Trump UniversityGate scandal: Mega scam scheme promoted as Road for Riches became Highway for fools

The Peace of God to all that belong to the lightness
Dear Readers,

What would you think if one of the great billionaires of the country, a genuine Tycoon, announces that he is opening a University in Sn Diego to teach the students how to be as successful as he is? offering special training curriculum in how to run Businesses?

Well If I would reading such advertising logically I might think why in this world a Tycoon will disclose all his so secret business weapons to people that later can compete against him in the Markets? why a genuine Money predator will instruct his own competence?

Nevertheless, in a country like America where there are millions of naïve people that still think the tales of the American dream and believe all what the media advertise , all what it is published in News papers or Magazines and basically have eaten completely the myth of the great Paternalistic Leader that is willing to bring progress to all of us, although he has developed an career being a Tiger in the business arena, well this fished a lot of students.

The fact is that in 2010 a lot of people was fished in an operation that now it is accused in courts to be scamming with this idea, and many of them paid up to 60000 per person to be admitted in the program, and instead to be enrolled in a serious program they became attending short time seminars with extremely light content, no serious academic orientation, poor quality and no meet at all, as it was promised, but instead a list of cheap recipes any economist might laugh about.

The worst of all is that the so called Trump University closed their activities after a really short season, practically as soon as they have finished to collect all the money of the tuition from the applicants.

Donald Trump is then sued twice in 2010 in California and in 2013 in New York for this supposed scam scheme and it seems he might be close to be called to court to affront accusations that can cost him a lot of money but also stop his advance in the race to the white house.

Here is the complete story of this political scandal:

www.yahoo.com...

February 16th 2016, Michael Isikoff Yahoo Politics: The underlying class action lawsuit, filed in 2010, charges that Makaeff and thousands of other students were “scammed” into maxing out their credit cards and paying up to $60,000 in fees for seminars in hotel ballrooms and “mentoring” by Trump’s “hand-picked” real estate experts. The lawsuit against the school, which is no longer in business, alleges the seminars turned into little more than an “infomercial” and the Trump mentors she was assigned offered “no practical advice” and “mostly disappeared.”

www.cnn.com...

CNN September 18th 2015: "We started looking at Trump University and discovered that it was a classic bait-and-switch scheme. It was a scam, starting with the fact that it was not a university," New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman told CNN's New Day after filing suit in 2013.

www.washingtonpost.com... 7a395_story.html

Washington Post Sept 13th 2015: New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) filed his $40 million suit against Trump and Trump University in 2013, alleging that Trump had illegally operated an unlicensed university and defrauded students. Approximately 80,000 people attended Trump University’s free introductory seminars, according to court documents. About 9,200 of them went on to pay $1,495 for three-day seminars, and nearly 800 paid up to $35,000 for packages that included mentorships and workshops.

The thread is of course open to the free discussion provided that you remain in topic and also respecting the norms of decorum in the communication.

thanks,

The Angel of Lightness

It is no secret he has had bad ethical business decisions. This one won't make it to court, he has to much money and not enough time. As for your statement of this stopping his race to the White House, in a perfect world sure. We're in America though, look at Hilary. I think he'll be just fine, I say that with anger by the way. Thanks for the thread though, good read.

"Trump supporters need to pick this story apart big time!"



Nah, who am I kidding - this is further reinforcement to what most of us have already concluded.

It won't stop him, however OP. He can "murder someone in the streets," and he really does still retain support after that.

People often talk about Sanders and how he is "part of the government," yet then turn around and proclaim to support Trump.

Kind of like how the people who constantly cry about "they're coming for my guns!," are the same people who still support/vote for candidates.

a reply to: The angel of light

Meh.

I'm not a Trump fan boy but doesnt seem like theres much here.

Approximately 80,000 people attended Trump University’s free introductory seminars, according to court documents. About 9,200 of them went on to pay $1,495 for three-day seminars, and nearly 800 paid up to $35,000 for packages that included mentorships and workshops.

There are tons of these real estate and get rich quick seminars all over the country. No idea how much Trump was actually involved or whether people simply approached him and asked to use his name.

The underlying class action lawsuit, filed in 2010, charges that Makaeff and thousands of other students were “scammed” into maxing out their credit cards...

If I choose to "max out my credit cards" to pay for something, is it really someone else's fault even if they did suggest or encourage me?

It was a scam, starting with the fact that it was not a university,"...

Is it possible that it was simply just a name?

I used to go to this pizza place in the ghetto cause their food was awesome. It was called Luigi's "Restaurant". Trust me, it was no restaurant...

And isn't it a conflict of interest for an attorney general to file a $40 million dollar class action law suit?

This will haze ZERO affect on Trump's candidacy.

He's the new "Teflon Don". They're coming at him with everything but nothing sticks...

Peace of God to all, in the lightness, the darkness and everywhere in-between.

a reply to: The angel of light

Selling seminars on business acumen and giving it a catchy name like Trump U is not a crime. It's not bait and switch anything. Perhaps a few unfortunates didn't get out of it everything they expected. Boo hoo. Teens who go to Hamburger University when working for McDonald's don't usually list that under education. Everyone knows it's a managerial class. Not a real university. This is just bogus.

Oh and for the record I'm a Hillary supporter .

a reply to: RomeByFire


We need someone in office that makes people grovel and then says "Your Fired!" anyway. LOL

This is a known scam of Trump’s.

Trump University was ‘classic’ fraud, says prosecutor

A state prosecutor said Thursday that Trump University deserves an F in ethics.
Deputy Solicitor General Steven Wu told four Manhattan appellate judges that Trump's much-maligned — and now-defunct — school promising instant wealth operated as a "fraudulent bait and switch scheme."

www.nydailynews.com...

It's Okay because it's Trump, and Trump wants to make America Great Again!

a reply to: Sillyolme

Dear Sillyolme

Mmm, I am doubtful that the things are so simple as you try to portrait them.

To use the name University has so serious legal implications in any State, since anybody using such façade is immediately assuming responsibilities that are ruled by the Education Secretary and so require strictly proceeded and granted licenses by government authorities.

I am afraid that Mr Trump has not measured this time the scope of his own businesses strategies, since one thing is to try to predate in the jungle of the Real State market with almost no regulation at all and one other different is to enter in the market of Higher Education that is so strongly regulated by federal and state laws.

We are talking about a mega Fraud of so serious characteristics, we are living times in which graduates all around the country can face jail if they stop arbitrarily their payments of student loans and Do your really think somebody can easily fool the legal system after to have collected millions in tuition saying that he was an authorized University, where are the permissions to operate as it ?

His seminars were advertised as free, but when the students went to attend them it turned to be just a fishing trick, since they paid thousands of dollars instead.

The accusation is it is substantiated is indeed Fraud and No person involved on it can be elected President, as a matter of fact who ever do something of these characteristics might face prison.

There are prestigious higher education schools that have waited many decades to jump from the category of College to Institute, as well as to later to be authorized to use the title of University. Only somebody absolutely dishonest or mad might open from one week to the next a place called University.

Pls check: www.vanityfair.com...

Thanks,

The Angel of Lightness

a reply to: The angel of light

I agree with her to some degree, is what he did wrong? Yes. Will that make a difference, no. And as other posters have said this is a wide spread practice, and in a country with freedoms you have the freedom to do your research or get duped.

a reply to: The angel of light

This scam sounds a lot like Bernie Sanders entire campaign platform.

a reply to: The angel of light
You know the proverb, buyer beware. They should have looked into it more and understood that if something's too good to be true, it's probably not that good.

A while back I posted a list of Trumps trash, but you have to understand, compare to other politicians running for the presidential nomination, is not worst than the rest.

a reply to: Metallicus

Yeah, a platform of accountability for our employees we elected and the detached of corporate influence in buying elected officials. I agree he is insane and has no merit. Trump or Hilary 2016!

a reply to: CriticalStinker

He could offer business seminars advertised in news papers or magazines, that is not illegal at all, but to launch an institution he promoted as a "University" without having obviously any government authorization is a crime that not only violates state laws, but also possibly federal ones, and even international ones.

The Penalties of course depend on the State this has occurred but if he not only promoted this scheme in California, where the Trump University is located, but nationally wide with recruitment offices in other States, where the application paper work was processed and enrollment fees were paid, he may have violated laws of different State jurisdictions.

Anybody doing so can be prosecuted not only by the government but by international agencies that are in charged to supervise the Education market around the world, there are treaties and also agreements that rule the offer of education and the equivalence of academic credentials in between countries.

In America the supervising institution that regulates the accreditation of programs, colleges and Universities is the Council of Higher education accreditation:

www.chea.org...

If he posted propaganda of his seminars using the word University he is indeed in a huge problem, and it is scamming since he does not have licenses to grant any degrees or certificates of Higher education.

Pls check: www2.ed.gov...

Whoever has studied in a place like Upenn as it is his case can't deny that he is aware of how dishonest is to deceive students that are paying for something they are not receiving.

It is clear that when you are admitted in a University you are looking for academic credentials, like degrees or at least certificates of formal Higher education undergraduate or graduate courses.

Pls check:
en.wikipedia.org...

Whoever is you charging tuition for education must have the permission to operate by the State Education Secretary or the Federal department of education, as well as a recognized accrediting agencies backing him, if no then it is no more than a Shady school.

www.degree.net...

If the so called Trump University does not appear in the database of accredited post secondary institutions and programs approved by the Education department is absolutely a pirate school, any tuition paid to it is scamming.

ope.ed.gov...

Thanks,

The Angel of Lightness

a reply to: The angel of light

Yeah but I live in a country called America. In my country if you have a billion dollars or your an elected official, the word wrong or illegal may as well be French.

By the way, it is not called Trump U anymore. It had to change it based on a NY DOE ruling. It id now called "The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative".

This is not a course to get a BA. If you were getting a BA in Finance, maybe this is something you would take but that price is not to far off for a secondary line of study as I would call it.

C'mon, for wiki itself....

the company offers courses in real estate, asset management, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation, charging fees ranging from US$1,500 to US$35,000

It does not tell you that you are getting an MBA....

a reply to: matafuchs

Dear matafuchs,

That is quite irrelevant for any criminal prosecution, the fact he is not currently operating using that title anymore does not clean him of the guilt if he was at any moment of the past advertising his Entrepreunal Initiative with the appearance of University Education.

For all the time he was creating the false impression that it was Higher education to collect tuition he could be charged of scamming by the people paid him fees to attend the courses. He is still responsible for anything he had done years ago using University camouflage.

Of course a lot of scammers change of façade as soon as they feel are in risk to be caught by the authorities that are prosecuting a possible criminal activity.

If he changed the name of his company to avoid being prosecuted in court and never returned the money he collected and compensated the victims for all the time they lost plus the moral damage caused to them, he is still suable.

Now, among the people that are suing him since 2010 there are who claim that Trump has not only possibly obstructed the justice and tried to destroy evidence of this scheme but even harassed the victims to intimidate them to drop the case against him, that could constitute connivance and even collusion.

Thanks,

The Angel of Lightness

a reply to: [post=20407636]The angel

He was offering seminars with a catchy name. Do you honestly think anyone thought they would earn a degree by attending Trump University? No and no degree programs were offered.
Again I bring up hamburger university. Ever hear of it?

www.aboutmcdonalds.com...


It a class offered to McDonald's employees who are looking for management positions or plan to open their own franchise. No on e goes to Hamburger u to get a degree in nursing or a PhD in education. They go to learn about McDonald's restaurants standards. The people who went to Trumps seminar went to learn about selling or making money in real estate.

a reply to: Sillyolme

A seminar offered by a serious university has academic value, it can be certified, there are many people that takes those courses precisely to be certified in certain specific subject.

Now, as far as it is right now already shown in courts Trump University never has had any accreditation to certify none person in nothing.

So we are not talking just about degrees, now seminars of 1500 dollars the week! Really? if you extrapolate that cost to a quarter or semester he is even charging proportionally as much as any reputed university for those hours.

Thanks,

The Angel of Lightness