Personally I think it is very shady, but you cannot stop these guys from advertising a product to sell to joe public, and sell them the "dream".
Any of you guys remember one of the first consultant company's selling the "dream" who were called PLH. They had a good one of telling people give them a load of money and they can get cheap discounts at the flying schools, and that they knew so many people in the industry they could get you a job tomorrow.
After they went bust taking a lot of people's money with them, because in the end they did not know anyone in the industry accept for the people they had put through.
So sell the dream and take their cash, should work well in this economy
Fluffy