NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: Dana Chanel attensd the "Brotherly Love" New York Premiere at AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 movie theater on April 20, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/WireImage)
Curl Bible founder Dana Chanel, legal name Casey Olivera, has reached a settlement to cough up more than $100,000 in fees.
In November 2021, then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro sued Dana and Defendant Credit Exterminators Inc. in November 2021. The lawsuit accused Dana of promoting the credit repair business and mobile app developer Alakazam Apps. Ultimately, the allegations say the companies failed to deliver final products.
Chanel not only promoted the companies but co-owned them with relatives — reportedly her father and sister.
According to the current AG, Michelle Henry, Chanel and other defendants will have to pay $87,269.91 in restitution, $31,000 in legal fees, and $6,000 in civil penalties. There’s an additional suspended $55,000 in civil penalties. If the defendants violate the settlement agreement, they must pay it.
AG Henry brought forth the lawsuit after content with social media followers of Chanel who claimed to have been scammed by Defendant Credit Exterminators/Earn Company and/or Alakazam Apps.
Some didn’t receive services or goods at all. But others complained about the quality and value of goods and services, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. Defendant Credit Exterminators reportedly charged consumers about $2,000 each for credit coaching, monitoring, resolutions, and repair services. However, they either didn’t deliver the service or give a refund, per customer testimony in the lawsuit. Alakazam Apps customers also reportedly paid up to $2,000 for custom apps never received.
Ultimately, the lawsuit alleged Dana Chanel and the defendants violated consumer protection laws.
“Advertising in today’s world has changed, and people trust personalities they follow online to promote desirable goods,” Attorney General Henry said. “In these cases, consumers were misled by the influencer and businesses that did not deliver on purchases. My office has taken a hard stance against potential harm inflicted on Pennsylvanians online.”
Moving forward, Dana Chanel and the defendants must follow three rules to abide by their settlement. They cannot fail to deliver or misrepresent the value of the goods and services. They also cannot operate outside of terms advertised to consumers. Additionally, they are banned from promoting or selling credit repair or mobile app services.
The settlement won’t be official until the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas approves it. The approval timeline is unclear and not discussed in the AG’s statement.
Dana Chanel has not publicly reacted to the pending settlement. However, in November 2021, Dana and her husband/business partner Prince Donnell reacted to the lawsuit, denying all claims.
“We first want to thank you so much for your patience,” Dana began the video. “I’m afraid our silence has come off as some type of admission of guilt, when it has always been our desire to be an example to Black business owners on how to deal with business discrepancies with professionalism and diplomacy,” Chanel admitted.
