Employment companies hit with lawsuit

NORFOLK, Va., July 29 (UPI) -- The state of Virginia filed suit against three employment companies it said were charging fees for jobs and offering little help to customers.

The suit claims Virginia Employment Services, Virginia Personnel and New Beginnings conned customers out of fees with promises of "guaranteed jobs," the lawsuit filed in Norfolk Circuit Court said.

"The companies refused to provide refunds and made unauthorized charges to debit and credit cards, causing consumers to incur over-the-limit and overdraft fees," a statement released by Virginia Attorney General Bill Mims said.

The lawsuit seeks to reclaim both membership fees and penalties consumers paid for overdrafts, The Norfolk Virginian-pilot reported.

A typical fee for the companies' services was $365, the newspaper said.