Smart Media Technologies Review: YOBSN?
Smart Media Technologies launched in late 2010 and operate in the social MLM niche.
No actual company address is provided on the Smart Media Technologies website, with the company instead providing the Nevada based address of American Corporate Enterprises Inc. (“americancorpenterprises.com”).
American Corporate Enterprises sell business registrations and a virtual executive office service in the US state of Nevada.
The Smart Media Technologies website domain (“smartmediatechnologies.com”) also uses a virtual office space address in Nevada, belonging to Regus.
For all intents and purposes, Smart Media Technologies appears to be registered in Nevada by name only. On the Smart Media Technologies website, the company refers to itself as a ‘debt-free, privately held global company‘.
Named as CEO and Founder of the company is David Martin (right).
David Martin, has designed and developed banking platforms & digital banking security systems since 1998.
The name “David Martin” is too generic to pull up an accurate MLM history, but given the Smart Media Technologies website doesn’t mention anything, I’d say it’s a good bet that this is Martin’s first MLM venture.
Read on for a full review of the Smart Media Technologies MLM business opportunity.
The Smart Media Technologies Product Line
Smart Media Technologies’ flagship product is access to an in-house social network, which they call “Your Own Branded Social Network” (YOBSN).
YOBSN appears to be live at the domain “hppvip.com”, however a visit to the domain demands that visitors enter a “current member login”.
The YOBSN website domain was registered in November 2011, however the website still advises that YOBSN is in beta.
From what I’ve been able to ascertain, the basic idea seems to be a branded social network where the owner of the social network (a Smart Media Technologies affiliate) generates revenue via advertising on the network itself.
IMAGINE yourself making money easily with YOBSN when people go online for shopping, playing games, social networks, education, entertainment or just about anything they do online every day.
The Smart Media Technologies Compensation Plan
Smart Media Technologies affiliates can earn money off free social networking users they introduce to the network. This is in the form of revenue generated by getting free users to spend money within the social network.
The primary source of revenue and commission payouts however is the purchase of paid YOBSN accounts, which are available at three price-points:
- Basic – $125
- Basic Plus – $200
- Professional – $400
Recruitment Commissions
When a YOBSN paid membership is purchased, the affiliate who recruited the paid affiliate earn a $25-$225 commission, depending on how much money the new affiliate spends on YOBSN membership.
Binary Commissions
Residual commissions in Smart Media Technologies are paid out using a binary compensation structure. A binary compensation structure places an affiliate at the top of two binary teams, left and right:
Each position in the binary represents a recruited paid affiliate, either via direct recruitment or the recruiting efforts of an affiliate’s upline and downline.
Each paid YOBSN membership generates points, which are tracked on both sides of the binary.
- Basic and Basic Plus = 100 points
- Professional = 200 points
When 900 points are generated in each binary side, Basic and Basic Plus affiliates earn $25 and Professional affiliates earn $50.
The points matched are flushed from both sides and cannot be used again.
Additional Bonuses
A “matching bonus”, “mega bonus” and “leadership and lifestyles” bonuses are mentioned in the Smart Media Technologies compensation plan, however no specific information is provided.
From what I can tell, the matching bonus appears to be recruitment based (recruit a specified number of affiliates to earn a match on what they earn through the binary), the mega bonus is a rank advancement bonus (probably tied into recruitment again) and the leadership and lifestyle bonuses are a monthly payment bonus (going to go out on a limb here and again suggest this is tied to recruitment).
Joining Smart Media Technologies
Affiliate membership to Smart Media Technologies is available in three options:
- Basic – $125
- Basic Plus – $200
- Professional – $400
The difference between the plans appears to be customizable branding at the Professional level. The difference between “Basic” and “Basic Plus”, according to the Smart Media Technologies marketing material is “your name in lights”.
A $30 monthly fee is attached to each of the three plans.
Conclusion
Using the familiar MLM social network model, the problem with Smart Media Technologies lies in the recruitment nature of the business.
Why anyone would pay hundreds of dollars to brand themselves when most if not all major social networks provide this service for free (Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus being the primary examples), I have no idea (seriously… a $200 difference to personally brand a social network?).
Well, actually I do – the commissions Smart Media Technologies attach to paid affiliate membership.
Under the guise of generating revenue via advertising and third-party shopping and game purchase network deals, here’s Smart Media Technologies honestly identifying what the social network front is really for:
YOBSN offers your Free Members so much value, they will actually thank you for giving it to them. That’s not all… they will also build your list by sharing it with their family and friends…
Building a list of leads, hoping they build an even bigger list of leads for you and getting as many of them to pay for affiliate membership along the way.
Why would they pay? The same reason you did…
Purchasing the Basic Package qualifies you (for) rights to sell YOBSN Branding Packages and earn a Direct Sales Bonus (and) participate in Smart Media Shared Revenue System.
Basically, “pay to play”.
You pay your affiliate membership fees (upfront and then $30 a month), and then go off and find others to do the same.
And the more you pay, the more you earn:
You’d be lucky to make a quarter of a peanut via Smart Media Technologies’ social network revenue streams, maybe half of one on a good day.
Once the affiliate recruitment in Smart Media Technologies stops, so too will the commissions. I don’t even think it’s worth entertaining the idea that non-affiliates are using the YOBSN network.
Update 6th December 2014 – Wednesday 3rd of December saw police in Bangalore raid a Smart Media Technologies hotel presentation and arrest four leaders of the company, including owner Denise Driver.
Driver is a New Zealand national frequently cited as a “business leader” by Smart Media Technology affiliates.
DOMAIN: hppvip.com
72.3.197.80
domain registered to: Automatic Geek
Automatic Geek
701 North Green Valley
Henderson
Nevada
89074
United States
Phone: (800) 628-2693
(Ozedit: email removed)
the power of social network branding with propritory rights are not known to you. as it is an innovative software it takes time to understand as bill gates has introduced windows and the world did not understand how it helps people and now every body uses it.
if you know any yobsn owner ask him to show the back office in his site you will know the developments in the business model.
any ways your assumptions will not stop or spoil smart media business.its a beginning and in beta version any ways time will answer the power of yobsn. One day will come when a businessman may not have a mobile but he will have his own yobsn site.
(Ozedit: recruitment spam removed)
Given that every major social network platform today (not attached to a business opportunity) offers branding, what kind of dumbass statement is that to make?
Right. So 5 years? 10 years? At what point do you realise the social network MLM business model is nothing new, and every one to date has flopped?
HPPVIP’s Alexa ranking suggests YOBSN is no different.
I saw mention of increasing the affiliate buy-in to $600 with the offering of a mobile social network. A social network people can access on a cell phone?! HOLY FUCK BALLS – WHAT A GAME CHANGER FOLKS!
Yet it’s been around for some time now…
Keep paying that $30 a month chief.
Who would want to use WhatChaMaCallIt social network where there’s Facebook and GooglePlus?
Keep deluding yourself while you pay that $30 (or more) for your hope and dreams. In fact, they are counting on you (and hundreds more sheeple like you)
Received this additional information via email:
Smart Media Technologies was mentioned in the Wazzub thread, March 8th 2012, by forum spammer “Leon”, post #441 plus a few more posts.
I may still have some notes from the quick overview check I did.
The Automatic Geek program was announced on the “usual suspect” HYIP ponzi forums in December of 2009 and closed in August of 2010
The then “CEO” David Martin explains how it supposedly worked:
I did find some old notes from the initial check, but it’s difficult to interpret parts of the material. All links are disabled by me, the notes were temporary notes.
“CEO David Martin” seemed to be false, but I found a Jimmie Scwinn lending some credibility to the program.
facebook.com/jimmie.schwinn
linkedin.com/in/jimmieschwinn
programreview.com/jimmie-schwinn.html
From the third source:
LinkedIn had 2 company names listed for Jimmie Schwinn:
Monitium Global
Next Evolution Technologies
I also found a David Riklan in the initial search, but it’s impossible to interpret his role in the notes I made.
selfgrowth.com/experts/david_riklan.html
I checked nvsos.gov/sosentitysearch/ for details:
SUMMARY
SMART MEDIA TECNOLOGIES doesn’t exist in Nevada Company Registry
* SMART MEDIA LLC is the main company
* AUTOMATED GEEK, LLC – same filenumbers as Smart Media
* AUTOMATIC GEEK is a tradename
* TECH SERVICE INNOVATIONS, LLC is applicant for the tradename
* ACACIA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS is registered agent, and officers
* DAVID MARTIN is most probably a fake name for the CEO
WHOIS
FROM SMT’S OWN WEBSITE:
(Most of the PDFs are similar to each others)
And that was all.
A total scam, always adpoting the same tactics under various names ! Common theme, get people excited with products in the pipeline ….. then change the goalposts & why is it always in beta test mode David???
He uses the name David Martin to make you think he is someone else, like the David Martin from a company called funnily enough Smart Media, who are a proper & successful company who invented the ‘whiteboard’, or the David Martin he pretends to be who has designed and developed banking platforms & digital banking security systems since 1998.
The name of the person who signs the cheques is a fraudster Shelley B Olsen ….. her and her husband have been convicted of money laundering & charged by the authorities !!!
If you are part of this company, get out now ….. IT IS A SCAM !!!
The David Martin who says he is David martin has this web site
securetransactionsystems.com
So is this business genuine or another fake lead for this person called David Martin CEO of Smart Media who only a select few can contact.
Many thanks
Hey Anyone,
Can you assist us here with our above question. Appreciated the review and think it accurate but need to determine whether what has been said about David Martin is correct or not. No one will give us contact details for him be it email address or phone numbers.
In the end all we are trying to do is verify the information given on this page about him and not being from the USA we are looking for assistance to do.
One of the leaders in Smart Media when sent this link just glossed over what was on this page by saying that there is a lot of false information on the Internet about Smart Media because of the nature of its business.
Many thanks
Ask them for specifics on what is false.
Asking them about David Martin would probably also be your best bet.
Hey OZ
I wrote this to a NZ Leader:
Here is his answer:
SO how can I progress determining the identity of David Martin as the only authorised officer of the company Ken Brough will no longer communicate with me, nor will any of the leaders.
Really need some help OZ.
Many thanks
Can you get company records from Nevada? Some states charge a fee for reports but the information is usually publicly available?
Getting blackballed you when you put down the koolaid and start to ask questions should raise alarm bells.
We got all that but only shows us his name, no contact details at all.
I agree with you on that simply asking questions gets you blackballed from them communicating with you raises alarm bells.
At this stage though I simply want to verify who David Martin is and if in fact he is David martin and not David Finn as has been written here.
I would also like to be able to talk to him direct in a way I can see who he is and ask him all my questions and ask him to prove himself.
It is real simple stuff to prove who you are and that you have all the experience you say you have. Hiding and not giving out contact details only serves to set off the alarm bells as you say.
Don’t care what they try to do to me, it is about others who have joined and struggling to earn anything and yet continue to pay their monthly fee.
I have email the Governor of Nevada asking for the states help, but not sure how that will go. Think I actually need someone in Nevada to be the person on the ground and follow things up to see if we can actually find this person called David Martin.
Address of Suite 888 used to belong to attorney by the name of Steven F. Strucker, who had since moved, apparently. He was involved somehow in the “Liftetime Capital” case that was forced into receivership. According to his own linkedIn page, he’s probably their registration agent.
So that’s a deadend.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/steven-stucker/7/416/bb7
Unless you have a proven photo or some detail contact info, there to no way to verify this “David Martin” is who he say he is.
Hey K Chang
The only pictures we have of him are on this page.
nzcid.yobsncentre.com/#about-us
He is the one listed as CEO. As you say it is not proven at all.
But have sent a request to the Governor of the State of Nevada to seek assistance in this matter. Other than that I hoping some soul in Nevada who has heart for this sort of investigation would be willing to help me and some others in this matter.
Appreciate your research about the Steven F Strucker. I have sent him a LinkedIN message. I see if he replies.
I continue posting on my efforts on the issues with this company till it resolves itself one way or the other.
I am not finding ANYTHING with that photo. ALL references to David Martin and that photo are just copies of the same page.
Here is one lead though. The VP, Ken Brough? He’s on LinkedIn. And his resume lists no Smart Media or YOBSN.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ken-brough/7/a84/8ba
If you reach him and he replies, maybe he can tell you if he knows David Martin.
Oh, and try to find a phone number and CALL HIM rather than email from LinkedIn. The LinkedIn profile can be a fake puppet account to deflect investigators like us. Try Whitepages or company listing in that city/state.
Hey K Chang
Mr Brough has never replied to a request from another member for contact details of David Martin, phone and email. Also what is the physical address of Smart Media LLC so any correspondence could be sent there.
Mr Brough has told me personally he will not communicate with me anymore and I am still a member of Smart Media.
When you start asking questions as a member it becomes all out attack on you and results in leaders in Smart Media and the authorised officers of the company emailing back saying they wont communicate with you anymore.
So they close the door and hope you go away and not bother them anymore.
When you said Brough told you personally… Do you mean you talked to him face to face, through phone, or received an email from an account with his name on it?
Keep in mind that unless you talked with a person on the phone, I highly suspect you’ve been talking to puppet personalities through email (unless proven otherwise).
Which is why I recommend finding his current company’s phone number, and call them directly.
This where things start moving into the area of personal responsibility.
As Oz so often says in his reviews, two of the major red flags are companies which refuse to release details of a) their physical location and b) who is behind them.
And of course, the third red flag is they get awfully defensive when you ask for them.
@The Traveller
Don’t pay too much attention to the David Martin / David Finn issue. That part of the information was rather vague and unverified.
The current YOBSN seems to be focusing on attracting free members rather than building a network, according to a 102 minutes video with Ken Brough shot in Kuala Lumpur in January 2014.
youtube.com/watch?v=C-Ls6hm56pA
Or actually, it’s trying to sell people the IDEA that it’s focusing on free members, but in reality it’s still selling opportunities. The combination MLM + Social network has never been a good idea, it will normally fail to attract ordinary users.
It’s selling people the DREAM of “have your own income generator”, “just plug it into the internet and start to make money”, “just build up a foundation of free users”, “the system itself will attract new users”.
It’s like any other “plug it into the internet” ideas. Most of the revenue probably comes from people buying into the opportunity itself.
Hey M Norway
Thanks for your thoughts.
For me and others David Martin / David Finn is important as we are being blocked in every way from talking to him direct. He is mister invisible and only a select number of people have direct access to him.
We have always been told because his other company that supplies Internet Security services to the banking industry he prefers to remain in the background. Yet as above which is referenced their is a web site that purports to be a business of his, so on Internet he is clearly visible.
In the end it does not make any sense why we cannot talk to him direct, does not make any sense why as members cannot have contact numbers and email address and the physical address of his company.
In relation to this I have emailed the office of the governor of Nevada outlining the issues asking them if they are able to assist in this matter as the company is registered in their state.
Have a look at this video on their marketing site. Though this a members demo account these sites are live for all members. It is only 6 minutes long.
demo.goyobsn.com/
They are aimed at getting people to purchase their packages.
Also note in that video they are purporting that you can make money from features that are not even active inside their platform called YOBSN. So the video advertisement is totally misleading and would breach many countries laws in regards to advertising standards.
Lastly, yes you are right, most of the revenue is coming from people buying into the opportunity itself. Again unverified information that Malaysia last months did 45 million in sales. That information came from a leader but with no verification, no proof.
It was said in the meaning of “it’s not VERIFIED”. David Martin may be his real name, or it may be an alias.
I checked SMT / Home Page Pay / Automatic Geek etc. in March 2012, when a forum spammer posted something. I found some signs indicating that David Martin was an alias, but I also found the opposite.
The video crashed when I tried to watch it, and didn’t work when I tried to reload the page. But I got the idea anyway from the website.
“LOOKALIKE”
You have a publicly traded Canadian company “Smart Technologies” headed by a David Martin, with 1700 employees.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Technologies
It’s probably a different company. SMT seems to be trying to “look like” that company = relatively similar name, similar name for CEO, “Computer technology and computer software”.
The Canadian company was one of the reasons for why I believed David Martin was an alias. Another reason was the focus they had on him in presentations. He was ALWAYS presented by name, but you NEVER saw him. It was repeated over and over again that David Martin was the CEO.
SELLING DREAMS
SMT and related trade names seems to have been selling DREAMS for several years, the same types of concepts repeated over and over again = some type of program or website you can plug into the internet and it will start making money. “Just share it with others”.
Generally, the David Martin trail didn’t lead anywhere. It only led to confusing information. That’s why I focused on Jimmie Schwinn when I tried to check it in 2012.
Ken Broough seems to be a “rent a COO”, if I have identified him correctly. I found one Ken Brough that potentially can be him, a CEO of “COO Outsourcing Group”.
linkedin.com/pub/ken-brough/7/a84/8ba
The disabled link is about that I’m trying to avoid moderation queue.
Hey M Norway.
Great information – many thanks.
In relation to his identity I am following the road of asking assistance from the state of Nevada on the grounds that it is being purported across internet David Martin is an alias not his real name and we need to confirm whether this is the case as there may be fraudulent behavior occurring by this person using Smart Media as a front.
I will see what happens with this line of inquiry. There are some others I can follow but I will take one step at a time.
LOOKALIKE
Yes this company comes up all the time when searching Smart Media and is completely different and the CEO is highly visible and traceable but looks nothing like the photos of our David Martin.
BUT I acknowledge this is a favorite trick of people setting out to skim people’s pockets with a half completed project. Link your business to a highly successful company and CEO in name and other ways so people associate them as one.
Yes I never actually seen David Martin and it would be the same for most members. They would of seen Ken Brough but never David Martin or whoever. Again a favorite trick of people setting out to skim peoples pockets. Never let you see them but keep repeating the name over and over so that in the end you associate it with the reputable company and its CEO.
Ken Brough.
The link you have given is one and same person. That’s the Ken Brough involved in Smart Media with the title of COO.
Thanks for the link as I have bookmarked it for future reference.
I really appreciate all the information being given here and will refer others to it for their knowledge.
I will just keep walking and see what happens as I got time on my side and if this is a dubious business then it will come out whether they like it or not.
We have kept all communications with these leaders and the company so we have solid facts which perhaps were missing in the past.
Our David Martin or whoever he is cannot hide forever though he may think he can.
Again thanks.
That’s probably a wise decision. I only used information available on the internet when I checked SMT / David Martin, and that didn’t lead anywhere.
I will need to refresh/update my memory before I can add anything more, e.g. by checking the links in post #8.
The opportunities I know about:
* Automatic Geek
* Smart Media Bar (Jimmie Schwinn?)
* Home Page Pays (Jimmie Schwinn visible)
* YOBSN (Ken Brough visible)
“Jimmie Schwinn visible” simply means that he had some video presentations “on behalf of his good friend David Martin, CEO of Smart Media Technologies”. But anyone can act as a good friend if you pay them.
What this is reminiscent of is Profitable Sunrise. Nobody had seen the head, some insiders claimed to have talked to him. Even law enforcement believes this is a made-up personality.
They have had a different address, 701 North Green Valley Parkway, Suites 200 & 211, Henderson, Nevada 89074,
But that’s a Regus virtual office.
http://www.regus.com/office-space/united-states/nevada/henderson
I found a dozen different businesses that used that office. #200 is the “main office” (the default suite number if you don’t pay for a dedicated “office”).
I found something interesting. It may be a coincidence, but someone else can follow it for a while. I found a
AUTOMATIC-GEEK MARKETING SERVICES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED
http://corporatedir.com/company/automatic-geek-marketing-services-india-private-limited
Founded Feb 2010.
Its heads are ” Sasalu Vishweshwarayya Sangamesh, Denise Driver”
And guess who else is associated with Smart Media Technologies? Denise Driver
facebook.com/SmartMediaTechnologiesHPP/posts/409880609061835
There’s even a DeniseDriver out of India on LinkedIn.
And this “internet PC support out of India” is a common scam theme making the rounds in recent years. They call you out of the blue claiming to be Microsoft that has detected errors on your PC, and they’ll fix it for you for a hefty fee.
Just saying.
It’s also quite interesting that the first guy who come to defend smart media tech here had use an India-sounding name…
Found a different post that says “Denise Driver” is Asia-Pacific head of Smart Media… and specifically mentions David Martin, so it’s the same company.
http://www.facebook.com/mlmmalaysia/posts/402082083144085
Oh, and it seems the first defender, Madhu, is Madhu Sudhan who’s on Facebook as “Madhu Smartmedia”, and has youtube videos too.
Further search brought up “Andrew Eaton”, who managed to get interviewed on “Good Morning Africa” about Smart Media, and that should lead you to even more videos and compatriots, such as Greg Strachan.
@K Chang
Many thanks for your information. Lot of those people are just members, be they leaders and we hear of them and how well they are doing. Do not want to go down side roads, I will focus on seeing what the State of Nevada is prepared to do in this situation. I will also approach law enforcement authorities in my own country for guidance purposes.
If anyone has reported Smart Media LLC to authorities in their countries for fraudulent activity then I am happy to receive that information in confidence.
If anyone has absolute proof David Martin of Smart Media LLC is a false name then I am happy to view this information in confidence.
To date no leader we talked to is willing to give us contact details for this person called David Martin. Those that say they are in contact with him say they will pass on our requests and we never hear anything back.
If Smart Media LLC has already been reported to law enforcement authorities please give us this information so we can contact them direct as well.
Many thanks
I looked at their “magazine” and it was posted for free on “Issuu.com” and it’s basically one huge advertisement. None of the articles have an author and are essentially ad copies. One of the articles is likely ripped off from here:
http://www.viral-loop.com/the-future-of-education/
Though it was nicely cut, with some redundant verbiage and some pretty pictures and repackaged as “Edutainment Revolution”. Of course, none of the apps referred to seem to exist anywhere.
Sounds like this was Pre-Wazzub version of Wazzub.
There’s a good chance, as I said, that this is a pay-per-click scheme out of India doing a decent job of convincing people that it’s NOT out of India… Much like TVI Express claimed it’s actually a UK company.
I doubt you will find any “definitive proof” or “smoking gun” proof to satisfy once and for all is there a “David Martin”, unless you’re able to subpoena records or trace money paid to vendors and such.
Viral Loop is written by a “Bradley Slinger” out of South Africa, and he seem to have written at least two articles for that “Smart Media” magazine issue 1, even though he’s not credited
http://www.viral-loop.com/about/
So I have a feeling Andrew Eaton and the rest of people in South Africa are somehow pretty intimately involved in addition to that India connection I found earlier.
They may *say* they are leaders or members, but they may be actually “insiders” who know more than they are telling you.
As explained before, Tarun Trikha of TVI Express originally only claimed to be “first diamond distributor” and “advisory board member”. It’s only later that he came out and said he’s the CEO.
I have information pointing in the opposite direction, e.g. company registrations showing different David Martins in different positions in several different companies, dating many years back in time to the 1990-ies.
This David Martin MAYBE works as a company registration agent.
The information I have doesn’t lead to any RESULTS or CONCLUSIONS. It’s not worth spending too much time on it, but it should probably be added to your knowledge anyway.
Nevada Secretary of State = nvsos.gov/sosentitysearch/
You can search for “Business name” and other data, but I will add the most relevant details to save you some time.
Proposed search string:
“Smart Media” –> 12 hits, 3 hits are relevant.
* Smart Media LLC
* Smart Media Development, Inc.
* Learn Smart Media LLC
3 other companies to be found there:
* SOCIAL GAMING INC.
* SOCIAL VIDEO INC.
* SMART SOCIAL INC.
That’s what I have found so far.
David Martin, Randy Prince and Ken Brough are registered in management positions for most of the Smart Media companies.
David Martin and Randy Prince are registered in management positions for a few other companies too. But David Martin is a common name, so it can be different people.
Pauline Henneforth was only listed in a position for one company.
ADDITIONAL INFO
bizapedia.com/people/RANDY-PRINCE.html = a long list of companies where Randy Prince has been / is involved.
bizapedia.com/people/DAVID-MARTIN.html = the same type of list for David Martin. Note that most of them are different David Martin.
bizapedia.com/people/KEN-BROUGH.html = Ken Brough, involved in 4 companies.
bizapedia.com/addresses/4625-W-NEVSO-DRIVE-SUITES-23-LAS-VEGAS-NV-89103.html = 57 companies listed at the same address (registration agent address). Nothing of interest to be found there.
David Martin is probably an agent.
Randy Prince is probably an agent.
Ken Brough seems to be a “rent a COO”.
I agree with M_Norway about Randy Prince being a reg agent.
I did find ONE company using David Martin as reg agent, but that’s the only one, and one company “Social Revolution” that died back in 2011. The name had been trademarked by someone else, and there’s no other sign of “David Martin” as an agent.
corporationwiki.com/p/2bmv6s/david-martin
As Nevada also allows proxies to serve as officers, it’s basically one huge deadend.
Guys you are amazing and really helpful.
Some wows here: Especially in relation to Ken Brough that he is a director of three off shots of Smart Media LLC.
In relation to Smart Media LLC who then are the authorised offcers as it shows ACACIA Business Solutions as the manager of that company.
SMART MEDIA, LLC
E0677322008-7 (Entity number)
NV20081530407 (Nevada registration number)
10/29/2008 (first registered)
Manager – ACACIA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
Many thanks Ian
There are “aged” corporations that registration agencies build up and pay $$$ on every year that does no business. So going by the age doesn’t mean much in itself.
LLCs can name any one or any other legal entity (such as another company) as manager. In Nevada, they can also name proxies to the positions, I think. Unless you want to pay $$$ and get copies of all their corporate records there’s not much to go on.
I personally think there’s some sort of a connection between India, South Africa, and the US. As for what it is, I don’t have any ideas. But you can tell which area of the world it’s aimed at by who’s taking the lead in marketing, and when did they start.
I listed Smart Media LLC as “relevant” because I already had identified it in post #8, sharing the same document numbers as Automatic Geek.
The company registrations are typically a dead end road if you’re trying to identify the real people behind the opportunity. You will mostly find agents and virtual offices.
The information has more value as part of an overview than as details, e.g. knowing where to find info and what to find there can have some usefulness, but the information itself may be a dead end.
Ken Brough was leased as a COO in April 2013. I found a press release about it.
For him you will find the 102 minute video where he clearly are focusing on attracting free users, where he specifically are warning people against being too focused on recruitment.
SUMMARY
I have found and can find much information, but the details don’t have much value in themselves.
Maybe it will be easier if you describe the problem differently?
Your initial description goes like this:
You have tried to get in contact with David Martin, for a refund or a complaint or something?
We have identified YOBSN to be about “selling the dream” = recruiting people into a home based business opportunity that doesn’t work in reality (the combination of recruitment driven opportunity and social network doesn’t work very well).
We have no conclusive information about David Martin, e.g. whether he’s an agent or a company owner, an alias or a real person, the right owner or a front figure. But that trail doesn’t seem to lead to anything useful.
We’re an MLM review site, primarily focusing on factual information (rather than marketing language). We don’t specialise on exposing scams, but on reporting and sharing relevant information about the companies or opportunities reviewed.
“Relevance” is about “of general interest”, e.g. the type of information people can be expected to look for when searching the internet, regardless of whether they want to join something or avoid it. That’s why I posted only some limited company info, but I identified WHERE to find it and identified the lack of usefulness.
From my viewpoint, your initial idea “find David Martin” won’t lead to any useful results. You shouldn’t focus all your efforts on that idea, but rather try to find alternative methods and solutions. That’s from a neutral point of view.
@The Traveller
Smart Media Technologies can seem to originate from New Zealand, only pretending to be a US based company
I tried to google “Smart Media Technologies New Zealand”, and I got many more hits there than for any searches in the US.
I found a company registration, but the company is now INACTIVE. It was registered in 2003.
http://nz-companies.com/smart-media-technologies-limited.526139.company#top_info
I also found some slideshare.net marketing for “Home Page Pays”, clearly showing the “packages”. YOBSN is simply a new name for the same thing. Example:
slideshare.net/homepagepays/smart-media-technologies-magazine-business-opportunity-home-page-pays-social-site
The “Revenue share” slideshare had more details about the recruitment system, but I’m only linking to the first example I found.
Income calculator shows how most of the money is being generated from building an active downline.
pdh.smartmediatechnologies.com/index.php
Was hoping there was some updates? My partner just got “approached” in our small town and would like some ammo to scare them off..
Nothing on my end to report.
I suppose you could ask whether YOBSYN ever took off?
They’ve been touting it for a few years now. As at the time of publication, visits to YOBSYN are so few that Alexa doesn’t even rank the domain.
The best idea is to try to add some factual info yourself, if you have some. Last time I posted was in March 2014, but then I focused mostly on what The Traveller asked about (David Martin etc.).
Post #2 is from a promoter. It shows the idea people are misled to believe in. They want to be the “smart ones”, “the ones who saw the potential in personally branded Social Media”, “the ones who bought in early enough to make a fortune”. “The others are just dream stealers, not smart enough to see the potential”.
I don’t believe your friend will need any ammo. It’s enough to say that he’s not attracted to that idea, “it doesn’t seem to work”.
If he want any ammo, he can simply ask about how many free users the person trying to recruit him has, and how much income those free users are generating. Specifically ask them to separate between free users and affiliates.
Factual questions like that will scare most promoters away. But he should also offer a way out of it, “let the promoter escape from the sales meeting”.
To the ‘Traveler’ (Post #13 etc.) and others reading this.
I am the NZ leader referred to in this nonsense. You know very well why I and the management of Smart Media refused to communicate with you.
Your ridiculous assertions and arrogant behaviour alienated you from everyone which of course led to you being ejected from the company. Why on earth should anyone put up with your attitude and unwillingness to listen or take advice.
We were offering advice and answers to your questions but you were intent on believing only what you wanted to believe.
It is not surprising to see you going into places like this to offer your so called ‘wealth of your knowledge’ and comments about SM and management. Is this your ‘retribution’ for being kicked out of the company?
The internet is full of misinformation, outdated and even dishonest information about Smart Media and David Martin.
There are several high profile David Martins in the IT industry and another company with a similar name. I have come across a number of people who mistook the wrong David Martin with the wrong company and vice versa.
David and his team of programmers have been responsible for secure banking platforms for some 15 years already.
Do you seriously think allowing personal information about himself to be released online for the world to see is a good business move.
It places a huge target on his back for hackers and scammers wanting to access his security systems. The banks and other security sensitive companies he has consulted to would not be impressed and would be disastrous for his business.
It is far too easy for uninformed, negative minded people and in particular those with an ‘axe to grind’ to throw around comments like those you have placed here to somehow hurt this company.
Who is scamming who here!!! I call it dream stealing. Taking away the potential for others to make a genuine positive difference in their lives.
The evidence is available in abundance for anyone who wants to see if this company is for real. Unfortunately so many people go looking in the wrong places instead of going to the company websites and trying Yobsn out for themselves.
The first of the Yobsn games has already been approved and released onto the Apple App shop. The Google App shop release will happen shortly as well. Apple and Google do not deal with scam company’s I think they are intelligent enough to recognize one would you not agree?
There have extremely strict requirements that must be met to get any App, Game etc. into the App stores and SM with Yobsn have met those.
The biggest evidence is in the working systems already. Membership is FREE. No one is compelled to spend any money whatsoever. ONLY those who wish to share in the revenues and make it a business for themselves have to purchase anything. This is a business!!
Anyone who says you don’t have to pay much or anything and you just join and get paid by doing little or no work ARE SCAMMING YOU. STAY CLEAR OF THEM.
Make you own mind up but at least have the intelligence to not just take the word of people (online in particular) whom you have never met to decide your next move. Get the facts from the sites and try the free Yobsn system and see what it offers.
This company is a Technology development company that has decided to share the revenue with ALL its free and business members. In fact the streams of income have just expanded this week.
It takes an enormous amount of time, money and expertise to put something that not even the Googles, Facebook’s of this world have done. It doesn’t happen overnight and anyone thinking it should are delusional.
We are still in the early stages with Yobsn BUT it is already far ahead of any other Free members/Users system online today.
Bryan Williams
@M.Norway
Smart Media Technologies is not a NZ company. Never been registered here. You have the wrong company.
If you email the office of the State of Nevada and request confirmation of Smart Media LLC as being registered there and its status you will get confirmation of its existence and standing.
Social Networking, Inc., with U.S.headquarters incorporation in the State of Nevada, is a technology company that shares its revenues through its International Network of YOBSN Owners in over 140 countries.
While Social Networking, Inc. and its subsidiary, Smart Media LLC, have “brick and mortar” offices in several countries, the company is, by design, virtual in its operations.
Every level of the company allows its Excutives, employees and contractors to work from their homes, just as it provides the means with its products and business model, for YOBSN Owners all over the world to do the same.
Hopes this helps.
Lol, that’s one of the more lengthy excuses I’ve seen for MLM owners not to publish an accurate bio. There’s no excuse for withholding this information from prospective affiliates when it comes to an MLM opportunity, none.
Call it what you want. All I see is promises and people being made to pump money into the company in the meantime.
Getting app approval != dealing with the company who licensed someone else to write an app. Legitimacy by implied endorsement, non-existent implied endorsement at that, won’t get you very far.
Forcing your affiliates to purchase anything is a no-no in MLM. It drags the opportunity into pay to play territory.
Right. Four years on and you’re still in the “early stages” of Yobsn? Pull the other one.
Facebook is free. So is Twitter. So is Google Plus, and as crappy as it is – it’s still more popular than Yobsn.
Yobsn is far ahead of nothing.
What exactly are you selling to retail customers again?
@ Bryan Williams
I don’t know … when I look at this page:
joinyobsn.com/informationhub.html
with its numerous references to “unlimited income” and graphics of stacks currency, generic “Ponzi scheme” just popped into my mind.
Is “Making money easily” available to free members or do you need to pay to play?
If you do need to “pay to play”, why is this? If I, as a free member, refer people who spend money on games, why do I need to pay a monthly fee before receiving a cut of what those members have spent?
Also, for this page:
topteam.yobsn.com/?m=join-free-extended
how many games are currently available for the referenced “millions of members” to play?
Thanks.
Hi.
Thanks for asking some good questions. It’s frankly refreshing after some of the stuff that gets posted. I have a high sense of fair play and it make my blood boil when I see some ridiculous comments posted. Anyway, enough of that.
Firstly, free members don’t pay to use Yobsn. It’s no different to using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube etc. The free members/ users of those companies don’t pay – neither do our free members.
The only people who pay anything are those who want to avail of the business opportunity. Image if FB. Google etc. said you could become a business member with their company and share in the revenue they make.
Have they done that? No and are highly unlikely to do so. They are not set up to share out their revenues with their users etc.
Smart Media spent several years coming up with a purpose designed and built system to do exactly that. Some people think that putting something like this together is simple and would cost much. If it were, someone would have already done it. The fact is no one has. Well, someone has to be the first – SM is that company.
The first website you went to is an information site that talks predominantly about the Business opportunity. That is not an official company website. It was put together by the top leaders to supplement the official SM websites.
So much has been happening recently with a upgrades to Yobsn and its systems, the new Yobsn Mobile and other products that the company is in the process of updating its websites etc.
I’ll give you links to the other websites at the end of this email. Free members share in the revenues in other ways e.g. Social points (A form of currency within the Yobsn community), prizes etc. plus access to a lot of valuable free resources.
All the Yobsn games are developed by SM themselves. There are currently 7 games on the Yobsn Web version (Computer/ Laptop) and we have the Yobsn Mobile App and the Mobile versions of these games already submitted to Apple for release in the Apple App store.
The first of these new generation games has already been accepted and released into the Apple App store last week. The Google App store will follow shortly.
There is a massive amount of work that had to be done and requirements complied with just to have Apps, games etc. accepted onto these mobile platforms. People don’t have any idea what it takes.
The second is a free member registration page for the Yobsn Owner who posted that link. As Yobsn owners we can do what Facebook and other social networks do – have our own branded social network in which we can brand and advertise any business, not necessarily Yobsn either, to all your own data base of free members AND get paid.
It’s like owning your own piece of FB and sharing in the revenues generated through it. It a total paradigm shift in what we can now do online.
The internet today is rife with hacking, identity fraud, spam, virus transmission, poor performing communications systems like email where approx. only 60% of legitimate emails get through. An appalling success rate and getting worse. Who have successfully addressed these issues? None of the current crop of mega giants.
They have just patched up their systems but the systems CODE they’ve all been using is old and flawed. That’s one of the reasons they have these same issues.
They operate in a Open environment. Yobsn is a ‘Closed’ system that has been purpose built from the basic CODE up with all the security systems embedded into it.
No one else that I’m aware of, has done that. Smart Media has already created a number of Internet industry firsts in it business model, compensation plan for the business members, rewarding the free members, the complete social integration of all Yobsn’s systems and products, Gaming prizes, our soon to be released Global shopping experience system unlike anything the world has seen and a lot more.
All this has been done and financed completely in house by Smart Media themselves. We own everything you see in Yobsn as well as the complete Business Back office system (The best I’ve ever seen after 20 years in the Networking industry), websites etc.
(Ozedit: recruitment spam removed)
Like all the Facebooks and Googles online today, they all copped resistance and rejection. People are generally negative towards anything new. We have even encountered Professional jealousy within the IT industry. We expect it.
Consider this – “All truth passes through 3 stages. Firstly it is ridiculed, secondly it is violently opposed and finally it becomes self-evident.” Arthur Schopenhauer. We’re going through this now.
Smart Media has a proven track record in this business going back to 2009 when it opened its doors for business. But it had already been developing its business systems and products since 2007.
The parent company of SM, also foundered by our CEO, has been developing security technologies for the banking industry since 1998. The Banking industry does not go to any IT person to have their security done for them. They go to the best in the industry with a proven track record of performance. This is where SM has grown out from.
Hope this has been useful as you do your investigations. I do have other info I could send you but just ask if you want more.
Thanks again for asking the questions and not just assuming or taking the word of others out there – even me. You need to make up your own mind and that is all we and Smart Media have ever asked for anyone to do. But get the right info to base it on.
Thanks and regards.
Bryan Williams
Bloody hell, the marketing waffle is thick with this one.
Yo, chief you’ve been beaten to the punch both in the social network and app gaming niches. Neither have borne any fruit to date.
Facebook and Twitter et al succeeded because they brought something new to the social sphere of the internet. They were innovative.
Cloning Facebook and whacking a pay plan on it is not innovation. It’s been done before and doesn’t work. Free users have no interest in using a “me-too” network, as has been demonstrated time and time again with social network MLM launches.
And neither Facebook or Google faced ridicule or rejection, they were trailblazers which is precisely why the companies are where they are today. Any ridicule or rejection came after the fact. After they were successful.
The comparisons (legitimacy by association) are tired. Yobsn has filed to take off for the better part of half a decade and some me-too apps nobody but a few affiliates will use is not going to change that.
You want to impress us? Do it with results. Empty promises of what’s to come are just that.
And don’t even think about trying to embed another affiliate link in the hope I might miss it.
@Bryan Williams:
You are riding a dead horse. Take it or leave it.
7 free web games (WOW!), one of them on Apple App Store, prizes (What kind of prizes? Some stock swept out garbage?) for free members does not make it any better.
Wazzub, SiteTalk, TalkFusion 3D video Wall, Nameee/Okeee… to name a few of paid and failed MLM based social networks – where they are now? You will not be first nor last who failed at this segment.
If you want to have friends on social network or make business over social network – you have to go to the place where other internet users are.
@ Mr Czech and Oz.
Somehow I’m not surprised by your reply. Shows a total lack of vision, discernment and intelligence. Closed mindedness is a destructive force. One to keep away from. Thanks for showing your colors.
By the way My Czech most of those companies you mentioned were copycats of Smart Media’s product. We know that because their sales pitches, promises and even some graphics were virtually word for word what SM were already saying. SM has monitored all of them.
So, whats the difference? All those company’s were blowing hot air. They couldn’t produce the product because they didn’t have the expertise, the resources, the understanding and plan to implement the things they said they would.
Every one of them lasted no more than 6 to 18 months. Except for the copycats who have surfaced in the last few months. ALL of them have disappeared as you rightly said.
WELL, Smart Media is STILL HERE 5 years later getting stronger and it’s systems improving irrespective of the idiotic assertions coming from doubters.
What we have now if far advanced from what we had 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 years and even 6 months ago. THAT IS CALLED PROGRESS. Something you actually want to see in a company – growth.
I am amazed how some people seem to think that something has to be 100% complete before it’s released. 10 years down the track, Facebook is still evolving and some would say in ways that has not been appreciated by many of its members. Being static means theirs no progress and the future is limited. Businesses tend to go out of business doing that.
OK, Oz. we only have 7 games currently but they are only the start. I have already seen several more nearing completion. Games that are industry ‘Game changers’. Furthermore, at least SM owns and developed its games unlike FB who don’t. However, games are only one small part of the Yobsn system.
Well, it’s been an interesting exercise communicating with you people. Perhaps one day you might think back on this conversation realizing that perhaps what I was saying was true after all. But I won’t be holding my breath until then.
Good luck to you guys for whatever it is you’re searching for.
Cheers.
Lol, cuz doing the same thing other companies have done before you will yield different results… right?
Ah. I see we have a disciple of the cult of MLM positivity. Well, YOBSYN has achieved precisely dick in the last five years (charging suckers along the way), here’s to another five!
If I had a dollar…
People don’t join social networks for games.
See you in another five years. Or whenever YOBSYN decides to “me-too” another trend a few years too late.
You got to be kidding me Oz. “People don’t join social networks to play games!!!” 50% of people who use Facebook go there to play the games. Your lack of knowledge of that industry is showing through.
Again, making comments on something you clearly have never seen or used is foolish.
Tell me a company who has brought together opportunities for their users to share in the revenue generated from the biggest trends online today – NONE. Smart Media have and our members are benefiting already from it.
Look forward to catching up in another 5 years – feel free to connect earlier if you wish.
Cheers.
He probably meant “people doesn’t join social networks primarily to play games”. If I ask 100 different people, most of them will give some other reasons for why they have joined a social network. “Playing games” will not be on top of that list of answers.
“People don’t go to bars or night clubs to drink alcohol” may be true even if most of the guests actually are buying something to drink. “People go out to meet other people” is probably closer to the truth than “people go out to buy something to drink”.
FREE USERS
How many free members do you have in your team? When I checked one of the signup pages (joinyobsn.com or something), the free membership was presented as “Try it before you buy it”. It didn’t actually try to attract free members other than for recruitment purposes.
The Free Membership I looked at could be compared to a “feeder program” for the opportunity. We will detect factors like that, but I’m not sure the people buying into the program will detect it (they may see it as an opportunity to look closer at the program).
HOME PAGE PAYS
I have also looked at the official marketing videos. I looked at one where they presented the compensation plan. It used the presentation from Home Page Pays, only the video title had been updated to YOBSN.
That means the business model has been built up around a compensation plan, and they can replace or rename the products without having to change anything in the compensation plan (or in the presentations).
That might be, but they didn’t join Facebook to play games.
The only one foolish here is you. If you want to quote statistics provide a source.
Social networks and gaming apps are not trends. They’ve been around for years. You’re “me-too” network is way too late to the game and offers nothing new.
YOBSN will always be just another affiliates only MLM social network riddled with opportunity spam.
Why then, has the CEO never appeared in any webinars or websites? There is only ever one photo published over four years?
I’m sorry, but this stinks of pyramid with somne “free stuff” thrown in. Everyone has the same defensive argument and nobody can admit that the CEO is a fraud and nobody has ever seen him…
Also interesting in this country the only people seem to be peddling it are 50+ with no IT industry experience…
They’re the easiest demographic to sell the “we’ll be the next Facebook!” dream to.
They have vision. It just doesn’t match yours. That’s an ad hominem. -1 for you right there.
Closed minded is closed to new evidence and refuse to change mind even if sufficient evidence is shown. You haven’t shown us any evidence, merely your assertions. Another -1 for you.
Appeal to age fallacy, another -1 for you.
Took you 6 years to release 7 games? I think I saw 7 release last week alone. 😀
I wouldn’t hold my breath since you’re probably never coming back, and you’ll be off claiming “victory” over the “unbelievers”. You may want to look up “pigeon chess”.
Older people think more positively based on many psychological research. They are also more self-assured of their experience and their judgment. Thus, they are often considered vulnerable population.
There are some jurisdictions with mandatory sentence enhancements for defrauding seniors, but usually you have to be in the 60’s to be called a senior by law.
I found a YOBSN thread on the MMG forum …
* Initial post December 16 2013 (no replies)
* 1 post July 25 2014 (no replies)
Posted in the “Hybrid Programs” cathegory (same cathegory used by Zeek, TelexFree, etc.).
This link isn’t of any interest for anyone, except those who want to avoid doing similar marketing mistakes.
NOLINK://www.moneymakergroup.com/Yobsn-Yobsncom-t462231.html
Specific problem:
* The message in the initial post doesn’t match the forum cathegory. It focused on “recruit free members”, while the people browsing through that cathegory are looking for quite different opportunities.
* Initial post is probably copied from some marketing material. People browsing through that cathegory are looking for something quite different, they’re usually looking for a quick overview and some “bottom lines”.
People using the internet will generally not look for “marketing BS” with very little substance. The ones who do that are the people who already have joined.
The second poster:
The second poster was clearly more experienced, e.g. he opened with “I AM NOT THE ADMIN”, “YOBSN Beta, Launching soon!” and actually tried to give a quick overview, making it look more similar to the other opportunities in the same cathegory.
I don’t use that type of “LAUNCHING SOON!” marketing statements myself, so I have no idea whether it’s “right or wrong method”. Marketing use different ideas than sales, e.g. more “bold statements”.
The second poster probably tried to correct the problem. That’s fair enough, the only problem is the dates.
* December 2013: presented as “up and running”
* July 2014: presented as “Beta. Launching soon. Get in early!”
The “launching soon” message looks less believable when people clearly can see that it has been promoted 7 months earlier without any success. It may still work, but experienced ones will probably see the first post as a red flag, “a failed program trying to relaunch”.
SUMMARY
The number of replies indirectly tell something about the momentum, i.e. this post may be relevant for some people. Even experienced ones seems to have problem getting people interested.
I focused primarily on “What is the message?” in both posts. The first one had multiple issues, it simply didn’t reflect what people normally will be looking for in that forum cathegory.
The second one didn’t fully correct that problem. The interesting point was that he tried to make the program look more similar to other programs presented in the same forum cathegory. One problem is that he didn’t correct his own “marketing habits” (e.g. “Launching soon”).
Hi there! Great info here about smart media…are there any new updates?
I am being recruited for this YOBSN thing and I specifically shared your site and the recruiter simply claimed that you guys certainly don’t know what you are talking about…further adding that you guys were a bunch of smart media members who didn’t earn money from it…
To which i thought, if it’s really a legit business, how can one not earn? right?
I think if you can’t get an answer as to specifically what us guys are wrong about, there’s your answer.
You might also ask them that since YOBSN (and every other MLM social network) has thus far failed to gain traction, what makes them think it’s going to be any different going forward.
And that’s just clutching at straws…
Pretty common claim directed towards anyone who provides an objective analysis of MLM or “make money online” scams.
It’s just “jealousy”, “failure”, “laziness”, etc. … whatever the scam promoter thinks might distract the mark from the reality and inveigle them into the scheme.
Have to say though that many folks in legit business don’t earn … or don’t earn as much as they might have hoped. So “legit” doesn’t always = “earn”.
But, unlike most pyramid, Ponzi and “make money online” schemes, a person that works hard at a legit business at least has a chance of earning … without having to lie through their teeth to suck money out of the desperate.
A typical “bull****” response, i.e. they know something you don’t (why we’re wrong), but they aren’t sharing. They simply say “trust me”. Why should you?
Next they “assumed”, thus making an “ass” out of “u” and… well, them.
Greetings and please accept my apologies for not coming back here and posting a update.
Surprised to see Mr B Williams come here and post his “words” and that is all they are words with no meaning or weight.
Yes he was the one I sent that email to and you can see his reply, he twisted what I said and would no longer communicate with me.
So beware, if you want to do some due diligence and get down to the identity of David Martin is, who only a very few have actually seen either in the flesh or by some other electronic means you may well end up in the same boat I found myself in, that no one in the management of the company would talk to me.
What happened shortly after that was another smart media representative rang me and ask me to check if I could still access my YOBSN system. To my surprise I found I could not and so via the back office system I logged a support ticket.
Eventually I got this reply, ” Dear Sir, It has been determined that your presence in the YOBSN community represents a deleterious (means destructive) influence on the community in general and the social networking operations specifically.
We have decided to take the rare but necessary step of eliminating your access to our community. We will be refunding all transactions back to your credit card on file asap.
You are heretofore a persona non gratis in the YOBSN community and all access is denied from this date henceforth. Any attempt to re-engage or to enter the community will either be viewed as illegal intrusion or an attempt to commit fraud. Best regards, YOBSN Team ”
Eventually they DID REFUND my initial $400 USD payment and all the $30.00 month payments made to the company. Part of this process was they were informed if they failed to live up to what they had written and I would lodge a personal claim in our NZ small claims court against all the leaders in NZ for all the money I had paid to this company.
There was no explanation other that what they wrote above why I was locked out of their system and legal advice tells me they breached their own terms and conditions by adopting this approach but for me in NZ it would be hard to sue them so I accepted their refund with no conditions and have gone my own way.
Before this happened though I had screens of communication with the CEO of SM which is all recorded in writing. I never asked for a refund they forced it upon me and I made sure they held to their promise.
The team here helped me along the way in doing my research and investigation into this company called Smart Media.
All the research was all put into a pdf document along with all the conversations I have had with the CEO via email and via the YOBSN system and back office so it became quite extensive.
Never released this document publicly as I would have to get legal advice before I did that not that I have anything to hide on this matter at all.
I also have on file Mr B Williams review on the company, which is great but it did not delve far enough and that is the road I walked and it appeared people in SM management did appear to like it at all.
SM is not a NZ company it is registered in Nevada it uses front offices out of Nevada which in that state is perfectly legal but as it is pointed out here it becomes a nightmare to try and actually get to the real people behind the scenes.
To finalize this follow up I can tell you all I lodged a formal complaint with the Commerce Commission in New Zealand and one with the equivalent in the State of Nevada.
I followed up with the NZ Commerce Commission twice and each time was told my complaints about this company and its behavior and the people in New Zealand is still under investigation.
I have heard only once from the state of Nevada to say my formal complaint forwarded your complaint to our Secretary of State’s office because they investigate investment and securities fraud.
In reality and reading between the lines with ComCom in NZ they are overloaded with other cases and my complaint may be sitting there for quite a while.
I am also aware that another ex Smart Media participate has lodged their own complaint and asked it read with my one here in NZ.
My personal advice from REAL experience with the company and its management is to stay well clear and not waste your money no matter what fancy words Mr B Williams or any other persona my tell you.
Patrick Pretty is reporting Bangalore police have announced on their Facebook page they have arrested 3 Indian nationals and a New Zealand woman, alleging Smart Media Technologies / YOSBN is an MLM fraud and pyramid scheme
Bangalore police Facebook page: NOLINK: facebook.com/blrcitypolice/posts/877549148946516
Patrick Pretty story: NOLINK: http://patrickpretty.com/2014/12/04/4-people-arrested-your-own-branded-social-network-yobsn-was-mlm-fraud-and-pyramid-with-u-s-webhost-indian-police-say/
Bloody hell.
I’m down with a cold. Got a few updates from Don to go over and now this.
Stay tuned while I get through it all. Having a hard time concentrating on anything for too long as I get a headache.
Greetings All
Well looks like India authorities have recognized Smartmedia LLC for what it is:
Headline in our NZ Herald:
Kiwi woman arrested, accused of involvement in India ponzi scheme
Photos of a woman and other Indian men with a YOBSN banner and material.
Link here: nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11370557
Only was a matter of time before someone else complained about Smartmedia LLC and the way it operates.
Whoever it was – thank you, thank you. I have fowarded the article link to NZ Com Com and asking what has happened to my complaint here in New Zealand.
@Ian
See here: https://behindmlm.com/companies/smart-media-technologies-pyramid-busted-in-bangalore/
Thanks Oz and I have posted a comment there as well. Thanks for keeping the site up to-date with whats happening.
hmm hello guys.. im from Malaysia. Im now just 18 years old kid who doing this business too. Sorry my language not that good.
okay here is my question.. how can i reclaimed my money back because im just 18, not that matured to make a complaint because i will be facing a huge people of YOBSN member.
From this website i get to know that im into a scam bisness. i want to stop it but i the problem is i had invested a big money in this bisness.
In this previus reply by one person has get back his money. So im seeking help from you guys how can i get back my investment.
And a very big thanks for guys to informed me that this bisness if a fraud. Im hoping for a positive reply from you guys.
This is an Update from New Zealand…
Hearsay Information Only:
Was verbally informed that two New Zealand Leaders have taken their teams to FourConers MLM informing their teams to stop paying the monthly fee to Smart Media.
Another leader out of Auckland has stopped doing Smart Media herself and told her team it is up to them whether they stay in Smart Media or not. But she is no longer paying her monthly fee and not actively marketing Smart Media.
One of the leaders who allegedly has taken this action has commented on this thread. If that is the case then that speaks volumes.
If indeed this has happened then Smart Media in New Zealand has collapsed or is collapsing. Happy for anyone involved in Smart Media in New Zealand to post on this thread to refute the information like Mr Byran Williams.
Was also informed that someone who had direct access to David Martin is now accusing him of being a scammer and she has lost her reputation and lost a lot of money.
In her case it may very be a case of a scammer being scammed as there is some background to this lady with her involvement in other collapsed MLM’s.
Thanks for the update Ian. Sounds like they’re abandoning ship and swimming towards whatever reload schemes they can drag their downlines into.
No wonder why they are now operating here in the Philippines. hmmm..
Hey Masterpogi, thanks for the information.
Simply point people to this web site so they can investigate the program fully so they can make an informed choice for themselves.
My understanding is they been in the Philippines for quite sometime as they have been in other countries.
hi, i’m from Malaysia and i knew this business ran at very high level.
I got sucked into this through my friend and believe me in Malaysia they conned a lot of people’s money few millions if not mistaken.
Now the issue is, when i tried to withdraw the so called affiliate income (just 100++ dollars), the payment not credited into my account, so when i contact the support office, the answer are always same.. “that they will check with their banking team” and this been dragged for 4 months and at 1 point they close my logged case ID without any solution.
Then i need to open a new case ID and follow up again, the same lady Rina Yabut again gave same excuse, so the updates from her was on 20 Aug 2015.
so now i wonder how to contact the next level if SMT claimed to be genuine company and not scammer.
What i get to know those the top leaders from Malaysia is no more with SMT business and i saw them heavily promoting other MLM on FB, when i tried reached them through FB they refuse to talk about SMT and instead try to brainwash me for their new MLM busisness.
Please DO NOT join this group of scammer….
Another cockroach that won’t die after getting an leg chopped. Primary perp and accomplices arrested and India base of operation was smashed in 2014. And it’s STILL recruiting through “local” downlines elsewhere.
Somebody was tending the shop while Denise is away, eh?
behindmlm.com/companies/smart-media-technologies-pyramid-busted-in-bangalore/
How to contact YOBSN? What is the link for their “support ticket”?
The website is hopeless. Does not have Privacy Policy or Contact Us pages. This shows how amateur it is.
Please check out this latest one from David Martin and advice
Skills Dragon
From the Skills Dragon website:
From a Facebook pitch:
Two issues:
1. Cash + gaming = gaming license required. Smart Media Technologies don’t provide any such licenses on their website. (cue upload of gaming license in some backwater unregulated European country…)
2. Playing online games for cash isn’t a business opportunity. Presumably affiliates are charged fees and if that’s in any way commissionable, this is the same chain-recruitment with a new coat of paint.
Reads like scam word soup, and definitely not Western English, due to mixing adjectives and nouns, as well as fail to balance words. Brain training itself is a fading fad.
Lumosity got hit by FTC not too long ago for promising too much, I think. Yep, typical PR SEO-type word soup.
They now also appear to be involved in Bitcoin mining, selling expensive packages of $500 upwards to join. A new recruitment revenue stream?
how come i could not access anymore my account? i paid for it.
Andrew Ethan is working for David Martin he get paid to run Meeting in South Africa and they utilize the people who was in Yobsn Smart Media Technology to invest into the Bitcoin but thru Dragon esport paying $600, with a binary pay plan recruiting people it’s same as Smart Media and Yobsn…
Andrew Ethan, Tahir Hussain, Lothar Rapior, Ken Brought they are all part of David Martin Scams… they pay them to work for Him..
In video presentation of Bitcoin they calm to be around 8 years and lying thru there teeth. Tahir Hussain is the scammer for Malaysia and Andrew Ethan is for South Africa…..
South Africa and Malaysia are both hotbeds for MLM activity. Eaton and his team actively recruiting people to invest in Yobsn, skill dragon and dragon mine.
Not sure if any non members use any ot the products? Seems to be all about recruitment
I too feel that this Smart Media is a scam.. i have been trying to withdraw from my e-wallet but they have been giving me excuses after excuses.
The disclaimer states withdrawal takes 2-5 working days but for me it has been more than 3 weeks.
When they presented the business scheme, it was so impressive… no flaws and all smooth.. easy this and easy that. But now I have to like practically beg them for my withdrawal. WHAT NONSENSE!!
My amount is so small compare to others. Please be care full!! do be scammed!
I think this should be made a sticky and a new post should be started for “Skill Dragon” as Skill Dragon under the “leadership” of Andrew Eaton and Suzie Jenkins (listed on LinkedIn as very much involved with Smart Media Technologies) is very actively “recruiting” in South Africa.
Using references to people like Ken Brough and our old friend, David Martin (who is described by Andrew as a shy genius and someone that does not like to appear in public…), they are very much pushing the Bitcoin and Dragon mine angle while still leaning on the mobile gaming products as touted on the Skill Dragon web site.
Another name that pops up is Tony de Gouveia. Let’s share….
Skill Dragon was reviewed earlier this month – https://behindmlm.com/mlm-reviews/skill-dragon-review-smt-reboot-with-cryptocurrency-mining/
Greetings,
DENISE d/o DRIVER, 52 yrs, a NEW ZEALAND national.
I just received a call today from a friend about this lady and this story she was arrested in India.
Apparently she is in New Zealand and is apparently suing all the media outlets for the information disclosed about her arrest.
This apparently covers both newspapers and radio stations.
I note since my involvement with this company they have released information on the net refuting apparently everything that the Bangalore Police were saying about their product and this lady.
Unless you see court documents, I’d take anything from “your friend” with a grain of salt.
A lawsuit against the media for “reporting information” isn’t going to go anywhere.
Hey Oz,
Quite right with your statement, however have a copy of her statement of claim lodged with the NZ courts and spoken to the solicitor representing the media outlets here in New Zealand.
Well unless New Zealand has some ass-backward laws, I don’t see how you can win a lawsuit against media outlets for reporting factual events.
Contact form is on the top right of the page (can add attachments).
Not much point if you don’t want it reported on though. Guess we’ll see if anything comes of it.