodigy.net.

  • Marguerite Redfearn // Oct 14, 2004 at 9:30 am

    I also heard about NADNon the radio station and needed some tax assistance so I called for the free book. The station WBAB talk radion has alwasys been very reputable and I didn’t think they would represent a deciteful company like this one. NADN employee’s are all scam artists.I am very frustrated and disappointed as I thought this was a reputable company. I had tried for months to contact them with no response. They have done noting for me except take my money. I am hoping that somehow we all get back the money they took from us.

  • william // Feb 9, 2005 at 10:47 am

    Hello Is ther any class action suit or the like pending againest nadn I was told I,d get a refund .But no dice Thanks William

  • Gary Wilson // Feb 19, 2005 at 5:58 am

    William (or anyone with similar questions),

    Run a search for:

    San Jose estate planning,NADN

    or:

    Chris Tulino,NADN

    either search should lead you to some good information to help you with this mess.

  • LeeAnn // Mar 25, 2005 at 11:27 am

    My question to all this is its march 2005 and its still going on I have been getting these ntoices and bills from them, and besides reporting them like I see so many have done what really is being done to stop this. I am just upset with the fact that if we are they fdral whatever knows that this company is afraud then why haven’t they been made to re-pay those bill payemts to the people. Yes I am the dumb one that payed the first bill but today I recieve another for the same magazine I did not order for a different amount. will someone please tell me what a oerson is to do if it does no good to call. I myself summited a letter to the State genral attorney office in IL. what the use.

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