Fake delivery service in Arizona ordered to pay $900,000 in fraud case

PHOENIX – A fake Arizona delivery service that tricked consumers into providing personal information to telemarketers will be ordered to pay more than $900,000, officials announced Wednesday.

A Maricopa County Superior Court commissioner entered a default judgment against Matthew Willes and his companies (Valley Delivery, My Home Services, Next Day Delivery and Next Day Services) on June 25.

The ruling came after four years of litigation. The case began in March 2020, when then-Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich filed a consumer fraud complaint against Willes over his companies’ deceptive practices.

According to the court order, the businesses posted “Sorry, we couldn’t serve you” notices on the front doors of hundreds of thousands of Phoenix-area homes. If a resident called the number on the receipt, the fake Arizona delivery service could match the caller’s number to their address.

“During the call, Defendant’s representatives texted the owner a link that they instructed him to click to verify information. The link took the owner to an online form where he unwittingly consented to receive telephone solicitations,” the default judgment says.

Companies affiliated with the defendants, including Protection Source, Aqua Bright, Nergy, Latch Windows and Jax Homes, then targeted homeowners with sales calls, according to the order.

How widespread was fake delivery service in Arizona?

The defendants distributed more than 333,000 door tags since 2017, tricking more than 60,000 homeowners into responding.

Willes and his companies were ordered to pay the state approximately $747,000 in civil penalties along with more than $175,000 in court and attorney fees.

The defendants were also ordered to abandon the deceptive practices that landed them in court.

“Mr. Willes and his companies went to great lengths to manipulate unsuspecting consumers into providing personal information and agreeing to receive telemarketing offers,” Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a news release Wednesday. “It is astounding how far some people will go to deceive Arizona consumers. I am pleased that my office was able to stop this deceptive practice and hold the defendants accountable for their actions.”

Arizona residents who believe they have been victims of consumer fraud can file a complaint through the Attorney General’s Office website.

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