Scam Targeting Montclair Businesses Using Montclair High School's Name

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As a therapist and small business owner in Montclair, NJ, I’ve built my work on the foundation of connection, trust, and community. So when someone recently contacted Mountains Therapy claiming to represent Montclair High School’s basketball and cheer programs, asking if we would like to sponsor T-shirts to be thrown into the crowd at games, I listened.

The pitch was smooth. Professional. Specific. They said our logo would appear on team shirts, handed out by the cheerleaders at home games. They followed up with a phone call, an invoice, a W-9, and a payment link — all designed to look legitimate.

But something felt off.

⚠️ What Actually Happened

The call came to Mountains Therapy from a man identifying himself as “Morgan,” representing a company called Spirit Boost LLC. He claimed to be a project coordinator working with Montclair High School and offered a “Spotlight Sponsorship” that would place our business logo on T-shirts and banners  used at school games.

Within the hour, we received:

• A professional-looking invoice
• A Square payment link
• A W-9 listing a man named Qusai Mubaidin out of Fort Worth, Texas
• A voicemail follow-up with a callback number: 469-331-8223
• Then we blocked the number and received a call and voicemail a day later form this number 469-502-7786
• The details were oddly generic.
• There was no mention of a specific contact at the school.
• No confirmation from any Montclair High School staff or booster organizations. Just polished pressure.

🧠 What This Has to Do with Therapy

You might be wondering: Why would a therapy practice be blogging about a scam?
Because this moment wasn’t just about business — it was about psychological awareness. And as a therapist, I recognize that the same tools we use in therapy can help us navigate the outside world.

✨ Trusting Your Gut

In therapy, we often help clients rebuild trust in their intuition — the internal alarm that tells you when something isn’t right. That feeling doesn’t always come with evidence or logic at first. But it's powerful. In this case, my gut said: pause. And that pause gave me time to investigate.

✋ Setting Boundaries

• Whether it’s a manipulative relationship or a scam email, we must learn to set boundaries without guilt.
• Saying, “Let me think about it” or “Can you send that in writing?” is not rude, it's wise. Especially in a digital world where trust can be exploited.

🧍‍♀️ Emotional Manipulation Isn’t Just Personal

• This scam didn’t just play on money,  it played on emotion.
• It used the image of students, community support, and school spirit to disarm people.
• That’s a tactic therapists see often: people using emotional language or urgency to override healthy skepticism.

🛡️ What We Did Next

After doing some research, we discovered that this is a nationally reported scam. Spirit Boost LLC has no confirmed relationship with Montclair High School.

We immediately:

• Contacted Montclair High School coaches and counseling staff to alert them
• Saved all documentation as proof
• Warned other local businesses and community outlets like The Montclair Girl

The Montclair High School Counseling Department was gracious, responsive, and deeply appreciated the heads-up. As mental health professionals ourselves, we understand how vital school counselors are in protecting not just students, but the broader school community.

💬 A Message to Montclair High School and the Local Community

To Montclair students, staff, parents, and business owners:
Moments like this remind us that emotional safety is just as important as physical and financial safety. Mountains Therapy is proud to support the Montclair High School community — including students, educators, and families with compassionate, trauma-informed therapy services.

Whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, academic pressure, family conflict, burnout, or recovering from a breach of trust like this one, you don’t have to go through it alone.

✅ What You Can Do

• Be cautious of unsolicited sponsorship requests
• Confirm all school partnerships directly with school administration or Montclair Highschool Counseling
• Report suspicious behavior to local authorities or the Better Business Bureau
• Share this blog or your experience with others in the Montclair community
• Reach out to a therapist for support,  it's okay to ask for help

🧠 Final Thoughts from a Therapist’s Lens

Scams like this don’t just affect wallets, they impact trust, confidence, and emotional stability. But they also create opportunities for growth, reflection, and resilience. At Mountains Therapy, we believe in supporting the whole person  and the whole community. If you’ve experienced something similar and it left you feeling anxious, uncertain, or emotionally drained, therapy can help you rebuild trust in yourself and others. Let’s protect our Montclair community together,  emotionally, mentally, and relationally.

💬 Let’s Stay Connected

If you're a student, teacher, or community member connected to Montclair High School, and you're looking for mental health support we’re here for you. Based in Montclair, NJ – serving NJ, NC, FL & UT.

Contact us to find best teen therapist near me and best teen counselor near me.