Video Ad For Narc That Car Claims Program Was Started For Amber Alert System; Prospects Told To Gawk At License Plates At Best Buy, Food Lion, McDonald’s, Others
A promotional video for a multilevel-marketing (MLM) company that pays members to write down license-plate numbers says the program was started “to provide historical location data for lien holders, law enforcement and other entities such as the Amber Alert System.”
The video, which appears to be a sales tool for an MLM downline organization known as Team Trinity International, reproduces the logos of 30 famous companies, offering their parking lots as places members of Narc That Car can go to find cars and license plates in plentiful supply to be recorded.
Segmented by disciplines such as “Retail,” “Grocery Stores” and “Restaurants,” the famous names shown prospects include Best Buy, Kmart, Walgreens, PetSmart, Rite Aid, Bed Bath & Beyond, Food Lion, Kroger, Ralphs, Vons, Piggly Wiggly, Wegmans, Domino’s Pizza, Friday’s, Wendy’s, Red Lobster, Applebee’s, McDonald’s and more.
It was not clear if the Team Trinity promoter had contacted each of the individual companies to determine if they would approve of Narc That Car members recording the license-plate numbers of their patrons.
Such actions could lead to both privacy and safety concerns, putting the companies in the awkward position of shooing gawkers and explaining why people carrying pads and pens were continually appearing on private property and writing down plate numbers.
The video also listed shopping centers, neighborhood businesses, convenience stores, residences and apartment complexes as prime spots to harvest data.
In a separate video, Narc That Car said it had recruited “thousands” of “independent consultants” to write down license-plate numbers and enter the information in a database. Database entries are available to banks, financial companies and firms that specialize in repossessing automobiles, according to the company.
Web records show that several Narc That Car affiliates are making the claim that law-enforcement agencies and the Amber Alert program have endorsed the company. No testimonials from law enforcement agencies or the Amber Alert program appear on the Narc That Car website, despite promoters’ claims.
The U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately return a call seeking comment on claims made by Narc That Car promoters. The Justice Department’s Office of Justice is the national Amber Alert coordinator.
“The AMBER Alert System began in 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed with local police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children,” the Justice Department said in an FAQ document on the program.
“AMBER stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and was created
as a legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle
in Arlington, Texas, and then brutally murdered,” the Justice Department said.
The Narc That Car business is simple, the company says.
“Narc a Few Cars,†the company instructs in a video. “Teach Others How to Narc Cars.â€
NarcThatCar does not list the names of any clients on its website. Nor does the company disclose information on how many database clients it has and how many of them are paying fees to receive a report on a target vehicle.
License-plate consultants are required to act in a “lawful, ethical and moral manner†and perform “with honesty and integrity,†NarcThatCar says, noting it provides instruction on federal and state privacy laws and “fundamental training on the the proper way to gather information.â€
The Dallas branch of the Better Business Bureau says that it contacted Narc That Car Jan. 18 “to request that it substantiate some claims made in its advertising.”
Narc That Car responded to the inquiry, and the matter was “still pending” as of Feb. 2, the BBB said on its website.
The Team Trinity International promo is hosted on Blinkweb, a company that provides free hosting space and web-page creation tools.
[…] an earlier video, Team Trinity used the logos of 30 famous retail companies, positioning their parking lots as good […]