Melaleuca is based out of Idaho and operate in the nutritional supplements, cleaning supplies, and personal-care MLM niches.

Melaleuca was founded all the way back in 1985 by Frank VanderSloot, who today at 70 remains CEO of the company.

According to Forbes, VanderSloot (right) has an estimated net worth of $4.2 billion.

(VanderSloot) is a major landowner — with an estimated 117,500 acres across Idaho, Utah and Montana — and he runs a leading purebred angus cattle operation.

He is also an active political donor, giving millions to Republicans. He was a national finance co-chair for Mitt Romney’s two presidential bids.

Prior to Melaleuca VanderSloot’s relatives ran the MLM company Oil of Melaleuca.

In September 1985, amid FDA investigations into exaggerated medical claims and inventory loading, Melaleuca, VanderSloot’s relatives offered him the company.

By the end of the year Oil of Melaleuca had been shut down and rebooted as Melaleuca.

Since then Melaleuca has mostly had a clear-run with regulators, which is impressive considering the age of the company.

Echoing the 1985 Oil of Melaleuca situation, in 1991 Michigan issued Melaleuca a cease and desist over alleged violations of the state’s anti pyramid scheme laws.

 In 1992, Melaleuca signed a consent decree with the states of Michigan and Idaho agreeing to “not engage in the marketing and promotion of an illegal pyramid.”

The Idaho Attorney General took issue with the marketing practices of several of Melaleuca’s affiliates, as opposed to the company’s business model itself.

In 1997 Melaleuca received a warning letter for “false and misleading claims” regarding two of their supplements.

The matter was resolved and since then nothing further has come of it.

By my count it’s been over two decades since Melaleuca’s last regulatory run-in.

That’s not to say the company is in the clear though. Investigations by Truth in Advertising have documented ongoing instances of Melaleuca affiliates making illegal health claims and false and unsubstantiated income claims.

Read on for a full review of the Melaleuca MLM opportunity. [Continue reading…]

An Australian court has frozen BitConnect Director John Bigatton’s assets. Bigatton is also prohibited from fleeing the country. [Continue reading…]

United Success Network provides no information on their website regarding who owns or runs the company.

The United Success Network website domain (“unitedsuccessnetwork.com”) was privately registered back in January 2016.

Despite only existing for two years at most, the United Success Network logo falsely implies the company was established in 2008.

Further research reveals marketing videos on the United Success Network website hosted on a YouTube channel bearing the name “itsme1984rich”.

In a December 14th, 2018, video titled “USN LAS VEGAS”, Charles Morgan identifies himself as United Success Network’s founder and CEO:

I wasn’t able to put together an MLM history of Morgan, suggesting United Success Network is his first executive role in an MLM company.

Read on for a full review of the United Success Network MLM opportunity. [Continue reading…]

TrezorHub provides no information on their website about who owns or runs the business.

The TrezorHub website domain (“trezorhub.me”) was privately registered on October 31st, 2018.

As always, if an MLM company is not openly upfront about who is running or owns it, think long and hard about joining and/or handing over any money. [Continue reading…]

UDS Game provides no information on their website about who owns or runs the business.

The UDS Game website domain (“udsgame.com”) was privately registered on December 31st, 2014.

The company appears to have strong ties to Russia, primarily through their Global Intellect Service parent company.

GIS Company appeared on IT markets of Russia and CIS countries on the 2nd of March in 2014.

As a holding company GIS owns two brands: UDS Game and NutriStrike.

Nutristrike’s website is entirely in Russian. The company appears to market a self-branded nutritional supplement.

In a March 2017 fluff-piece, Ted Nuyten’s BusinessForHome cited Viacheslav Ushenin as CEO of Global Intellect Services.

Top leader Viacheslav Ushenin is founder and CEO of Global Intellect Service (GIS) a leading IT company based in Russia.

Prior to Global Intellect Services and UDS Game, Ushenin (right) was a top affiliate in Talk Fusion.

In another 2012 fluff-piece, BusinessForHome cited Ushenin earning $330,000 a month.

BehindMLM reviewed Talk Fusion in 2014 and, based on its $1499 video communication packages, concluded the company had little to no retail viability.

Possibly due to language-barriers, I was unable to ascertain why Ushenin left Talk Fusion.

After leaving Talk Fusion and prior to UDS Game, Ushenin launched Set in Box.

From what I can gather, Set in Box was loosely modeled on Talk Fusion’s video-focused offering:

The company failed but was nonetheless the precursor to UDS Game and Global Intellect Services.

Read on for a full review of the UDS Game MLM opportunity. [Continue reading…]

As it stands the FTC is currently reviewing four settlements in the Digital Altitude case.

The closest of the settlement review deadlines is Michael Force on January 2nd. That is by January 2nd, the FTC was scheduled to have made a decision on the agency’s proposed settlement with Force.

Unfortunately last month Donald Trump decided to shut down the US government.

Owing to the FTC running out of money, it seems all four Digital Altitude settlement decisions will be delayed. [Continue reading…]

A lawsuit filed back in October alleges that behind Wakaya Perfection’s MLM opportunity, there’s secret

monetary investment opportunities for individuals with a promise of a return on their investment.

This is a problem, because Wakaya Perfection aren’t registered to offer securities in the US. [Continue reading…]

In response to a lawsuit filed against them by WorldVentures, Ariix has come out swinging.

The company has brought to the court’s attention WorldVentures’ pyramid scheme ban in Norway and tax evasion investigations in South Africa, Cyprus, China and Taiwan.

Ariix claims that WorldVentures is currently experiencing a “myriad legal and financial difficulties” and ongoing “serious cash crunch” that has resulted in commissions going unpaid.

All of this has resulted in a “serious business decline” and “global loss of confidence” in the company, which Ariix attributes to WorldVentures’ “own operational failures”. [Continue reading…]

Infinity Loops provides no information on their website about who owns or runs the company.

The Infinity Loops website domain (“theinfinityloops.com”) was privately registered on November 2nd, 2018.

A marketing video on the Infinity Loops website is hosted on a YouTube channel bearing the name “Johnny Krypto”.

Other videos on the channel suggest the channel is owned by Johnny Ganoza.

Under the alias “Johnny Gan”, Ganoza (right) is also an admin of the official Infinity Loops Facebook group.

About a year ago Ganoza launched Xtreme Pro System 2.0, a reboot of his 2014 Xtreme Pro System Ponzi launch.

Like the original, Xtreme Pro System 2.0 collapsed a few months after launch.

Read on for a full review of the Infinity Loops MLM opportunity. [Continue reading…]

Hedger Tech operates in the cryptocurrency MLM niche. Other than an email address, the company provides no contact information.

Hedger Tech don’t provide management details on their website, but their whitepaper cites Leo Bathan as Chairman and CEO.

Bathan doesn’t have a digital footprint outside of the Hedger Tech whitepaper, which I’m flagging as highly suspicious.

Either Bathan doesn’t exist or is being represented by someone with a different name (typically a stolen image or an actor is used).

The Hedger Tech website domain (“hedger.tech”) was privately registered on May 18th, 2018.

Hedger Tech also run Hedger Mining, through which affiliate investment is solicited through.

The Hedger Mining website domain (“hedgermining.com”) was privately registered on September 14th, 2018.

As always, if an MLM company is not openly upfront about who is running or owns it, think long and hard about joining and/or handing over any money. [Continue reading…]