Utah’s 4th District Court entered a judgment in favor of the Utah Division of Consumer Protection (Division) against Parker J. Wilde, who scammed over 200 consumers out of approximately $7.9 million through a deceptive scheme involving automated Amazon store business opportunities. The court’s stipulated order permanently prohibits Wilde from participating in any money-making schemes, engaging in telemarketing, or offering any business opportunities for sale within the state of Utah. Additionally, Wilde is required to pay a monetary judgment of up to $7.9 million.
“This is a monumental win for the Division and, more importantly, for the consumers Parker Wilde deceived,” said Division Director Katherine Hass. “The substantial award sends a clear warning to anyone considering similar deceptive practices in Utah. We will hold those who violate the trust of Utahns fully accountable.”
The original complaint filed by the Division earlier this year alleged that from 2020 to 2023, Wilde sold a fraudulent business opportunity through his companies, Private Label Accelerator (PJW Profit Ventures LLC) and Passive Ecom Ventures, LLC. He promised consumers passive income through ‘done-for-you’ automated Amazon FBA (Fulfilled By Amazon) stores. Wilde charged consumers a substantial upfront “consulting fee” ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, along with an inventory cost of $7,000 to $10,000 per type of product. He consistently promised that consumers would receive:
- Passive Profit: “$2,500-$7,200+ in passive profit each month… in just 60 days”.
- Money-Back Guarantee: A full refund of initial payments if the store was not profitable within the first 12 months.
- Full Management: That his team would “manage and run” the store “entirely.”
The Division’s two-year investigation uncovered the extent of Wilde’s misleading practices. Many consumers never received a functioning Amazon store or had their products launched. In fact, the Division has not identified a single consumer for whom Wilde established a profitable Amazon store. Additionally, none of the complainants received a full refund, despite the claimed “money-back guarantee.” Many complainants reported that Wilde made unauthorized purchases with their credit cards. Bank records indicated that he used most of the consumers’ funds to buy cryptocurrency for himself and to pay off his own credit card debt.
In the Stipulated Order, Wilde agreed to the $7.9 million judgment, permanent injunction, 3 years of compliance monitoring, and admitted to the following violations:
- Violating the Consumer Sales Practice Act (CSPA) by knowingly making or allowing his companies to make false representations that consumers relied upon, leading to incurred damages.
- Violating the Business Opportunity Disclosure Act (BODA) by failing to file required disclosure statements with the Division.
- Violating BODA by failing to provide required disclosure statements to consumers.
Approximately $3.9 million of the monetary judgment will be stayed contingent upon Wilde’s full compliance with the Order’s injunctive terms and verification that Wilde lacks the ability to pay the full amount.
Research Business Opportunities Before Purchasing
Under the Business Opportunity Disclosure Act, sellers of business opportunities must register with the Division. To successfully register, sellers are required to make certain disclosures to potential buyers. This includes the number of successful purchasers who have previously bought the business opportunity and earned more than the purchase price and that number as a percentage of the total number of purchasers.
The Division encourages consumers to thoroughly research any business opportunities presented to them before investing. Consumers can verify registered business opportunities through the “Verify a Registration” tool or file complaints against a business on the Division’s website at dcp.utah.gov.
The Division was represented by Assistant Attorney General Stevenson Smith and Carina Wells of the Utah Attorney General’s Office.
