Ruthless Scam Alleged Against Latinos

OKLAHOMA CITY (CN) - Purewater Systems targeted Latino immigrants by sending a salesman who told them "that if they did not purchase a water purification system 'they were "going to die'" and their children would get cancer, one such target claims in Oklahoma County Court.

Plaintiff Gavino Munoz says Purewater salesman, co-defendant Carlos Torres, going door to door in a Latino neighborhood, asked if he could test the Munozes' home drinking water, which he did "by pouring it into another container. He told the Munozes that something was wrong with their drinking water, and they needed a filter system."

Munoz says he asked for an estimate, which Torres gave him, and when Munoz said it was too expensive, "Torres told the Munoz family that if they did not purchase a water purification system, 'they were going to die.' He said the water was making their young children particularly vulnerable to disease, especially cancer."

Munoz says Torres talked him into giving him his Social Security number, ostensibly to check his credit for an installment purchase. He says Torres then targeted his neighbors with the same deceptive threats, and used Munoz's Social Security number to assign an installment purchase to at least one neighbor, through co-defendant Prime Acceptance Corp. He claims Torres forged his name and signature on the contract. Munoz says the forged contract has hurt his credit rating.

He demands punitive damages. He is represented by Lawrence Goodwin. See complaint.

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