New York (CNN) President Donald Trump, his three eldest children and his company are accused in a class action lawsuit filed Monday in Manhattan federal court of using their brand to make millions by coaxing unsophisticated investors to participate in fraudulent schemes.

Filed on behalf of four anonymous individuals, the lawsuit accuses the President and his children Eric, Donald Jr. and Ivanka Trump of promoting what they described as promising business opportunities with three companies in exchange for "secret" payments: ACN Opportunity, a telecommunications marketing company; the Trump Network, a vitamin and health product marketing company; and the Trump Institute, a seminar program that "purported to sell Trump's 'secrets to success.' "

The suit claims that the Trumps in fact "deliberately misled" consumers about the likely success of their investments. The 160-page lawsuit further claims the Trumps engaged in "a pattern of racketeering activity" and "were aware that the vast majority of consumers would lose whatever money they invested in the business opportunities and training programs" offered by the three companies. None of the three companies is named as a defendant.

The lawsuit is being funded by a nonprofit with ties to Democratic candidates, the Tesseract Research Center, according to a spokesman for the law firm Kaplan, Hecker & Fink. A partner in that firm, Roberta Kaplan, as well as Andrew G. Celli Jr., of Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff & Abady, are representing the plaintiffs.

In response to the suit, a lawyer for the Trump Organization, Alan Garten, said the case was "completely meritless" and seized on the Democratic affiliations of Tesseract and the plaintiff's lawyers.

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