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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Nice Work if You Can Get It

BATON ROUGE (CN) - A married couple submitted thousands of fake, online college applications to defraud a company of more than $90,000 - and the husband gave his mistress a piece of the action, Edvisors Network claims in court.

Nevada-based Edvisors sued Clint and Jan Husser in Federal Court on racketeering charges.

Edvisors describes itself in the 9-page lawsuit as a "corporation engaged in the commercialization of student-related data in the education loan industry."

The complaint continues: "Through the operation of interactive websites, Edvisors, among other activities, acts as an online lending resource center that allows students across the country the ability to find student loans or other funding sources to meet their individual educational needs.

"One of the manners in which Edvisors markets its services is through the use of approved affiliates."

Enter the Hussers. Edvisors claims they entered into an "Insertion Order Agreement" to become an Edvisors affiliate under the web name Pay4mycollege.

The Hussers agreed to host an Edvisors advertising banner on their website, through which students and potential students could submit questionnaires and applications for college loans.

Edvisors claims the Hussers began their ruse by downloading a program to disguise their Internet Protocol address. This allowed them to submit fake applications from their own computers without being detected by Edvisors.

To make the fake questionnaires seem legitimate, defendants obtained marketing lists of students across the United States, according to the complaint. The lists included student names, email addresses, schools attended and other vital information. Edvisors claims that none of the people whose identities were used knew it was happening.

The Hussers also used a bot, robotic software, to maintain a ratio of completed questionnaires and applications consistent with the general trends of other Edvisor affiliates, to hide any red flags that could bring attention to the scam, Edvisors claims.

In addition to money, Clint Husser allegedly got sex from the deal.

The complaint states: "During the course of this fraudulent scheme, the defendant, Clint Husser, became involved in an illicit pay-for-sex relationship with a woman identified for privacy reasons as Jane Doe. While this relationship was not under the traditional notion of prostitution, there was a sexual relationship between the defendant Clint Husser and Jane Doe on a quid pro quo basis ...

"One of the manners in which the defendant Clint Husser provided money to Jane Doe was first by having her operate his fraudulent school with Edvisors, through www.pay4mycollege.com, pursuant to which the defendant Clint Husser paid Jane Doe $1 for each questionnaire Jane Doe submitted to Edvisors via defendants' website using student data information provided to Jane Doe by the defendant Clint Husser. Defendant Clint Husser then established Jane Doe as an Edvisors affiliate."

Husser told Doe it was legal, Edvisors says.

The pay4mycollege.com website was online this morning (Thursday).

It had a banner headline: "pay4mycollege.com helps you get the facts and explore your options for making college tuition affordable!"

It also had a button to click on top of the page that said: "Free Money First," and buttons for "Federal Loans" and "Private Bank Loans."

Clicking on the "Contact Us" button led to a page in which applicants are invited to submit information about themselves - but no information about who "Us" is.

The home page also has a button for "Finacial Aid 101" (sic).

Edvisors claims that the Hussers and Jane Doe "submitted thousands of fraudulent questionnaires, each of which was meant to produce the highest commission possible, and in so doing converted over $90,000 in unearned, illegitimate commissions, which were actually paid to the defendants by Edvisors."

Edvisors seeks treble damages for fraud and racketeering, plus costs.

It is represented by Matthew Pryor with Pujol, Pryor and Irwin of Gonzales, La.

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