MLM scams

Thank you Fred for posting this!  It is indeed excellent news!

MLM scams abound here in Bali.  It’s terrible and many of the scams are run by foreigners…the victims usually being hapless Indonesians.

The typical scam is being charged a few million IDR for their “sales kit,”  being offered very little if any training, and promises of good earnings…as mentioned in this article.

Most of the ones I've seen here are Malaysian, with some Indonesian.
Seeing one closed is good news; seeing the lot get hammered would be a lovely Christmas gift.

What you say makes perfect sense to me Fred as these MLM scams are rather recent for us here in Bali. 

One can hear, "not all MLM companies are scams" and maybe that's true.  Do you "buy that" or do you think they are all dodgy at best?

The business model of an MLM is a scam, nothing else is possible.

all MLM are scams, unless you own the MLM company you couldnt really call MLM a business model. its a good business if you own one, there is no sense in running as MLM agent. its good business if you cant get a job and can maintain to live daily by just drinking water, no eating and walking as your primary mode of transportation

The other night a friend met me at a restaurant here on Bali, Indonesia.  He wanted to see if I wanted to buy a product called Bio Spray that he told me would cure not only my gout but just about everything else imaginable.  The cost:  Only  for 7 small bottles and they would throw in 5 more for "free!" 

In the back of the restaurant over a hundred people had gathered for the sales pitch from the doctor who is the head of this MLM scam.  I met with him, told him my medical situation, and he diagnosed me, then laid out the regimine of Bio Spray I would need to be healthy.  Interestingly enough, he told me I would have to take it while in the care of a medical doctor but should never tell that doctor I am taking Bio Spray...now go figure!

How anyone can get involved in these scams is so far beyond my comprehension that I cannot even think of it any longer. 

Some of the gullible walked out with small bags of Bio Spray that they are to now go out and sell.  I have no idea what their initial buy in had to cost, but whatever it was it was a stupid decision.

The worst part of such a scam is those in need of medical attention will not get it.  They will take these snake oil potions with the belief they will be cured and in, many cases, their ailments will either kill them or get worse.  There should be strong laws against this and those selling such crap should be prosecuted, especially the founders.

I guess PT Barnum was right..."There is a sucker born every minute."  Be smart, don't be one yourself!!!

Joining any kind of pyramid scheme is a sure way to lose friends fast.

saintjean wrote:

Joining any kind of pyramid scheme is a sure way to lose friends fast.

How true.
Seen this many times - the victim tries to get all the people they know to "invest", soon finding out no one wants to know them.

These companies have no morals, and their victims end up very much like drug addicts, desperate for one more sale and willing to do anything to get it.