Former Cresyn & Imperia & Maplewood Workers in LA - Employment Scam

Student journalist looking into Imperia/Cresyn Consulting (LA) — has anyone worked there? Also: a warning for anyone who needs a free phone. Hi everyone. I'm a student journalist at Los Angeles Valley College, working on a piece about employment scams that target students. Earlier this week I was texted by a company called Cresyn Consulting after applying for jobs. They claimed to have branched off from Imperia Consulting, but couldn't explain why the two shared the same office suite and phone number. Their website is six months old, their team photos look AI-enhanced, and when I asked about a Reddit comment from someone who says they worked two weeks and were never paid, they told me the person "probably didn't finish onboarding." They also said training is paid—but the person on Reddit says they were never paid at all. Base pay claims also have panned out to not be true, it is commission based, which they do not say on the phone interview (or at least not to a disclosed student journalist). I've since found threads connecting the same operation to Maplewood Marketing, Crescens Consulting, Maluhia Inc., and Crimson Consulting, in LA, the Bay Area, and Dallas. I'm looking for: • Anyone who worked for or currently works for any of these names. I'd like to know what you were told or have lived experience with about pay, what documents you handed over, and what happened if/when you left. • Anyone who was recruited and didn't take the job, especially at the in person interview. What did they ask you for? • Anyone who saw the door-to-door side. What were you told to do, and who were you told to sign up? • Any real life pay information without disclosing a paycheck stub you are comfortable providing. You can comment here or message me. I'm happy to talk anonymously if that's what you need. And a separate note, because it matters: If you're homeless or on assistance and you need a free phone, do not sign up with someone who approaches you on the street or at a station. Apply directly through the carrier's own website—TruConnect, Assurance Wireless, or the Lifeline/ACP program. You can do it from a library computer or a campus computer if you are a student, for free. That way your ID and personal information stay with you. If someone is offering you a free phone on the street and asking for your ID and Social Security number, they are being paid per signup and may not be telling you the truth about what you qualify for, or harms that may happen by signing up that day (like having your current service turned off).