Authorities investigating northside business selling fake permits for job offer that isn’t real

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - When we walked into Southwest Forklift Houston at 16613 West Hardy Road we only saw one employee and she ran into another room and closed the door.

"I had answered a job ad on a third party website for a truck driver for Walmart and U.S. Foods," said job seeker Kenny Page.

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Page contacted us and the Harris County Sheriff's Office after going to the business on Tuesday thinking he was on his way to becoming a forklift operator at a Walmart Distribution Center.

He says dozens of other people were here too for the same job. A text he shared with us specifically stated he would get a job with Walmart. 

"Once I paid the $80, I could go to my orientation the next day," Page said.

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So what was his forklift training like?

"It was less than five minutes, I was in the room with like 25 other people," said Page.

After seeing a short film and taking a test that he says no one really looked at, he was given an OSHA forklift permit, which doesn’t appear to be real.

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In a statement, Walmart tells us, "This is a fraudulent attempt and is no way connected with Walmart."

"The lesson I’ve learned anytime you apply for a job, go directly to the company website," Page said.

He told us he had to hock his TV to get the $80.

"No job, no TV. Now I’m back where I started from," said Page.