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These days, it seems like everyone wants to make money by flipping houses. There are companies out there promising to tell you how, but not all those promises are real. The most recent example is Zurixx, a real estate investment company sued by the FTC and the Utah Division of Consumer Protection (DCP).Front of a house on a sunny day.

Zurixx markets and sells a “flipping system” that says it lets people generate substantial income by flipping houses. Zurixx representatives regularly show supposed “success stories” of customers who made thousands using its system, claiming that the system involves little risk, time, or effort. But, according to a complaint by the FTC and DCP, those claims are false or deceptive, and Zurixx cannot back them up.

Zurixx lures people to free live events, says the FTC, using ads endorsed by celebrities from popular home renovation TV shows. The ads promise that event attendees will learn how to make money from investing in real estate by using other people’s money. But, according to the FTC and DCP, the free event is just a scheme to get people to buy Zurixx’s three-day “risk-free” workshop, which costs $1,997.

The complaint also says that Zurixx tells workshop attendees to get new credit cards, or to increase the credit limits on existing cards, supposedly to help finance real estate deals. But, say the FTC and DCP, in many instances, Zurixx has then told people to use this new credit to pay for its “advanced training” packages costing thousands of dollars. When people complain or get refunds, Zurixx has required some people to sign an agreement barring them from speaking with state attorneys general and other regulators. The gag provision also stops them from reporting to the Better Business Bureau and – wait for it – the FTC.

If someone promises that you can earn a lot of money with little risk, time, or effort, that’s a sign of a scam. If you spot one, tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

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alannajm
October 10, 2019
I hear these ads on the radio all the time. Some guy who says he is affiliated with one of those TV shows that I never watch says the Hartford area is the perfect place for flipping houses. I switch to a different radio station in a different city, and I hear the same ad with a different city name! Am I supposed to believe that every city is the perfect area for flipping houses?
Anant
October 11, 2019

In reply to by alannajm

Agree. I wonder why some reputed radio stations allow these ads and who pays for them?
Nataliew
October 10, 2019
I love receiving and reading your press releases because they are so important for consumers. But this one was my favorite so far. The "wait for it" was simply great writing. Thank you!
Ben_Chode
October 10, 2019
This type of scam has been around for a long time, starting with getting rich on the internet with your own web site ...They all start with a "Free" seminar then the three-day course $$$ and go up from there $$$$$. Very hard sell.
cdondorfer
October 10, 2019
There will always be trainig entities especially in Real Estate that will sell glamour , it is we the public that need heed the warning that pie in the sky is not pie but disappointment. These crooks need to be stopped go to their meetings and get information that can put them out of business.
Diana
October 10, 2019
There should be a law that whoever signs a "gag" agreement void if company has done everything legal. If a skam or anything illegal, signed document should be void! A no brainer!!!
DonOmite
October 16, 2019
Just like the internet get rich quick schemes it isn't the person buying the "product" that gets rich it is the person selling it. The person selling the scheme doesn't actually use it either. Something like flipping houses is not hard to figure out, it is hard to actually do it though. I don't need to pay somebody to tell me anything about it. And the whole "buy houses with other people's money" has been around forever and doesn't work.
Carl Bowles
October 16, 2019
The lure of quick and easy profits are a sure sign of a scam. They profit you get scammed.
remkjm
November 11, 2019
While looking into self-employment during our retirement years, we bought into the Rules of Renovation educational program, which promised real estate training and coaching. However, the training appeared to be helpful, however, not comprehensive so they recommended paying for additional coaching. The coaching session were very short and we learned very little during the short time allocated. We were promised that we could have coaching until we have made of the money back that we had "invested" in the training and coaching. Well, now I understand the company, Rules of Renovation, has been shut down. They even used people from HGTV and everything appeared to be legitimate. We are so frustrated and embarrassed for ever agreeing to signup. Just like us, many people were taken for a lot of money. Beware of 2 hour free real estate investing meetings, leading to costly training, software and coaching.
Help Please
November 12, 2019
Please tell me how to get help regarding this situation. The people who put these events on are very good at what they do. Me and my husband don't fall for "get rich quick" schemes and knew we would be working hard to do fix and flips... The problem is that they promised us tons of help and lots of tools which is what we needed in order to invest. We were excited to learn this new way to invest so we could help our family and friends. We paid the initial 2k fee and then we ended up spending altogether 90k+. Yes we feel stupid and in shock. We were never given what was promised. The sales pitches were very crafty and because they came from high profile people we really thought this company was legit. We also felt rushed and pressured to jump into deciding right now... or else... This is now putting stress on my marriage and family finances. We aren't sure how to recover these huge loses. We never got our 3 day personal (in person) training, nor lifetime coaching, financial training, and all the other stuff promised. We called our credit card company and realized they also took an additional 23k that was not authorized by us. Is there anything we can do to get our money back if the credit card company can't help? The series of events/money being handed over happened within the last 6 months. We used the only money we had at the time in savings and even took out money in a HELOC. I haven't made one cent back on this, but ended up paying more money. I'm sure those who read this will think we are stupid, but had we known we were being deceived of course we would never have taking our savings out in such a large amount. Please let me know what we can do if our credit card company can't help us. Thank you, Kathleen
Arlene
November 14, 2019
It makes me so happy to see that something is being done against these thieves! We are in so much debt and went through so much for a year just trying to survive and scared that we would loose our home. I hope justice is served and that they are stopped from doing this to anyone else.
cory
November 14, 2019
These are the same people who advertise as Will 2 Win Method They sell Ecommerce programs that bankrupt people Bad News
Frustrated
November 22, 2019
Yes, I unfortunately fell victim to those scams. I paid the $1,995 fee for the 3 day event and ended up paying $40, 000 for a 4 day training and another $25,000 for a personal training from one of their coaches. They had me start a corporation and pay for a tax training class as well. Needless to say, none of their stuff worked. Now $75, 000 in credit card debt, I'm filing bankruptcy and on the verge of losing my house and everything I worked for prior to taking the trainings, etc.
13Nordstrom21
November 23, 2019
They made promises to me that they would help me with my first purchases of good properties but when I would find something they would make excuses not to help. I paid I believe around 10,000 for the program. They suckered me to pay another 10,000ish for extra classes to help me for ever. It was just a waist of time and a lot of money. I gave up ‼️ If I have any recourse to recover some or all of my money please let me know.
Asia
December 03, 2019
I am a victim of this scam I just took “Daymon John from Shark Tank” course & when trying to do some flips I found out I was scammed so I now have to figure out how to get my refund I took the class Oct 3,4,5 I’m furious right now
PatVargas
December 04, 2019
Unfortunately I fell into the trap, and spent thousands of dollars in their workshops and coaching services, and now they have been sued by the FTC and the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, and their offices were shut down Nov. 1,2019. I wont be able to get what I paid for. I am placing a claim as well. Very sad and dissappointed, aside for financially burdened
Ilyas
December 08, 2019
Hi, Rules of Renovation/ Zurixx scammed and promised me that I can make lots of money by real estate investment. Education fee was so expensive and I could not afford it. so they encouraged to increase credit card limit and paid more than $40,000. after almost 2 years. I have earned zero dollar. I live in Canada. they made it so easy that I can sit in Canada and do flipping in US. I hope FTC can help to recover education fee I have paid. hope we can find some good news. Hope FTC will ensure that no one is scammed in the future. Thanks, Ilyas
Ajay
December 14, 2019
Hi i have been a victim of this fraud and have lost money is there a way we can get back the money Has any one been a victim
DJB
December 14, 2019
Please help us get our money back they took for our innocence... We too where taken by surprise of the credit card scam part of the class. So in the excitement of the opportunity. I was happy that we where limited by our credit card company's at that time, we did not pay as much as may other where caught. The pressure & intensity was great not knowing what they where up too! Till it was to late! We have tried to justify it by saying it was our college education we never had... fortunately we got thru the financial burden by our hard work... Please help us get our money back they took for our investments... we are now in our early sixty's working hard to catch up...
Yesi9
February 10, 2020
Does anyone know how we can get our money back. This is so horrible, I lost everything because of these scammers. Please help
Remlap01
February 25, 2020
Yes I attended the seminar the initial free seminar and then the next 1 was $1997 And at that seminar I was encouraged to open up a new credit card or increase my limit on my current credit cards to use in real estate investing. Then we were encouraged to sign up for another seminar in Las Vegas where we would meet famous realestate investors and they were 3 tiers the basic one was like 15000 the next 1 which I bought was 19000 and then there was the platinum or gold which was 25000. They promised access to all of these different services but my very 1st deal that I went to through them with the hard money lender they couldn't even find me as me I sent them all of my information bank statements all security number addresses W2 forms to hack smiling information and they could even get me a simple loan for $40000. Nothing of that they offered was lucrative they had a computer package program that you would be able to access and supposedly find homes that were in for closure or pre foreclosure the program never worked they apologized. Really all I got for my troubles was a picture with Tarek El Moussa and hotel stay with breakfast for my 20k. Very disappointing. To be honest I've learned more on YouTube.
Carl Bowles
March 06, 2020
This scam doesn't surprise me. Get Rich quick real estate scams similar to this were around decades ago. Today they use celebrities as pitch men. The lure of quick and easy profits still works. Times change but the bait is still the same.
DESIGNER - 'P'
July 31, 2020
I was caught up in this process and invested my money $1997 with all the promises on turning it into a viable business after attending the workshop. After it was found to be a scam, some people who I know were refunded but I have had all the trouble in the world to get my money back. We were told though the company's message system to apply on Zurixx with complaints, after I did a few times with no response, I filed a complaint with FTC, I learned that they would not go after individuals for refunds/compensations. I also contacted the local state's business bureau (consumer affairs), they had a couple people look into it but they haven't gotten anywhere and apparently couldn't reach the company, I don't know what to do at this point... At the time I did this I was out of work (2019) and told my husband about the workshop and that it would be a great opportunity for me to borrow the money from our savings and when the business kick off, I could replace it and then some. This money was some of the last we had due to him suffering an extreme medical condition that claimed his life in 01/2020. I wanted to believe this was possible and all the promises eluded to it, I'm still here hoping and praying that there is some recompense...
Sodler
October 22, 2021
When I was a teenager, I wanted to earn money. I saw a work from home ad stuffing and mailing envelopes to consumers (don't remember what was being advertised). With my Dad's wisdom (teaching lesson), he told me to contact the ad. After contact, I discovered that all they were supplying was a mailing list. I had to cover the cost of stamps, envelopes, paper and printing the ads to be mailed. Lesson: The cost of supplies were much greater than getting paid to mail the company's advertisement. My dad's lesson saved me money and disappointment then and into adulthood. I always warn family and friends that get rich quick schemes never work. The "Sounds too good to be true" scam.
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