Ambiance Design Group

Victim Location 33711

Total money lost $20,300

Type of a scam Home Improvement

The woman running the scam is named Janis Roux but she goes by multiple aliases. She used the name Anna West with me. She has a company name of Ambiance Design Group but has also worked under the business name of Interiors Secrets, Designers Secrets, and Interior Design and Decor. She lures you in promising to find sub contractors without adding a markup for labor and purchasing items at wholesale. She requires 50% to 100% downpayment on products since they are purchased at the wholesaler and delivered directly to you plus a $2500 retainer for labor. She will have sub contractors come to your home to start a project while waiting on items to be delivered. Several weeks will pass as she pretends that items are just delayed in shipping. All the while she will be asking you to purchase more products so your project doesn’t get behind. For me, it took 3 weeks to catch on to the scam and realize that I was never going to get the items I paid for. I gave her $26,000 for whole house flooring, faucets, vanity, lighting, paint, etc. I would generously value the work and materials provided during those 3 weeks to be worth about $6000. She requests cash/check for services and says she has to charge a 3% markup for credit cards. She will continue to try to milk you for money until you confront her. Once she feels she cannot get anymore she goes into hiding and stops responding to calls, emails and texts.