Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced today a significant victory for North Carolinians, as approximately 36 residents are receiving more than $149,000 in restitution after being scammed by the deceptive tech sales company, Prehired. The company, which operated nationwide, trapped consumers into exploitative loans for tens of thousands of dollars, promising services that were never delivered.

“Prehired misled their customers for a long time, tricking people into exploitative loans and harassing consumers across the country,” stated Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “My office had to fight for North Carolinians to get their money back, and now they’re finally getting the refunds they deserve.”

For years, Prehired employed aggressive and misleading marketing tactics to persuade North Carolinians to enroll in their unlicensed online sales training program, with costs reaching up to $30,000. Many students were unable to afford the hefty fees. Prehired then conned these individuals into signing up for predatory income-share loans, falsely guaranteeing high-paying tech jobs upon completion. The company was also known for using aggressive collection tactics against those who struggled to repay their loans.

The North Carolina Department of Justice played a crucial role as part of a bipartisan coalition of states that successfully sued Prehired. This legal action resulted in a 2023 court order mandating Prehired to return $4.2 million to consumers who had made payments on the company's loans.

Despite the court order, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) initially delayed these crucial payments. However, Attorney General Jeff Jackson, alongside other Attorneys General, successfully urged the CFPB to disburse the required funds in May 2025, leading to the current wave of refunds for affected customers.

Attorney General Jackson was joined in his May 2025 letter to the CFPB by the Attorneys General of Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, and Washington, as well as the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.