MLM - FRAUD

  Q : WHAT IS MLM ?

A: MULTI - LEVEL MEETS DRACULAS

List of Known Multi-Level Marketing Organizations

Here is a list of known Multi-Level Marketing programs or MLM's. This is not a complete list, just the most commonly encountered MLMs.  Being on this list does not mean that they are illegal or a scam; but it's CFR's opinion that ALL MLM's should be avoided. There are better, more ethical and less risky ways to earn a good living! Also see this page for a list of convicted MLM scam organizations.

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• ACN Inc.
• Amway
• Avon Products
• DXN
• Forever Living Products
• Herbalife (health and wellness products)
• Mannatech
• Mary Kay Cosmetics
• Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
• Primerica Financial Services
• Quixtar
• Sunrider
• Tupperware
• Vector Marketing (sellers of Cutco knives)
• World Financial Group
• XanGo

External links

• Federal Trade Commission article
• FTC Proposed New Business Opportunity Rule

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Warning about MLM's from the FTC

• Plans that promise profits mainly for recruiting new members are illegal pyramid schemes. In legitimate multilevel marketing plans, profits come primarily from selling goods and services to consumers.
• Be cautious about emails for money-making opportunities. Many unsolicited emails are fraudulent.
• Be aware that some pyramids are disguised as “gifting clubs.” New recruits give money to current members with the promise that they will receive money from future recruits.
• Know that all pyramids are doomed to collapse. That’s because it’s impossible to keep on getting fresh recruits who will pay to participate.
• Legitimate multilevel marketing plans only succeed if they offer products or services that customers want. All successful businesses depend on repeat sales. If there isn’t constant demand for the products or services, the business will fail.
• Sales to other distributors don’t count. Legitimate multilevel marketing plans aren’t based on sales to distributors. Profits should come from sales that you and any distributors under you make to the end-users.
• Be wary of big earnings claims. No one can guarantee how much you’ll make. That depends on how hard you work and whether consumers like your products or services. Many people who work in multilevel marketing do it part-time to supplement their other income.
• Check it out before you commit. Print out all the information, and contact your state or local consumer protection agency for advice. In some states, multilevel marketing companies must register with the government and comply with other requirements.
• Don’t buy more supplies than you need. Some fraudulent companies try to force distributors to pay for more products than they can reasonably sell. 
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  Recommended: books Recommended AV product:

  Pyramid Schemes: Names of Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Programs that Are Pyramid Schemes The following schemes have been prosecuted by at least one government (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, and EU country, etc.) as being pyramid selling schemes: Black Magic 95 Joker 88 Maximus Intermediaries Limited At least one government (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, and EU country, etc.) as  has issued warnings about the following schemes as being at risk of being pyramid selling schemes: Accountanet Ltd Alpha 2000 Ltd Barclays System Cash Club Charity Bond David Rhodes David Stein scheme David Stevenson scheme Downline Building Group Dragon Slayer Edward L Green (there are also a number of "clones" of this scheme) Envelope Stuffing Equitynet Esquire Marketing Family of Eagles Five Dollar Gimmick (Buzzard Holdings Ltd) Focus International Credit Card Plan Fortuna Alliance Global Gold Marketing Global Interactive Investment Club Global Options NZ Ltd Going Platinum Grove Marketing Homelend (also known as Homenet) Homemailers Programme International Direct Mail Network International Philanthropists Society Jubilee International Lifetime Income Trusts Ltd Life Without Debt Mail Order 2000 (an envelope stuffing scheme) Make Lots of $ in the Net Mike Fitzgerald Multipurpose Associates New Inc Payline Perpetual Income Trust (Lifetime Income Trust) Pony Express Project 21 Project 60 Project Internet Rapido Singles Club No. 50 Snow Fresh Star International Sundew International Syndicate Management Services Telecard Thumbs Up Trans- Global Investments Universal Vanilla Gold Accumulation Plan Vera Corp World Netsafe (ATTM Card) World Net Inc Worldwide Wealth Creators Scheme $7,000 in two weeks scheme $50,000 scheme.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

GOLDQUEST, QUEST NET, QI GROUP, Quest, SCAM

GOLDQUEST operates in multiple names -BEWARE -BIGGEST SCAM- SAVE YOUR MONEY FROM THESE GUYS

The network members, who lost their money in the Quest Net, a multi-level marketing company, are continuing to storm the Chennai Police Commissioner’s office with complaints.

According to sources, the police who sealed the company’s office is planning to freeze its bank accounts and arrest its founder Vijayendran who is in Hong Kong.
The case is likely to be transferred to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further investigation.
Meanwhile, Quest Net officials forwarded SMS to the network members requesting them not to file their complaints against the company, as they were innocent.
After losing the hope of getting their money back, the victims lined up at the Commissionerate for lodging their complaints. Unable to tackle the crowd, a separate counter was set up in front of Commissioner’s office to issue petition copies to be filled in by the affected persons.
Meanwhile the complainants who reached the Commissionerate today had different tale of woes to reveal to the policemen. Many claimed that joining Quest Net was one of the worst decisions in their life.
An auto driver, said that he pledged his wife’s jewellery to pay the amount in gold firm a couple of years ago.
One of the network members convinced that he would be able to earn lakhs of rupees by just purchasing a gold coin and by putting little effort to sell their products to others.
Another member Lakshmi alleged that only few have benefited from the scheme, ‘while a person like me had fallen prey to lofty claims made by representatives of the company.’
The victims also alleged that they were asked to attend meetings in five-star hotels where senior men from the firm coached them how to market the products and enroll customers.
Initially, the persons who attended the meetings were asked to sign a form and later the officials from the firm pressurised them to pay the money soon.
For the Quest Net officials, the police action came like the bolt from the blue as they were yet to recover from the excitement of the attractive show in a star hotel.
It may be noted, acting on a complaint from one of the company’s network member, the police arrested seven persons on the charges of fraudulent business practices.
According to the complaint, Quest Net refused to give him the gold coin after paying Rs one lakh on the ground that he failed to enlist 10 more members.