Travell Thomas could arguably be one of the best poker players in the world, but when it comes to unethical behavior, he is a world class champion. This scandal could also be named: When Reality TV Meets Really Bad Ethics.
If you are a fan of the World Series of Poker (I said, if), Mr. Thomas could ring a bell with you. He won first prize in the televised tournament. He was the darling of the poker world with his larger than life personality and outlandish hats.
However Travell Thomas like many other contestant had an entire life outside of the card playing world; he owned a successful collections agency. The agency was, in fact, overly successful according to prosecuting attorneys. In September he pleaded guilty to a $31 million debt collection scam.Travell Thomas reacts to the cards while playing on opening day of the main event at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas on Friday, July 28, 2006. He has pleaded guilty in a $31 million debt collection scam. He could be looking at a 15 year jail sentence – and that was plea bargained down from the original consequences of his actions! The DA’s office was lenient because he was cooperative. Again I say, “When Reality TV Meets Really Bad Ethics.”
When Reality TV Meets Really Bad Ethics: Threaten them!
At some point in his business practices, Thomas started to encourage his collections people to make threats and falsify information to get people in debt to pay up. The scam involved threatening very vulnerable people in an aggressive manner. The collections people told those in debt that they could get arrested if they didn’t pay up. Travell’s agency also forced some people to pay off more than what they owed.
To lend force to the threats, Thomas and his collectors made claims that they were representing local government and law enforcement agencies. They were impersonating law enforcement in addition to collecting a “surcharge.” Not only is this “When Reality TV Meets Really Bad Ethics” it’s down right unlawful.
This is the first major case where people who have been victimized by these collection agencies have finally struck back against highly unethical behavior. The U.S. Attorney who has prosecuted this case called it a “landmark consumer fraud case that victimized thousands of people across the country.”
The collections people were specifically told by Thomas to threaten and intimidate the victims even to the point of telling them they could go to jail.
While he was on television betting chips, his four debt collection offices, operating out of offices in Buffalo, New York, had collectors reading from scripts. The massive operation took place between 2010 and 2015.
When Reality TV Meets Really Bad Ethics: The Opportunity
Although Travell Thomas had a good business and was obviously a winner in the poker world, it was not enough for him. He saw an opportunity to take advantage of individuals who were disadvantaged. These are often people who lack the ability to speak up for themselves, or if truly in debt, are unable to go to a lawyer to structure debt payments in order to have a sensible payment timetable.
Those who commit unethical behavior often seize opportunities similar to this type of scam. While industries and even the players and the scripts may change, the ground rules are remarkably the same. While reality TV meets really bad ethics, it’s simplistic to assume that this is an isolated incident because of reality TV… it is not!
Obviously, there are actions that people intimidated in this manner can take. Despite the fact that agencies such as Thomas’ agency threaten arrest, it is not unwise to take down as much information and call the police. If consumers are intimidated by that approach, there are lawyers and legal aid organizations who can lend assistance.
Despite threats delivered over the telephone, there is absolutely no obligation to engage anyone who calls a household or business.
The newspaper accounts of the trial describe Travell Thomas of frequently crying as the damaging evidence mounted against him. It is not all that surprising. When unethical behavior is exposed to the light, it is “shame” that often emerges when reality hits. As the defendant will now realize, reality and Reality TV are two entirely different things.
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