WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:01:59.4070000" NOTE recognizability:0.896 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.080 King County, a place booming NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:03.744 because of tech businesses, NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:03.750 --> 00:00:06.024 is where this lawsuit was filed NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:06.024 --> 00:00:07.937 against a company claiming to NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:07.937 --> 00:00:09.899 connect people with jobs in tech NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:11.880 sales. We already know of at NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:13.200 least 39 Washingtonians who NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:13.260 --> 00:00:14.968 owe about $1,000,000 Attorney NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:14.970 --> 00:00:16.815 General Bob Ferguson says he's NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:16.815 --> 00:00:19.063 working to recover that money from NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:19.063 --> 00:00:21.115 what he calls a predatory program. NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:23.654 Pre hired and its CEO and founder, NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:23.660 --> 00:00:25.976 Joshua Jordan operated 12 week online NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:25.976 --> 00:00:28.275 program to train consumers in Washington NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:28.275 --> 00:00:31.027 and around the country to prepare them for. NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:31.030 --> 00:00:32.865 Entry level positions as software NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:32.865 --> 00:00:33.966 sales development representatives. NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:33.970 --> 00:00:36.166 According to the Attorney General's office, NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:36.170 --> 00:00:38.000 the office also states that NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:39.464 pre hired advertises this, NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:39.470 --> 00:00:42.374 we guarantee you land a 60,000 plus dollar NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:42.374 --> 00:00:45.340 job offer from a tech company you choose. NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:45.340 --> 00:00:46.808 According to the lawsuit. NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:46.808 --> 00:00:49.014 As of May, the website stated NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:49.014 --> 00:00:51.214 that 90% of pre hired members NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:51.214 --> 00:00:53.044 are hired within 12 months. NOTE Confidence: 0.9139609 00:00:53.050 --> 00:00:54.148 What they promised NOTE Confidence: 0.8893048 00:00:54.150 --> 00:00:56.495 what they offer to these individuals was NOTE Confidence: 0.8893048 00:00:56.495 --> 00:00:58.920 not family could actually deliver. Ferguson NOTE Confidence: 0.8893048 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:01.206 says the company is not properly. NOTE Confidence: 0.8893048 00:01:01.210 --> 00:01:03.310 Licensed in the state of Washington NOTE Confidence: 0.8893048 00:01:03.310 --> 00:01:05.057 and its training program cost NOTE Confidence: 0.8893048 00:01:05.057 --> 00:01:06.840 as much as $30,000. They were NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:08.164 still collecting the full NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:08.164 --> 00:01:09.488 amount up to $30,000. NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:09.490 --> 00:01:11.205 Even if somebody left the NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:11.205 --> 00:01:12.920 program after a short time NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:12.995 --> 00:01:14.450 and you can't do that, NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:14.450 --> 00:01:15.770 there are protections for NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:15.770 --> 00:01:16.910 consumers in these situations. NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:16.910 --> 00:01:18.335 The lawsuit claims the company NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:18.335 --> 00:01:19.494 uses restrictive cancellation NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:19.494 --> 00:01:20.736 policies and aggressive NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:20.740 --> 00:01:22.470 collection efforts. The attorney general NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:22.470 --> 00:01:24.710 filed our attempts to reach Pre hired NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:24.710 --> 00:01:26.370 did result in this statement. NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:26.370 --> 00:01:28.122 Pre hired is represented by Warren NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:28.122 --> 00:01:29.764 Law Group and this afternoon NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:29.764 --> 00:01:31.436 the company's attorney said. NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:31.440 --> 00:01:33.561 Pre hired and Mr Jordan are shocked NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:33.561 --> 00:01:35.654 and surprised by the filing of NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:35.654 --> 00:01:37.519 the complaint by the Washington NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:39.646 Attorney General's Office and the NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:39.646 --> 00:01:40.960 allegations contained therein. NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:40.960 --> 00:01:42.655 We categorically deny the allegations NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:42.655 --> 00:01:44.814 in the complaint and look forward NOTE Confidence: 0.8800988 00:01:44.814 --> 00:01:46.450 to defending these allegations NOTE Confidence: 0.8817475 00:01:46.450 --> 00:01:48.478 in court. The attorney General's office NOTE Confidence: 0.8817475 00:01:48.478 --> 00:01:51.029 says it will also file a preliminary NOTE Confidence: 0.8817475 00:01:51.029 --> 00:01:52.924 injunction to immediately stop pre NOTE Confidence: 0.8817475 00:01:52.924 --> 00:01:55.222 hired from operating in the state NOTE Confidence: 0.8817475 00:01:55.222 --> 00:01:57.430 while the lawsuit continues in Seattle. NOTE Confidence: 0.8817475 00:01:57.430 --> 00:01:59.405 Natalie Swaby King 5 News.