FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 12, 1988


             FTC CHARGES OVERSEAS JOB PLACEMENT FIRM
               BILKED CONSUMERS OUT OF $25 MILLION


     The Federal Trade Commission has charged Overseas Unlimited
Agency Inc. with conducting a fraudulent telemarketing scheme
that promises to place consumers in overseas jobs, but which has
bilked approximately 70,000 consumers out of an estimated $25
million.  A federal court has issued a temporary restraining
order against the company and frozen its assets.
     According to the complaint, Overseas and its two owners and
officers, Michael B. Marks and his wife, Susan Roy Marks,
allegedly offer overseas employment matching services.  They
claim to "match" job applicants with a computerized data base of
actual current job openings and to send customers' resumes to
companies which have job openings matching the customers'
skills.
     Overseas sells its services for $395 to $550, and has
advertised in national and local magazines and newspapers, by
telephone and by mailed promotional materials.
     The FTC's complaint charged that Overseas and the Markses
falsely claimed that:


    --   customers were very likely to get overseas jobs through
         their placement services.  In fact, the complaint
         alleges, many or most of the customers have not obtained
         jobs through Overseas.

    --   they have information on 10,000 to 15,000 or more
         currently available overseas job openings.  According to
         the complaint, they actually have information on
         substantially fewer than 10,000 openings.

    --   they maintain "close working relationships" with
         hundreds of companies which have overseas jobs
         available, and that they discuss individual customers'
         applications with those companies.  The complaint
         charges that they have no such "close working
         relationships," and that on few, if any, occasions have
         they discussed individual applications.

    --   they match customers with at least three prospective
         employers within the time specified in the contract, and
         make refunds to customers who are not provided
         matches.  In fact, the complaint alleges, they do not
         match all customers with three prospective employers
         within the time limit and do not provide refunds.



                             (More)
     Consumers have suffered "substantial injury" as a result of
these actions, the complaint charges.
     The U.S. District Court for the Central District of
California, in Los Angeles, at the Commission's request, issued a
temporary restraining order, froze the assets of the company and
the individuals, and appointed a receiver to run the company.
The Commission also asked the court to issue a permanent
injunction against any misrepresentations in the sale of
employment matching services and to order the defendants to pay
redress to consumers at the conclusion of the case.
     Overseas is based in Los Angeles, and has maintained offices
in Boise, Idaho; Newark, N.J.; and Tampa, Fla.  Michael Marks is
the president, chief financial officer and secretary of Overseas,
and owns 99.8 percent of its stock.  Susan Roy Marks is Overseas'
vice president.  The Markses reside in Canyon County, Calif.
     The Commission had the cooperation of a number of state and
federal officials in developing the case.
     NOTE:  The Commission files a complaint when it has "reason
to believe" that the law has been or is being violated, and it
appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public
interest.  The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the
defendants have actually violated the law.  The case will be
decided by the court.
     Copies of the court filings are available from the FTC's
Public Reference Branch, Room 130, 6th St. and Pennsylvania Ave.
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; 202-326-2222; TTY 202-326-2502.

                              # # #


MEDIA CONTACT:     Susan Ticknor, Office of Public Affairs,
                   202-326-2181

STAFF CONTACT:     Richard Kelly, Bureau of Consumer Protection,
                   202-326-3304

(FTC File No. 882 3051)

(Civil No. 88-2583)

(Overseas)