I've got a bad feeling about this

[tavellafic]

So, checking out JC's site, onlyartist.com. It's registered to Fred Khalilian of Altamonte Spring, Florida.

Google knows all, I like to say, so I check him out. And the news is not good. The primary hits involve telemarketing fraud, blasting fax ads, and spamming. Pretty much the trifecta for "everything I touch is a scam".

But wait, I think hopefully, maybe there's a Fred (Fedeidoun) Khalilian the older and a Fred Khalilian the younger! After all, there is a second minor trail in Google, Fred as a runner and as working for a health club. He'd be 29 or 30 now, perhaps there's a middle aged Fred who is his father and the scammer, and the son is a nice health club employee who likes music.

But unfortunately, checking out Leisure Time Marketing and Platinum Travel Club's business records doesn't reveal any long trail that would conflict with them being the same, and a check of USsearch finds only one F Khalilian anywhere in the US, our friend Fedeidoun "Fred" the 30 year old resident of Altamonte Springs. And health club marketing is just the sort of place someone barred from travel telemarketing might take refuge. A picture from the time of the FTC stipulation might be useful confirmation, but the Orlando Sentinel never covered it and the Orlando Business Journal doesn't have a picture, at least online.

Further checking of the corporation records finds Only Artists Management, Only Artists Production, and OnlyArtists.com Inc, all incorporated in March. Annoyingly, the corporation documents aren't scanned and online yet, so I can't get a look at them to tell more.

But I fear that JC has fallen into the orbit of a scammer. I'd be curious to know if his recent constant companion of pictures is named Fred. He doesn't particularly look like a runner, but...

Edit: If anyone has accounts on the various news photo sites, they might search for Khalilian. I was too lazy to register this morning. Also, for identifying JC's friend purposes, has anyone gone back and looked at the original captions for the Playboy Mansion and Simpsons gallery photos? Most of the others he's just lurking in the background, but I think in those he was actually posing with JC, so the caption might identify him.

On further edit: It seems to be confirmed that JC's companion is Carlos, so that's a bit of a relief. If I feel particularly bored and bold this afternoon, I may call Fred K. and quiz him on his relation to the site.

Comments

[tavellafic.livejournal.com]

What you said.

My big hope is that Khalilian moved on to sleazy web-hosting (a lot of spammers like to own their own ISP because it means they can spam more without being kicked off) and is only responsible for the registration and not any of the content. But I'd expect him to have an email address from his own ISP then, and magicnet.net is a Verio ISP, not independent.

Hm

[musicdiamond.livejournal.com]

Yes, what Lain7 said. National TV, yo. That's... not cool.

I really hope it turns out to be. Um. I don't know. Just, not a scammer. :(

Hmmm.

[xoverau.livejournal.com]

First of all, impressive sleuthing. Makes me all embarrassed that I usually just cut and paste bibliographies for my papers at school and make up all the statistics.

Second, several JCs miss their Justins. "Miss you!"

Third, how can I be expected to remember what I wanted to write when I have to scroll down past gorgeous stunning icons with sparkly boys on them? Hmmph.

Re: Hm

[tavellafic.livejournal.com]

I should clarify that I don't that *JC* intends it to be a scam, I just fear that he's been sold an idea by a conartist.

[navia.livejournal.com]

Impressive. Now you have me worried too! I really hope JC doesn't end up looking like an idiot. His one quote about it is already suspicious -- something about the site changing the way we look at music? Yeah, no, I don't think so. My fingers are crossed, though.

Re: Hm

[musicdiamond.livejournal.com]

Oh yes I know, however, I dislike the idea of JC being taken advantage of even more than the idea that JC's some sort of calculating scammer. At least, with the calculated scammer bit, I could write a story about it. ;)

Re: Hmmm.

[tavella.livejournal.com]

I was so annoyed when Google's Researchers program was closed before I heard about it. People would pay me to do this stuff! I'm good at it!

And Justins miss their JCs too!

[superpana.livejournal.com]

That is fascinating. And worrisome. Only, what the fuck JC? Hopefully he would do some research of his own before committing to something. Or someone who works for him would, at the very least.
And also, on the JC's friend tip? People say he's this guy Carlos but I swear on...a copy of some big book that's not the bible that I met that guy and his name is Fernando. Which doesn't have much to do with anything except that, you know, who the fuck is Carlos? And like, where did that information come from?
But you mention such and such travel club and things which is interesting because I talked to Fernando for awhile about stuff like that. I didn't know he was linked to *NSYNC for awhile and then when he said he was I asked him what he did and he said something about travel and I assumed he was the travel agent. Or worked for a travel agency WEG uses or something.
Anyway. Um, hello new friend. Hehe.

[tavellafic.livejournal.com]

I've been told by the JJB that Fernando is Carlos' brother. I can't vouch for the accuracy of that. And eee, I do hope he's not connected to Fred. Leave JC on his own and he falls amongst scary people!

Interestingly, they've altered the whois record to be registered in the corporation name and made dear Fred K. disappear, as well as giving him a address at onlyartist instead of magic.net. But there are ways you can still link them (which I'm not going to post, in case they are getting this stuff from here.)

[tavellafic.livejournal.com]

Mine too. It'd be kind of neat to have him putting out mp3s of whatever stuff he was working on, but it sounds more ambitious than that.

[navia.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, they've altered the whois record to be registered in the corporation name and made dear Fred K. disappear, as well as giving him a address at onlyartist instead of magic.net.

Oh, suspicious. They know we're onto them.

It'd be kind of neat to have him putting out mp3s of whatever stuff he was working on, but it sounds more ambitious than that.

Yeah. But it is JC, and he tends to get really excited and exaggerate when plugging a new thing, so. Hopefully that's all it is. ::fingers still crossed::

Carlos

[(Anonymous)]

Carlos is JC Road Manager, And JC right hand ,Jive Has confirmed this information. Fred on the other hand is a crook , JC and Carlos have Parted far, far away from Fred K.