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Alex Cabrero Reporting We hear all the time, if something is too good to be true, it probably is. But a scam is making its way through Utah and plenty of people are losing lots of money.
In this case, flyers and cards were popping up in Utah, saying if you did some work on the internet involving cars, you'd get a lot of money back based on what you put in. And lots of people put lots in.
Jeffrey Johnson: "I got started on it based on a friend's recommendation."
Jeffrey Johnson works hard for his money, but recently, he thought he found a shortcut.
Jeffrey Johnson: "I put some money in just to test it. And over time, money was coming back and kept coming back."
So, of course, he and wife put in a combined 12-thousand dollars. You can probably guess what happened next.
Jeffrey Johnson: "That's when, all of a sudden, it went haywire."
It might have gone haywire for some students at BYU as well. The dean of the Marriott school of management noticed a card on campus promising a 44-percent return on money you put in.
Ned Hill, BYU Marriott School of Management: "There isn't a shortcut to success."
He's right. Turns out, the two companies taking money are now being investigated for running a ponzi scheme, where members put in money and get some back. Thing is, they only get some money back when new members put money in.
Ned Hill: "The base expands and pretty soon you run out of gullible people, and so the whole thing collapses."
That's exactly what Johnson is learning now.
Jeffrey Johnson: "The frustrating thing is, you can't get any answers. No one will tell you anything."
But he's determined to get some answers.
Jeffrey Johnson: "My plan is to go out and confront them. I'm going to fly out this week and knock on their door and say, 'Where's our money?'"
And if they don't answer, he's ready to file a lawsuit because he's not the only one affected.
Jeffrey Johnson: "Thousands, if not tens of thousands of people here in Utah."
The two companies, Storm Pay and 12 Daily Pro, we understand are being investigated by the Utah Consumer Protection Agency.
