By Jane Luscombe
Dozens more people have come forward with concerns about a company promising work in Australian mines.
It is claimed at least $75,000 has been handed over to AAA Job For You.
3 News has tracked down the man behind the scheme and he is refusing to repay a cent.
It's tough surviving on 25 hours work a week, so Lea Marris jumped at the chance of a new beginning in Australia.
“I'm 47, I'm on my own, and I’m struggling,” she says. “I work for a corporate company here in New Zealand that has had to cut back a lot of hours. I can see the debt climbing up and I was doing it for myself and my son.”
She paid $390 to AAA Job For You to help her find work in the mining industry and says she was told a job was guaranteed.
“I had to find care for my animals, leased out my horse. I actually went as far as getting a tenant for my house.”
She's among 40 people who have contacted 3 News since yesterday, with concerns about their money.
They've been unable to get hold of AAA Job For You for weeks.
3 News visited the company's registered office, and eventually managed to track down director Frank Yeates.
He wouldn't be interviewed on camera, but blames one woman.
Viv Burgess designed and managed the AAA Jobs website and is accused of shutting it down so Mr Yeates couldn't access people's email addresses.
She says she's the one who tried to deal with their concerns.
“Why haven't we heard anything?” jobseekers ask Ms Burgess. “Why haven't we had our Skype interviews?
“The emails got fairly intense and I asked Frank a number of times how to reply to this.”
The two are now in dispute. Ms Burgess says the reason is simple: he owes her nearly $11,000.
She also told 3 News that up until May 20, around $75,000 had been paid to AAA Jobs.
Mr Yeates won't tell us how many, if any, people had got jobs as a result.
We put other concerns to him, starting with the 24 businesses listing his name as director that have been struck off by the Companies Office.
He said most had been stripped of their assets and closed.
But he admitted the "tax people went crook at me" for failing to file some tax returns.
We also asked repeatedly if he would refund the people who have paid hundreds of dollars each and received no service from him.
Repeatedly, Mr Yeates said no.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs says it's sufficiently concerned to refer the matter to the Commerce Commission.
It gives this advice to anyone who's concerned about their money.
If you paid for a service you haven't received, take the organisation to the Disputes Tribunal.
If you paid by credit card, contact your bank. You may be able to reverse the charge.
And if you suspect a scam, report it to Scamwatch.
There is no guarantee concerns about AAA Job For You will be taken much further. The Commerce Commission told 3 News it gets 10,000 complaints a year. Only around 450 are investigated.
For more information on online scams, or to
report a scam, please visit scamwatch.govt.nz
3 News