High school banner scam is no stranger to Florida counties

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CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. – New details to a scam targeting local high schools WINK News first told you about last month.

The same scheme is no stranger to Florida counties.

“I don’t want to do anything over the phone anymore and I would love to support small businesses and schools, but they have to come here and they have to have ID now and nothing is done over the phone,” said Christene Knisley, who fell victim to the high school banner scam.

Knisley says she knows the faulty advertisement all too well. The advertisement that circled Lee County last month asked businesses to buy banners for a local high school.

In 2012, Jesse Moers, told the same story. Moers persuaded Knisley and four other Charlotte County businesses to buy banners to support Port Charlotte High School.

“A gentleman came he said he was from Port Charlotte High and how much it was and I wrote him a check and off he went thinking I was going to get my banner in a few weeks or so,” said Knisley.

Weeks went by and there was still no banner. Five businesses found out they were hit by scammers. Moers was arrested two years later in Charlotte County for fraud, he was put on probation for three years.

Now, the Lee County School District says at least three businesses fell victim in an identical scam involving Estero High School.

The company associated with both scams is Allstart Magazine LLC. According to the Florida Department of State Division of Corporation, Jesse Moers, Bambi Moers and Gidget Moers run the business. The Moers’ are accused of running the same scheme along Florida’s east coast.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is now investigating the Estero High School banner scam.

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