In the murky world of credit repair, where promises of financial redemption often conceal webs of deceit, a war is being waged. On one side stand the scammers, armed with impossible guarantees and illegal tactics. On the other, a growing coalition of ethical professionals fights to reclaim their industry's integrity. Welcome to Credlocity's groundbreaking exposé series, where we pull back the curtain on the credit repair industry's most shocking scandals.
Our journey into this shadowy realm began with the unraveling of Alex Miller Credit Repair, a operation that left a trail of devastated customers in its wake. We revealed how Miller's company allegedly charged exorbitant fees for services never rendered, leaving countless individuals not just out of pocket, but with credit scores in worse shape than before.
The story deepened with our investigation into Dana Chanel, the Instagram influencer turned credit repair guru. Behind the glossy social media facade, we uncovered a tangled network of businesses allegedly designed to exploit vulnerable consumers seeking financial salvation.
But these were just the tip of the iceberg.
As we dug deeper, a disturbing pattern emerged – a pattern of systemic fraud that threatens to undermine the entire credit repair industry. It's a world where stolen Social Security numbers are peddled as legitimate "Credit Profile Numbers" (CPNs), where impossible promises of overnight credit score improvements are the norm, and where the line between aggressive marketing and outright fraud is routinely blurred.
Leading the charge against this tide of deception is Joeziel Vazquez, a Philadelphia resident and the CEO of Credlocity. Vazquez has made it his mission to expose the bad actors poisoning his industry and to educate consumers on the realities of ethical credit repair.
"What we're seeing isn't just a few isolated incidents," Vazquez explains. "It's a systemic problem that's hurting vulnerable people and undermining trust in legitimate credit repair services. Someone has to shine a light on these practices, and that's exactly what we're doing."
In this four-part series, we'll take you on a journey into the heart of the credit repair industry's darkest corners. We'll introduce you to the scammers, their tactics, and the devastating impact they have on unsuspecting consumers. But we'll also showcase the ethical professionals fighting to reclaim their industry's reputation, and provide you with the knowledge you need to protect yourself from these schemes.
Our investigation begins with the story of Chanelle Jones and her company, Savvy Business Group LLC. From a $820,000 house in Katy, Texas, Jones operates a business that promises to "remove ALL NEGATIVE items from your credit report in 7 days!" It's a claim that's not just improbable – it's impossible. And as we'll reveal, it's just the beginning of a complex web of alleged fraud that stretches across state lines and encompasses multiple industries.
Join us as we unravel this tangled web of deception, one thread at a time. Because in the world of credit repair, knowledge isn't just power – it's protection.
Stay tuned for Part 1 of our series: "The $820,000 House of Cards: The Savvy Business Group Saga."
Credit Repair Scandal: The Savvy Business Group Saga
Part 1: The $820,000 House of Cards
In the sun-drenched suburbs of Katy, Texas, a $820,000 house stands as a silent witness to a web of deceit that stretches across state lines. This isn't just any house – it's the nerve center of what could be one of the most brazen credit repair scams in recent memory.
Welcome to 1322 McMurtry Ridge Drive, the registered office of Savvy Business Group LLC, and home to its enigmatic owner, Chanelle Jones. But as our investigation reveals, there's nothing savvy about the business practices allegedly taking place behind these doors.
The Impossible Promise
"Remove ALL NEGATIVE items from your credit report in 7 days!"
This audacious claim, plastered across social media by Chanelle Jones, was the siren song that first caught the attention of ethical credit repair experts. To the uninitiated, it might sound like a dream come true. To those in the know, it was a glaring red flag.
"It's not just unrealistic, it's downright illegal," says Lucia Corral, owner of LC's Credit Solutions in West Palm Beach, Florida. Corral, recently appointed to the OCCAM Credit Repair Advisory Board, has been fighting an uphill battle against such practices for years. "The Credit Repair Organizations Act explicitly forbids making false or misleading statements. And the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives credit bureaus 30 days to investigate disputes. There's no legal way to guarantee removal in 7 days."
But when Corral attempted to warn consumers on Jones's Facebook page, her comments mysteriously vanished, and she found herself blocked from all of Jones's social media accounts.
She wasn't alone.
The Silenced Whistleblowers
Ashley Deal, owner of Cape Credit Repair and featured on Wink News for her legitimate credit repair services, had a similar experience. After questioning one of Jones's posts with, "Human Trafficking or Identity theft?" and asking if clients would get "free credit repair when it comes back on?", Deal too found herself silenced and blocked.
"It's frustrating," Deal told us in an exclusive interview. "We're trying to clean up the industry, to help people legitimately improve their credit. But operators like this... they're not just scamming people, they're undermining trust in the entire field."
The Honey Trap
We couldn't just take the whispers at face value. To get to the truth, we needed to see Jones's "miracle" work up close. So we set up an elaborate honey trap, sending in not one, but two undercover secret shoppers to inquire about her services.
Our first secret shopper, let's call her Alice, reached out to Jones about her credit repair services. What transpired was nothing short of astonishing.
"She told me she had a 'secret formula' that only she knew about," Alice reported, her voice a mix of disbelief and amusement. "It was like she was selling a magic potion, not a financial service."
But the real kicker? The "special sale" Jones was allegedly running.
"She said, 'You're in luck! We're running a special right now that lowers the initial fee,'" Alice recounted. "When I hesitated, she even sweetened the deal, saying she'd throw in a free consultation for my taxes."
Little did Jones know, offering upfront fees is explicitly forbidden under the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA). It seems our "credit repair messiah" missed that commandment.
Our second secret shopper, let's call him Bob, had an even more intriguing experience.
"Not only did she promise to remove all negative items from my credit report in just a week," Bob shared, still sounding bewildered, "but she also offered me a job in her 'tax business' when I mentioned I was between jobs."
A word of caution to our readers: If someone offering to fix your credit also wants to hire you for their tax business, it might be time to check if you're in a Ponzi scheme or a credit repair consultation. (Spoiler alert: Neither is good news for your wallet.)
Both Alice and Bob reported that Jones implied she had methods to remove accurate negative information - a claim that's not just unethical, but downright illegal.
"She kept hinting at connections in the credit bureaus," Bob added. "It felt like I was in a spy movie, not talking to a legitimate businesswoman."
These undercover interactions didn't just confirm our suspicions - they blew them wide open. Jones wasn't just making dubious claims online; she was actively peddling these "too-good-to-be-true" promises to potential clients, seemingly oblivious (or indifferent) to the illegality of her claims.
As we pieced together Alice and Bob's experiences, a clear picture emerged: Chanelle Jones wasn't just bending the rules - she was operating in a fantasy land where the laws of credit repair apparently didn't apply.
But as any credit repair expert worth their salt knows, in the real world, there are no magic potions or seven-day miracles in credit repair. Just hard work, time, and a whole lot of patience.
The CPN Scheme
During our investigation, we uncovered evidence that Jones isn't just promising impossible credit repair – she's allegedly selling CPNs (Credit Profile Numbers or Credit Privacy Numbers).
For the uninitiated, CPNs are often marketed as a legal alternative to Social Security Numbers for credit purposes. The reality? They're completely illegal, often involving stolen Social Security Numbers of children or deceased individuals.
"It's identity theft, plain and simple," explains Corral. "Using a CPN to apply for credit is fraud. It's providing false information to financial institutions. People have gone to federal prison for this."
Indeed, recent cases underscore the severity of these crimes. Michael Griffin, convicted of leading a CPN scheme, heard United States Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. declare: "This case is a cautionary tale to the public: If someone offers to get you an alternate social security number, credit profile number, ('CPN') so that you can open credit lines or obtain loans – they are inviting you to participate in a crime. Don't do it. It could land you in federal prison."
A House of Cards
As we dug deeper into Jones's operations, the contradictions piled up. How could someone promising to fix others' credit be facing eviction herself?
Court records reveal that Caf Evoke sued Jones, Chanelle, and Savy Business Group Lic in Collin County for non-payment of rent. Judge Vincent Venegoni granted the eviction.
But the deception doesn't stop at credit repair. We uncovered allegations of an AirBnB consultation scam, with one victim claiming to have lost $10,000 to Jones for services never rendered.
The AirBnB Dream That Became a Nightmare
In the shadow of Chanelle Jones's $820,000 home lies a trail of shattered dreams and empty bank accounts. Among the alleged victims of Jones's schemes is a person whose story paints a vivid picture of the human cost of these scams. For privacy reasons, we'll call them Alex.
Alex, a middle-aged professional with a stable job and a good credit score, had always dreamed of financial independence. When they stumbled upon Chanelle Jones's AirBnB business consultation services, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
"It was supposed to be my ticket to financial freedom," Alex told us, their voice trembling with emotion. "Four apartments, each bringing in passive income. Jones made it sound so easy, so foolproof."
Convinced by Jones's polished pitch and promises of expert guidance, Alex took the plunge. They emptied their savings account and took out a personal loan, scraping together $10,000 for Jones's services - $2,500 for each of the four apartments they planned to list on AirBnB.
"I thought I was investing in my future," Alex said, eyes downcast. "Instead, I was throwing my life's savings into a black hole."
At first, communication with Jones was prompt and reassuring. But as weeks turned into months with no progress, Alex's anxiety began to mount. Emails went unanswered. Phone calls were met with a busy signal. And suddenly, Alex found themselves blocked on all of Jones's social media accounts.
"It was like she vanished into thin air, taking my money and my dreams with her," Alex recounted, their voice barely above a whisper.
The financial impact was immediate and devastating. With their savings gone and a personal loan to repay, Alex found themselves spiraling into debt. Credit card bills piled up. Rent payments were missed. The once-stellar credit score plummeted.
"I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. Every time my phone rang, I was terrified it was another debt collector," Alex shared, the pain evident in their eyes.
The stress took its toll on every aspect of Alex's life. Their work performance suffered, leading to a formal warning from their employer. Relationships strained under the weight of constant financial worry. The dream of financial independence had turned into a nightmare of anxiety and insomnia.
"I felt so ashamed," Alex admitted. "I didn't want to tell anyone what had happened. I felt like such a fool."
Months later, Alex is still grappling with the aftermath of their encounter with Chanelle Jones. They've had to move to a smaller apartment, take on a second job, and are slowly rebuilding their credit. But the emotional scars run deep.
"Every time I see an ad for easy money or financial freedom, I feel physically ill," Alex said. "I don't know if I'll ever trust anyone with my money again."
Alex's story is a stark reminder of the human cost of these alleged scams. Behind every dollar lost is a person - their hopes, their dreams, their sense of security. As Chanelle Jones continues to operate, one can't help but wonder: how many more Alexes are out there, silently struggling with the aftermath of broken promises and vanished funds?
"I'm sharing my story because I don't want this to happen to anyone else," Alex said, a glimmer of determination breaking through the pain. "If I can stop even one person from going through what I did, then maybe some good can come from this nightmare."
As our investigation continues, stories like Alex's serve as a powerful reminder of what's at stake. It's not just about numbers on a balance sheet or legal statutes - it's about real people, real lives, forever altered by the allure of easy money and the individuals who exploit that dream.
The Phantom Offices
As we attempted to unravel the truth, we found ourselves chasing ghosts. The Short Term Rental Place and Savvy Business Group LLC both list their address as 11 Municipal Drive, Fischer's, IN 46038 on their websites and BBB profile.
But when we contacted "Office Evolution," the management company for that office space, they confirmed having no tenants by those names or associated with Chanelle Jones.
The trail led us back to Texas, where the LLC lookup tool revealed two addresses for Savvy Business Group LLC:
Mailing address: 24285 KATY FWY STE 300 KATY, TX 77494-1128 (a virtual address)
Registered Office Street Address: 1322 MCMURTRY RIDGE DRIVE KATY, TX 77494
And there it was – the $820,000 home, sold on May 27, 2021, that matched interior shots from Jones's own social media posts.
The Deafening Silence of Authority
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this story is the apparent lack of action from regulatory bodies and law enforcement agencies. As part of our investigation, we reached out to multiple official sources for comment on Chanelle Jones's activities and the broader issue of credit repair scams. The responses – or lack thereof – paint a troubling picture of inaction in the face of alleged widespread fraud.
Harris County Texas District Attorney's Office
We contacted the Harris County Texas District Attorney's Office, given that Katy, Texas falls within their jurisdiction. Despite the severity of the allegations against Jones and Savvy Business Group LLC, the DA's office declined to comment on any ongoing investigations. They did, however, provide a general statement:
"The District Attorney's Office takes allegations of fraud seriously. While we cannot comment on specific cases or individuals, we encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of fraud to file a report with local law enforcement."
Texas Attorney General's Office
The response from the Texas Attorney General's Office was similarly non-committal. A spokesperson provided the following statement:
"The Office of the Attorney General is committed to protecting Texas consumers from deceptive business practices. While we cannot confirm or deny the existence of any investigations, we urge consumers to be vigilant and report any suspected fraudulent activities to our Consumer Protection Division."
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC, which is responsible for enforcing the Credit Repair Organizations Act, provided a more detailed response, though still without addressing the specific allegations against Jones:
"The FTC is aware of ongoing issues in the credit repair industry. We have taken action against several bad actors in recent years and continue to monitor the situation closely. We cannot comment on potential ongoing investigations, but we assure the public that we take these matters seriously."
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Despite multiple members of the credit repair community reporting Jones's practices to the CFPB, providing screenshots, emails, and other evidence of alleged illegal activities, the Bureau's response to our inquiry was frustratingly vague:
"The CFPB is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices in the financial marketplace. We review all complaints received through our complaint portal and take appropriate action when necessary. However, we do not comment on specific companies or individuals."
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
Perhaps most concerning of all was the lack of response from the Department of Justice. Despite multiple attempts to reach out for comment, as of the publication of this article, the DOJ has not responded to our requests for information or their position on this case.
A Call for Accountability
The silence from these agencies stands in stark contrast to the mountain of evidence compiled by ethical credit repair professionals and concerned citizens. Lucia Corral, the OCCAM Credit Repair Advisory Board member we spoke with earlier, expressed her frustration:
"We've been sounding the alarm for months, if not years. We've provided documentation, recordings, screenshots – everything short of a signed confession. And yet, it seems like nothing is being done. It's not just frustrating; it's dangerous. Every day these practices continue, more people are being victimized."
Joeziel Vazquez, CEO of Credlocity and a leading voice in the fight against credit repair scams, echoed these sentiments:
"The lack of action from regulatory bodies is deeply concerning. We're not just talking about a few people being overcharged. We're talking about identity theft, fraud, and practices that can have devastating long-term consequences for victims. The authorities need to step up and take this seriously."
As our investigation continues, one question looms large: In the face of mounting evidence and growing public concern, will these agencies finally take action? Or will the credit repair scam industry continue to operate in the shadows, protected by a shield of bureaucratic inertia?
Join us in Part 2 of our series as we delve deeper into the victims' stories and the broader implications of these alleged scams on the credit repair industry as a whole.
Remember, if something sounds too good to be true in the world of credit repair, it probably is. Legitimate credit repair is a process that takes time and effort. There are no magical solutions to instantly remove accurate negative information from your credit report.
The Tip of the Iceberg
As our investigation into Chanelle Jones and Savvy Business Group draws to a close, we find ourselves standing at the edge of a much larger abyss. The silence from regulatory bodies is deafening, but the whispers from within those very institutions are growing louder.
In Part 2 of our exposé, we'll bring you exclusive interviews with members of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Their off-the-record comments on this issue will shock you. Is this a case of bureaucratic oversight, or something more sinister?
But Chanelle Jones is just one player in a vast network of alleged scammers. We've uncovered another operator whose actions make Jones look like small fry. With over 100 screenshots of illegal actions, we'll reveal how this individual has allegedly scammed hundreds of consumers using outlandish claims of identity theft and human trafficking.
You'll learn about the "new FCRA amendments" and "CFPB rules" they use to justify their actions - and why these claims are nothing but smoke and mirrors.
We'll also pull back the curtain on investigations led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office and Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. Are the wheels of justice finally turning, or is this another dead end?
But perhaps most chilling of all, we'll reveal the growing network of ethical, legally-operated credit repair companies joining forces to put an end to these widespread illegal practices. It's not just Credlocity anymore - it's an army of industry insiders working tirelessly to clean up their field.
To those credit repair companies operating outside the law, consider this your final warning. The secret shoppers catching you in the act? They could be anyone. The screenshots of your illegal posts? They're being collected and cataloged. The net is closing, and it's only a matter of time before it tightens.
As we conclude this first part of our investigation, we're left with more questions than answers. How deep does this alleged scam go? How many victims are out there? And perhaps most importantly, who, if anyone, will face consequences?
The credit repair industry is balanced on a knife-edge. On one side, honest operators fighting to help consumers legitimately improve their financial health. On the other, a shadowy network of alleged scammers promising impossible results and delivering nothing but heartache.
Which side will prevail? The answer may lie in the pages of our next installment.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of "Credit Repair Scandal: The Savvy Business Group Saga." The truth is out there, and we're just getting started.
How can I reach out she took soooooo much money from me to help with my credit and she didnt actually help she made it so much worse. She charged me 900 dollars so that I can get a credit sweep and some trade lines and the credit sweep worked for a month and everything went back on and I was sent letters from the credit bureaus about being reported to law enforcement because she apparently filed a fake police report with my name to get the stuff off. I tried to contact the police in Chester County with no help. I need someone to hear my story please
Chanelle Manning Jones, because Jones is her married name is a scammer. Her and her husband created a business for Airbnbs and scammed me out of $16,000. She sets you up in an apartment but the apartment complex doesn’t allow airbnb hosting in their units. She’ll tell you to pay her the rent but then she doesn’t pay it to the complex. She tells you to only speak to her and not the complex manager. Well I went to complex and they didn’t even know what the business was and have been trying to reach her for unpaid rent. I have a lot more of the FACTS but it’s still an open investigation…..justice coming soon!
Chanelle Jones is a scammer! She scammed me and I promised her it wasn't over when she said, "and we are done here." She DOES promise 7-day sweep, she does file fake fraud affidavits, she does sell tradelines and CPNs. I did report her to the Texas attorney general. Thanks for reaching out. We took someone who was harming people to sharing FACTs about her!
Credit repair is a scam completely! All of you should go to jail!!!
It is hard to argue with cold hard facts. Hopefully the regulatory agencies will do something about this! Great job!