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HOUSTON – Job layoffs and furloughs from the start of the pandemic left thousands of Houstonians unemployed and looking for work.
KPRC 2 Investigates went undercover to expose one business preying on those very people, luring them in with the promise of a job and then just taking their money.
After weeks of investigating, we have the warning you should share with your family and friends. A job touting forklift operator positions with full benefits and paid vacation sounded great.
“The biggest highlight was $18.25 an hour,” said Donovan Selman.
It was just what Selman was looking for to cover extra expenses as his daughter headed off to Kentucky for college.
“I just happened to get an email from Coca-Cola,” said Donovan.
The message said, “The forklift position you have applied for is available.” It said it was “98% guaranteed.”
To obtain the job, the message said Selman had to get “OSHA certified.”
The certification training would cost $80, but the message assured him he would be reimbursed immediately at his job orientation the same day.
“They described it as ‘We need you to pretty much hurry up, get to the place and get certified and send me your credentials,’” Selman told investigator Amy Davis.
He followed the instructions and drove to Southwest Forklift in the 16000 block of West Hardy in the Greenspoint area.
Inside, he saw a very official-looking OSHA logo behind the receptionist where he paid his $80.
“I did see a big sign with OSHA, so I was just thinking it was legit,” he explains.
But what happened next raised one red flag after another. First, Selman watched a video and answered a 27 multiple-choice question quiz. Then he got this forklift certification.
“I was like, ‘Am I supposed to do the driving side of it?’ They said, ‘Oh, no. Don’t worry about it. You good to go.’”
On-site there are OSHA logos, training videos, and even reserved parking spaces for forklifts. The only thing missing is actual forklifts.
“So the name of the company is Southwest Forklift, but you never saw a forklift?” asked Davis.
“No forklifts; and that was a big flag,” said Selman.
KPRC 2 goes Undercover to investigate Southwest Forklift
It was the same story when we sent in a KPRC 2 news photographer. He was wearing a hidden camera and walked in asking about the OSHA certification.
“Do you know how long the course is?” he asks.
“Probably an hour and a half,” the receptionist responded.
He paid the $80, watched the safety video, and completed the quiz. Next, he received a forklift operator certification card. The entire process took less than 30 minutes.
Legit Forklift Company explains what you should expect
Erin Russell is a forklift operator trainer at Lonestar Forklift in North Houston.
“I would definitely say the hands-on training is the main part of the forklift certification, said Russell.
“I don’t see how anybody could competently operate a forklift without driving the forklift.”
For 27 years Lonestar has sold forklifts and provided the OSHA-required training to operators. She says the OSHA rule is clear.
“It does specifically say that a demonstration and hands-on practice is required,” said Russell.
So the certification card we got is bogus, but at least there’s that Coca-Cola job Donovan Selman was practically guaranteed. As soon as his training was complete, he got another text about that.
“And I was told, ‘Don’t worry about going to Coca-Cola. We will get back with you and tell you the time to come in for an interview,’” he explained.
But he never heard another word.
Second job training scam victim
“It is deceptive. You know, they’re lying,” said Grace Mejorado.
Grace Mejorado’s son fell for the same son stunt. He now has a worthless forklift certification card, but no job from Coca-Cola. In fact, Coca-Cola told us it is hiring but trains its own employees and has never worked with Southwest Forklift.
“They’re fishing people in to take their money,” said Grace.
According to complaints online and to Houston Better Business Bureau, Southwest Forklift has been running the same scam for years.
When no one from the business would return our calls we dropped by Southwest Forklift.
“People say that you guys are luring them here with the promise of a job and then they never get a job,” Davis said to the receptionist.
“No ma’am,” the representative responded.
“Are there forklifts in here at all? Could you show us the forklifts?” Amy said.
No response.
We also reached out to OSHA about their requirements. A spokesperson confirmed a short video does not meet the requirements of the OSHA required forklift training but there is no enforcement arm of the federal agency that would go after companies like Southwest Forklift selling fraudulent certification cards. We also found more information about the company, operating locations in Dallas and California as well.
There are a few ways you can check out a company before taking part in the training. Like we mentioned, you can check the BBB for complaints. You can also check Yelp and Facebook or Google reviews.
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September 02, 2021 at 10:02AM
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KPRC 2 Undercover Investigation: Job training scam targets Houstonians looking for work - KPRC Click2Houston
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