Whistle blowers & informants
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People have wondered how I know so much about Sam Cohen. Many clues come from Sam’s current and former clients, associates, and employees, as well as private sources about whom I have been sworn to secrecy! In addition, I have researchers, legal advisers, assistants, helpers, runners, net surfers, cyber-sluths, and those who follow Sam’s movements around the courts and tribunals, not to mention the unmentionables.
Most of the people who contact me are scared of Sam. They do not trust him. So they ask me to never reveal my sources. Some are embarrassed and do not want the public to hear about their association with IHRB. Anyway, the purpose of this article is to give you a sneak peak into a small range of emails that come my way. It was something Sam said to a client last week that prompted this article. Sam was badmouthing this site, saying that no-one pays any attention to it. Well, to dispel Sam’s delusions, here are just a few of the emails about the Institute of Hair Regrowth & Beauty. By the way, Sam has run out of things to say about me, so his latest attempt was to say this to a client, ‘He is Lebanese you know, and I am Jewish’, as if that explains why allegedly I am out to destroy his business. For poor Sam, the penny has not yet dropped. Sam does not yet understand that he had ripped me off, lied to me, and lied about me, and he continues to do the same to all his clients, charging $4,900 for a product they can buy at $12.95, while overdosing them and illegally selling medications and non-approved products, while asking his clients to take medications that were never designed, and are explicitly never to be used for, hair regrowth, thereby placing people’s lives at risk! I wonder if his Jewish Rabi would approve of Sam being a Jewish con artist!
Below, we start with an email from a man who wrote to me, and with whom I spoke at length, several times. This man wanted to visit Sam and ‘knock his block off’. This client was so angry that he seriously desired physical violence. I discouraged him from re-arranging Sam’s face, and urged him to go down the legal path, which I assured him would prove much more satisfying.
1) hi jonar i read your story of ihrb and if i had googled this bastard beforehand i would have never seen him anyway he told me all his little bullshit stories about curries and all that crap and ashley martin and that so i singed up thinking because i am smart and know i feel its wrong but i thought it was safe because his advert was in daily telegraph and that his office is in city so i thought was all good now i’ve found out that he has ripped me off for something only worth a few hundred dollars and conned me and thinks he can get away with it theres no way and my hair is worse than before so i hope you can help me because seems like you got him around your finger now so if we can take action would be good i want justice from this smelly evil smoking [expletive omitted] piece of scum shit bag.
2) …and they are both bastards and he’s the main man he’s screwed over a lot of people I can tell you one day they are going to cross the wrong people which I believe they already have we should get together for a drink what area do you live in you seem like a decent guy and it’s those that get fucked over just like I got fucked over just you got done to a lot smaller extent I’ll let u know where this other fucker lives I bet he will get a surprise if u came asking for your money and shit himself like all of there type they are cowards regards
3) Hi, I was once client of IHRB, I had no result instead lost more hair and still on going. is there anything we can do to against Sam and IHRB? and is there real solution for hairloss or at least helps it?
look forward to hear form you! thanks indeed
4) I just happened to see Today Tonight show about Mr. Sam Cohen, I had taken treatment in 2006, but due to high cost,I doubted about his treatment I had stopped, but I did not ask for refund. The way he spoke to me and showed the testimonials right from 1970, even a famous rugby player was one o his client during that time. If you need any information pl contact me…
5) hi jonar my name is [withheld] i also went to sam cohen and have been ripped off i want to get my money back and take action i realise you are suing him if you need witness or statement i am happy to help you please reply i dont know what to do
6) please email me jonar we need to talk
7) hi i have a problem with sam i would like to discuss
8) Hi Jonar I appreciate your site. I too was taken in by Sam’s selling spiel thinking I had the fallback of the money back guarantee. I continued for 3 years before finally pulling the plug and asking for a refund (approx $15,000 later!). He offered me $2000 only which I have not yet taken, but would like to take it to the Dept of Fair trading and interested if you have heard from people who have done this. Has anyone had any success with the department or really should I take the $2000 and run? A lot of what you have said is spookily familiar… Thanks for your help
9) Just wish other newspapers will notice the scam and remove all advertising for such bull$hit. Hair loss makes you vulnerable enough without all these scammers trying to rip you off!
10) yeah he told me he was first person to have a proper treatment for hair loss and rogaine and propecia was all full of lies that dont help you with the hair loss he had told me about his indian curry secret that that nobody has the formula and its a big secret ingredient that nobody knows except of him.
11) I signed up to Sam’s program yesterday and have just seen this and other sites, and I am very worried. Would you please be able to contact me? I would be interested in making telephone contact. All the best,
12) I have recently been conned by Sam Cohen unfortunately I did not do my research before hand on his business. I need you advice if possible. I signed his contract and brought home his products and paid only half telling him that I will come back for the remaining amount. However when I arrived home i realised that my transaction had been declined, which neither myself or Sam’s secretary noticed. When they handed me the products. So now here I am with his products not having paid him anything. And I am receiving sms’s from him stating YOU MUST CALL ME IN 15 Min! So I am a little worried on what I should do. I would like to just give him the products back and be done with it. Do you know if there is any clause to get out of his contract. I used 1 product last night and am happy to pay him for that bottle but thats all I would like OUT. If you could give me any advice I would be very appreciative.
[Then client number 12 above wrote to show me (below) what Sam Cohen had written to him, and I just love the ending where Sam wants to involve every government department including the Department of Immigration. Oh dear, it seems that Sam hates being abused, but he has no problem in abusing thousands of people over 40 years. Now we can add the word HYPOCRITE to the many other words that describe Sam Cohen the con man]
EMAIL FROM SAM COHEN TO HIS CLIENT #12 above: What’s happening? On Monday the 17th. you came in, had a very long discussion about your hair loss. I explained every aspect of our program for over an hour. You agreed, signed our ‘Legal & Binding Agreement and agreed to let me take photographs of all the affected areas of your hair & scalp. You deposited $1500.00 and was supposed to ring in your Credit Card details to enable us to withdraw $2400.00 to pay in full to save a $1000.00 on the same day. Accordingly we let you take home a full years (A few extras) supply of the Hygiene part of the program and a bottle of the ‘Topical Solution’. After you left our premises with all the products, my secretary realised that your payment of $1500.00 was declined. You did not telephone back. We telephoned a few times and kept on being transferred to your mail box. I even sent you SMS- you did not contact us. We also sent you an email to no avail. I tried to ring you this morning to no avail again. ARE YOU TRYING TO AVOID TALKING TO US OR HAVE SOME OTHER MOTIVE? I thought you were an honest Muslim gentleman like all other Muslim gentlemen. Seems I was wrong. You are a businessman and I am certain you know that “taking home products without paying is a crime and considered as ‘theft'”. It is also a crime to pay through your Card when you do not have sufficient funds. If you do not pay in full as agreed by tomorrow, you will leave me no alternative other than to take ‘legal action’. I will have to send your photographs to all the banks, the Credit Reference Department, Department of Immigration, Police, Fraud Squad, Fair trading, etc,. This is not a threat, but actions I will have to take for your deceitful behaviour.
13) I wish to thank you for going to all this effort on behalf of the public and consumers, by taking this issue on and challenging it… you are a great investigative journalist, and passionate. I hope your efforts will lead to the necessary changes in this un-regulated industry. As for Sam. He is well over retirement age anyway…So I guess he will end up retiring anyway…Its just a matter of time before this was coming to an end… thanks for doing something meaningful in a world where too many actions have no meaning apart from making money, and doing business. Please stay in touch.
14) Thanks heaps Jonar. It’s great to know that there is now info on the internet which exposes Sam’s shocking conduct, (the highlight is his non-existent guarantee). I’m amazed he has been in business for years without no other person exposing him one way or another. This justice will be a Godsend to many potential clients as lots of people like to research info before purchasing (too good to be true) products or services. There will be plenty of grateful people out there (thanks to you). All the best.
15) I saw a hair loss advertisement & it triggered my memory of my experience with IHRB. After 6 years I was wondering if IHRB had any complaints or similar cases like mine. From the Google website I searched via “IHRB Sam Cohen scam.” This is when I discovered your website.
16) Now that I’m aware his money back guarantee is a sham, I am sure (with given time) many will come forward with their complaints. You will obviously be helping many others by making them aware of IHRB’s conduct. It’s disappointing that no-one in the past has come forward to warn others of this sham.
17) Hi, I was once client of IHRB, I had no result instead lost more hair and still on going. Is there anything we can do to against Sam and IHRB? And is there real solution for hairloss or at least helps it? Look forward to hear form you! Thanks indeed.
18) Hi Jonar.I Happened to find your website and was quite upset about a lot of what I read. I have been on IHRB’s treatment for almost a year now and I am very concerned about the side effects… Is there a way I can get my money back? Thanks so much for being a champion for the people. If only there were more people like you in the world we would have less scammers and less victims. Thanks.
19) A former employee who had worked for Sam Cohen when they were both employees of a now defunct hair clinic, wrote to share her story. Some parts of her letter were too hot, and had to be omitted for legal reasons. Here is what she wrote: ‘Dear Jonar, I worked [at the former hair clinic] …even when I knew it was a scam. The place had a dodgy feeling to it. Sam had talked about how it works on just 1% of clients. The rest – he was just draining money from, then telling them they were not keeping up their treatments or needed to change products when they complained it wasn’t working. I saw men (and several women) of all ages convinced to part with their money in one upfront payment. A lot of the men probably just followed through with the treatment because they at least got to come into the office and have a weekly head massage with young girls in their 20′s. …It was an appalling place for a young woman to work due to Sam’s misogynistic attitude. …I can’t believe Sam is still alive, we were all waiting for him to die of an obesity-related heart attack 10 years ago! Cheers and good luck.’
20) A former client wrote this note on Saturday 16 July 2011: ‘Good on you mate. I was ripped off by Sam as well. The same thing. His jibber about his magic “Indian curries”, the illegal minoxidil formulas with very high and dangerous minoxidil content, medication without prescription and in other peoples names and the list goes on. I must have spent over $10,000 with Sam and the guy is a crook.’ This client signed off with a nick name of ‘NOW BALD’.
21) In Feb 2012 I received this note: ‘Hi, I’m concerned about losing my hair (female) and signed up for treatment from Sam… based on the 100% money back guarantee… what a great offer. What did I stand to lose??? Same old story… I found the products irritating, and the hygiene products had terrible results in my hair… so I returned them all. Sam offered a modified topical solution… without any positive results. I have requested a full refund… over the phone and in writing numerous times. Was intending to try again today… this has been ongoing for a longtime (18 months), when I found this website… to my horror! $3,900 is also a LOT of money to me… however it’s at the stage that I wonder if it’s best to give-up as the stress of fighting for a refund is not going to help my hair loss! What do you advise is my best way to proceed…? Thanks, good luck.’
22) In Feb 2012 I also received: ‘I spent about $10,000 over 3 years with no benefits. I need to discuss this with you and need your help to sue this cheater and recover my money.’
P.S. IHRB is the name of the Institute of Hair Regrowth and Beauty run by Sam Cohen. The company used to be at 105 Pitt Street Sydney, but moved to 9 Renwick St, Leichhardt. IHRB is also written as Institute of Hair Regrowth & Beauty or Institute of Hair Re-growth and Beauty. IHRB says it can help those suffering hairloss to regrow their hair, but when speaking with the authorities, it denies this claim.
The Health Care Complaints Commission has slapped Sam Cohen and IHRB with this Permanent Prohibition Order and issued this statement on its website on the 23rd of February 2011.
You can learn more here.
OTHER SITES ON THE INTERNET
There are others out there who are suffering at the hands of Sam Cohen. Independently from this site, here is another person who posted a question to an online legal forum. This client had this to say about the rip off:
I went to a supposed hair loss specialist called IHRB. They offer a 4500 AUD program with a one year guarantee if I don’t get hair back after using the treatment. I mentioned I only had 300 AUD available at that moment but would like to try it, for which the specialist accepted, however I signed the contract for the program. I received a bottle of minoxidil, pills, and shampoo. I used the minoxidil and my scalp turned red and irritated so decided to stop it. Made research and minoxidil is only provided with prescription, I never received one. So decided not to go back. After three months this guy calls me to say I have to pay the full amount for which I signed a contract. I now feel I was victim of a scam since my understanding was that if not satisfied then I shouldn’t proceed further. Besides also came to realise that the meeting was very unprofessional/unethical. He said if I don’t pay he will force me due to the contract. What should I do?
He said that if I only pay 500 AUD, he would forget about the contract. However, I don’t understand the way his is doing business here, as mentioned before is very unprofessional/unethical and am scared he could be a scam and could take advantage. What could be your advice to protect myself in this case?
Last time I received a call from this guy, he said that he could break the contract if I pay 500 AUD. Should I just proceed to do so? Unfortunately I am not aware of the expenses of consulting a lawyer, and I think it may be just easier/cheaper to do this payment than consulting a lawyer. However, is this safe? How could I protect myself better without incurring in many expenses? The point this has reached is I think ridiculous as I went for a simple consultation to a hair “specialist” and now I’m talking about legal terms.
DEFENDING SAM COHEN
One person wrote to me in April 2011 and said, ‘Hi Jonar, I used to work for sam over 15 years ago at Ashley & Martin and can say that to my knowledge there wasn’t an embellishment [I think the writer might have meant ’embezzlement’] of money we were required though to go to the bank to deposit funds so that the the administration could be completed. It’s very sad how you seem to spend your time trying to ruin a man, He was a very good manager and was always supportive. you really need to concentrate on other things’
So my response to this writer was:
Hello and thank you for your note below.
I am not trying to ruin the man. I am trying to put a stop to the scam that takes money from innocent people through lies, while risking their health.
If and when IHRB stops this illegal and immoral practice, I will most certainly concentrate on other things.
If all the information on the website does not convince you that he is ripping people off, then I guess I can’t do any more to convince you. I receive calls every week from people who feel so sad to have been ripped off, and each week they expose something new about IHRB and its misconduct. People are hurting, and they are abused medically and financially.
If you are saying that I should focus on other things, what would we say to the people who are being ripped off each week? Do we say, too bad, lose your money, sorry about the lies, but Sam was a nice man.
So I just do not know what you expect me to do? Let it all drop and let a scam continue?
I appreciate your sentiments, but if you see this from the side of the victims, you might appreciate that something must be done.
The worst of serial killers would have friends who would say that they were nice guys. Sam is indeed a nice man, and I like him. But I abhor his illegal activities, and he keeps pouring fuel on his own fire by continuing to disrespect every single department and every single person by lying and fabricating evidence. He is pouring his own fuel on the fire.
I am just responding to you out of courtesy. I do not mean to offend you, and I have no idea who you are. But given that you have taken the time to write, I just wanted to acknowledge it. What you have said could well be true, that he is a nice man. However, everything on my site is also true, and that is: he is operating a scam. Surely that is not the way citizens should behave.
On the 6th of May 2011, a former client wrote and said, ‘i’ve known sam for 20 years, from a and m days to ihrb. i still have my hair and i’m 52. i no longer buy products from sam, and i appreciate your information re getting results at half the price. i just reckon you’ve made your point and it’s time to move on to some other rip off merchant. sam may have been pretty dodgy over the years but for me he provided products which saved my hair. i’m glad you display and inform people of better alternatives, i just think you’re now being mean. regards,’
So my response to this writer was:
Thank you for your comment on IHRB-Story.com
Indeed, I understand what you mean, but perhaps you are not aware that every single day, people are being hurt by IHRB. This week, a young man went to Sam, and both the man and Sam agreed that no hair had grown. So much so that Sam broke the habit of a life time and did not take photos of this man’s head. Yet Sam refused a refund. Now the young man is having to waste his life, travel 98 km round trip to the city, pay for legal fees, parking, petrol etc, and take time off his low-paying job, to chase this fraud. The story is here.
So while you might write to ask me why I do not let this matter drop, I wonder if you find it compelling to write to Sam and challenge him about when he is going to stop ripping people off. I think that therein lies the problem. Until IHRB stops scamming people, why would you want me to stop raising the fraud to society and to the authorities. $3900 is a lot of money for someone to just give to a complete 100% scam. Imagine how many hours that man has to work, pay petrol to get to work, wash his clothes daily, pay his taxes, to generate that kind of money. It would not matter if it were a small amount paid for a trial-and-error situation. But this is a company that advertises a full money back guarantee. I just do not know how people can tolerate that. Those on the sidelines think that we should give up, yet how irresponsible would it be for us who know that it is a scam, to walk away as victims, knowing that other victims will be hurt — hundreds of them, to the tune of thousands of dollars. One man told me he was conned out of $12,000.
Indeed, your hair might have responded well to Minoxidil. Each person is different. Unless I understand what you were given and what you were asked to take, I cannot comment about your success. However, Minoxidil is available over the counter at $15 or even $90. When Sam sells his, he says that he has Indian Curries in it, and that is why his works every time. I now have it from two of his pharmacists that the Indian Curries do not exist, so is it ok to pay $3900 for a product, promising to contain special Curries, when there are none? Is that fraud or what? And those clients who are taking Sam’s other concoctions like Retin-A and Loniten and Proscar have no idea what risks they were taking. Sam is operating an illegal business. He is not authorised to sell medications. He does sell them. He recommends them. He encourages people to take dangerous medications that are not approved that could cause heart failure and death. The medical industry is regulated, and Sam has broken every rule in the book. Is that all ok? Should I give up on that? Only last week Sam violated the Prohibition Order. It is incomprehensible.