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Key Briefings:

1. Plaintiffs allege Gary Cardone’s Chargebacks911 participated in a form of fraud and cybercrime, including fraudulent manipulation of merchant chargeback ratios to conceal consumer complaints.
2. The class action lawsuit involves accusations from consumers alleging unauthorized charges and misleading marketing related to Keto diet supplements.
3. Defendants Gary Cardone, Monica Eaton, and Chargebacks911 deny all allegations, asserting legitimate business operations.

By Samuel Lopez – USA Herald
[TAMPA, FLORIDA] - A major class action lawsuit is currently underway in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, regarding allegations of widespread consumer fraud involving chargeback manipulation. Central to this legal dispute is Global e-Trading LLC, doing business as Chargebacks911, a prominent Florida-based firm that specializes in chargeback prevention services. Equally notable is the involvement of founder Gary Cardone, twin brother of celebrity entrepreneur Grant Cardone, alongside Monica Eaton, the company's CEO.

Plaintiffs Janet Sihler and Charlene Bavencoff represent a nationwide class of consumers who allege they were victimized through deceptive pricing and marketing practices associated with popular Keto diet products, including Ultra-Fast Keto Boost, InstaKeto, and Instant Keto.

According to the Third Amended Complaint filed on April 19, 2024, the plaintiffs assert they were charged substantially more than the advertised prices. For instance, Ms. Sihler claims she agreed to purchase InstaKeto under a "Buy 3 Bottles, Get 2 Free" promotion, expecting to pay $119.22. Instead, she was billed $198.70 without her authorization. Similarly, Ms. Bavencoff reports experiencing identical unauthorized charges after purchasing Ultra Fast Keto Boost, drawn in by promotions falsely claiming endorsements by celebrities from the television show "Shark Tank."

The complaint alleges, “This action involves a form of fraud and cybercrime that has become increasingly common — and lucrative — across the Internet. This particular scam (the “Keto Racket”) was designed to lure consumers into purchasing worthless weight-loss pills branded “Ultra Fast Keto Boost” and “Instant Keto” (collectively, the “Keto Products”) by using fake celebrity endorsements and misrepresentations about the amount consumers will be charged if they buy the pills. The operators of this scam deceived consumers like Plaintiffs Sihler and Bavencoff by advertising that the Keto Products were endorsed by celebrities (they weren’t) and that the purchase prices of the Keto Products were significantly lower than the amounts actually charged to the victims’ debit or credit cards.”