Attorney General Paxton filed a lawsuit to stop an operation that sold internet access primarily to rural customers through an illegal scheme that often resulted in paying customers losing all internet access.
The lawsuit alleges violations of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act by Jessica Garza, her husband Homero “Josh” or “Jayden” Garza, and the company the couple manages and controls, GEV IO, LLC d/b/a Nomad Internet, which perpetrated a $75 million deceptive scheme from their home in New Braunfels, Texas. Nomad acquired large quantities of SIM cards from legitimate wireless internet providers, reprogrammed those SIM cards to avoid detection, and then repackaged the telecommunication equipment for resale.
The Garzas mispresented their relationship with the legitimate wireless internet providers, inducing consumers to purchase expensive monthly internet service plans. Upon detection of their unauthorized use, the legitimate wireless internet providers terminated the SIM cards, leaving consumers without internet access. The Office of the Attorney General obtained a temporary injunction from the Comal County District Court to stop this scam. The Court’s order also freezes Nomad’s assets to preserve funds for consumer restitution.
“I’ve secured a temporary injunction with an asset freeze against Nomad Internet to make sure they cannot scam any more unsuspecting consumers who are simply trying to obtain basic internet access,” said Attorney General Paxton. “My office will continue to vigilantly monitor for all companies engaging in deceptive trade practices and looking to scam Texas consumers.”
To view a copy of the lawsuit, click here.
To view a copy of the temporary injunction, click here.