Times are tough. Unemployment is up. And many people are looking for work.

But not everyone promising to help you get a job can be trusted, as Jason Langhorne of Spanaway learned.

While scanning the want ads for a job one day, Langhorne spotted an offer he couldn't resist.

"'Live rent free, never commute to work. Apartment managers needed,'" Langhorne read.

The same ad caught the eye of Stevie Dunchus.

"Especially the 'live rent-free.' I have to be honest. We pay $800 here and it's a struggle," said Dunchus.

Each called the number listed and left a message for "Benny."

In short order, they say "Benny" called back, and told each of them about his business.

For a fee, Langhorne and Dunchus could sign up, receive a book, complete some course work and then take an exam.

If they passed, "Benny" would find work for them as apartment managers, living rent-free.

"He told me that I would be making, guaranteed, $12 to $13 an hour working in an office," said Dunchus.

Langhorne: "He guaranteed me jobs for life."

KIRO 7 Consumer Investigator Amy Clancy: "He guaranteed you a job for life?"

Langhorne: "Yeah, he said that basically every time, if I lost a job I could come back to him with my resume and they'd basically redo me into another place."

Both say they were eager to get started and help their growing families pay the bills.

So, at "Benny's" request, Dunchus deposited $250 directly into his account.

Her husband, James Habedank, was suspicious.

"I wasn't too sure about it, and I wanted to know more about it, but she told me I had to do it now, and that it couldn't wait until I got home to talk about it. So I was kind of fishy about it," said Habedank.

Langhorne paid cash, in person, at "Benny's" Kent office.

"The very first time seeing him I spent $300. That was paid in cash, I believe. At the end, I was supposed to come back in with another $385," said Langhorne.

By the time Langhorne paid for his book and his test, he'd spent nearly $700, and Dunchus, nearly $400.

She received a certificate.

"It looks like a piece of paper with a sticker on it," said Habedank.

But neither ever got the job they say "Benny" promised.

Clancy: "Did he make good on his promise to get you a job?"

Langhorne: "I never even got a call from him or from anybody he supposedly knew. I had to go to the local library and I had to send out all my own resumes to the people. He would just give me numbers. A lot of them wouldn't even be in service. They'd be disconnected and things like that."

Dunchus: "I started studying like crazy. I was so happy, excited and then it just -- I don't even know. It got me nothing."

In the past three years, five complaints against Property Management Career Services have been filed with the Washington State Attorney General's office and the Better Business Bureau.

In those complaints, clients claim to have been promised employment and free rent after completing the course, but say they never did find jobs through "Benny." And some were told to deposit their fee directly into an account, like Dunchus did.

The AG's office says that's never a good sign.

"Wow. That's not just a red flag, that's a screaming, glowing red-light-on-top-of-a -fire-engine-down-the-street red flag. Any legitimate program is going to have you actually have a bill. You'll make a payment through a credit card or a check, some normal way. I don't like the idea of having to go into a bank and putting money into an account. That's really dicey," said Kristin Alexander with the AG's office.

One of the AG complaints was filed by a woman who says she read about the training program in the Las Vegas want ads. She claims she was also promised she could live rent-free. But the man she dealt with was named "Henry."

The program certificates are signed by "Thomas Young."

The Washington State Department of Licensing names Elena Brown and Richard Mulvenna as the business owners.

So who's "Benny?"

KIRO 7 Consumer Investigators, posing as a potential client, made an appointment with "Benny at his Kent office, to find out.

Clancy: "Are you Benny?"

Man Who Answered Door: "No, I'm Mike. Who's this?"

Clancy: "My name is Amy Clancy. I'm a Consumer Investigator at KIRO TV."

"Mike:" "Yes."

Clancy: "I'd like to talk to you about your business and what kind of business you run here."

"Mike:" "Oh, no. Well. You'll have to talk to the owner."

Clancy: "Who is the owner, please?"

"Mike:" "Huh?"

Clancy: "Who is the owner?"

"Mike:" "You can get a hold of him." (Slams door.)

Moments later, the man came out.

Clancy: "Benny, how come you don't want to tell your clients your last name? Or don't want anybody knowing who you really are? How come the name you advertise under is not the same as on the license? Do you know you're being investigated by the state?"

The man walked away.

After KIRO 7 started asking questions, the state Workforce Board opened an investigation into Property Management Career Services.

"The nature of the complaints that we've received from the Attorney General's office recently, as well as our reading of the ad and where the ad was placed, suggest to us that this company is at least portraying itself as a school. And yet, it's not licensed," said Tim Sweeney with the Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board.

When the state's investigation was recently completed, the Workforce Board did determine that Property Management Career Services was indeed operating illegally as an unlicensed school.

The state contacted owner Richard Mulvenna and notified him that he'd either have to obtain the proper license or close his doors. Mulvenna was also ordered to reimburse two clients who filed AG complaints within the past year, including Jason Langhorne, who confirmed the man who told KIRO 7 he wasn't "Benny," was indeed the same man he had given nearly $700.

After Clancy visited his office, Richard Mulvenna called her the next day.

He denied any wrongdoing, yet refused to give her the names and phone numbers of any clients he'd found jobs for.

So, why is it important for a school to have the proper license?

The Workforce Board says it's the only way students can know that their money is going toward qualified instructors, transcripts and certificates that actually will help them find a job.

Before you sign up for and pay for an educational program, check it out first.

Some schools are regulated by the Workforce Board and others by the State Department of Licensing.

Meanwhile, Jason Langhorne has received his money.

Richard Mulvenna has shut down his business.