The Region - News from Sept. 3, 1987

Two men were convicted of fraud for their roles in a coast-to-coast telephone solicitation scheme that bilked more than 3,000 holders of credit cards out of more than $1 million by promising them free Hawaiian vacations. Lawrence David Berry, 40, of Malibu and Roy David Castner, 43, of Canoga Park were found guilty in federal court of a variety of fraud charges for a telephone marketing effort that federal authorities said may have reached as many as 250,000 people nationwide. “This is the largest telemarketing credit card fraud scheme in the history of Southern California,” said U.S. Atty. Robert C. Bonner, who called the convictions “a significant step in the control of this type of consumer fraud.” Berry and Castner operated a Westwood business, Executive Gold Card Travel Club, that notified people that they had won an all-expense-paid trip to Hawaii and asked them to give their credit card numbers to “validate” the trip. The company also purported to be selling for $349 a package of discount coupons, accompanied by an additional free gift of a television, telephone-answering machine or computer. Without authorization, the company then attempted to collect the $349 by using the customer’s credit card number, Bonner said.