Dale Investigates: Beware of Artisan Woodworking Group - UPDATED!

We’ve tracked down Dale Tarnauceanu, the owner of Artisan Woodworking Group who swindled multiple customers out of thousands of dollars. Dale helped some of these unlucky customers file reports with the local police, who paid Mark a visit.

Before a warrant was put out for Mark’s arrest, he agreed to meet one customer, George Silvers, in person. He said he would pay back the money he had taken, over a thousand dollars. TrustDALE showed up, too. While we didn’t get involved with the transaction, we kept a lookout from a hidden location.

It turns out that our investigation into Mark and Artisan Woodworking group had an effect. Mark claimed he had lost four customers who saw our report. For us at TrustDALE, that’s a win. We love to see customers who are protected by our investigations before they can become victims themselves.

For George Silvers, this seemed like things were looking up. The police came to his aid, and he got his money back. But unfortunately, Mark wasn’t about to stop. His reputation in the Atlanta area was irreparably tarnished. He just couldn’t continue his swindle around here. However, he was not about to stop what had been a somewhat successful scam.

In fact, even when it seemed like Mark was doing the right thing, he certainly wasn’t. A TrustDALE investigation suggests that the money he used to pay back George Silvers wasn’t his money to give. Mark seems to be unable to function with any kind of integrity.

The Scam Continues

Instead of giving up the scam, Mark moved to Texas to start over. But Dale and his team were not about to let Mark take advantage of any more customers. We did a check of the Texas Secretary of State records and found that Mark had started a new LLC in Texas, along with a family member. The family member was unaware of Mark’s troubled past. That is, until they found our reports on Facebook.

Hopefully, the work we have done is enough to keep Mark from harming any more would-be customers. But as we have seen, Mark is a professional swindler who’s always trying to stay one step ahead of the law.

Don’t Fall for Scams Like Mark’s

Mark is not alone in his scam. There are literally hundreds of local scam artists out to separate you from your hard earned cash. But you don’t have to fall prey to their attempts. There are some steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim.

  • Always research a business. Often, scammers can be given away by bad reviews. Before you hire a company or an individual, do a quick search of the Better Business Bureau. If they aren’t listed, or if their score is low, take your business elsewhere. Any reliable company should have an A or A+ rating. Also, check as many online review sites as you can. Sometimes a customer will only post their complaint in one place.
  • Ask for references. A business that is well established and has done fair and honest business should be able to provide references. Ask for several references and actually contact at least two to verify the business’ claims.
  • Avoid down payments made without getting anything in return. Taking money from a customer and then disappearing is one of the oldest tricks in the book. If a business plans to do fair and honest business with you, they should be able to provide at least part of their service or project before taking a payment.

When You Have an Unsolvable Issue

Sometimes, a business or individual can abscond with your money, and no matter what you do it seems that you can’t get it back. It can be frustrating trying to get a resolution to your issue, and in some cases, customers hit a dead end. One worthwhile step is to file a complaint with local law enforcement. Police paying a visit to a business is often all it takes to motivate a business to do right by its customers.

If following up with the local authorities is getting you nowhere, you can always contact TrustDALE for help. We exist to help consumers find reliable companies to work with and resolve issues with companies that take advantage of them.

If you have an unsolvable problem, contact TrustDALE. It’s our job and our pleasure to help you get the resolution you deserve.

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Dale's New Book:
Don't Get Scammed: Get Smart!
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SCAMMERS BEWARE: SEASONED CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR DALE CARDWELL GIVES READERS A GAME PLAN TO AVOID RIP-OFFS