Nathen Barton’s scheme is expanding beyond a one-man operation. Our investigation has confirmed that his girlfriend, Shoujing Zhou, has now begun filing her own frivolous TCPA lawsuits, using the same playbook Barton perfected.
This isn’t a coincidence. It’s a pattern. Barton, who has made a career out of exploiting legal loopholes, is now recruiting those closest to him to amplify his efforts. It appears he is building a small-scale, family-style lawsuit factory.
The evidence shows a clear trajectory:
Phase 1: Barton operates alone, filing dozens of lawsuits.
Phase 2: He attempts to scale by creating “TCPA University” to teach his methods, which was shut down after scrutiny from the Oregon State Bar.
Phase 3: He now appears to be personally coaching his partner, Shoujing Zhou, to file identical claims.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. If he’s willing to bring his girlfriend into this, how long will it be before he tries to involve his three children? Given his history of using his kids as a false narrative in the press, it wouldn’t shock us at all.
This is more than a scam; it’s a spreading operation. Barton isn’t just a serial litigant—he’s a mentor to a new wave of them.