One of the more frustrating aspects of covering MLM regulation and litigation is a tendency for people to ignore what’s currently happening, in favor of past legal opinions and decisions from the past.

Some of these opinions and decisions are decades old but people still cling to them as gospel.

One of the more common citations I run across is a 2004 staff advisory issued by the FTC. Yes that’s 2004, some thirteen years ago. [Continue reading…]

As part of the “we’re not a pyramid scheme, *winkwinknudgenudge*” settlement Herbalife reached with the FTC last year, $200 million will be returned to 350,000 Herbalife victims. [Continue reading…]

On January 9th, the day before a scheduled trial to determine monetary relief, the SEC and Steve Chen attended a settlement conference.

A settlement was reached, pending formal approval by the Commission (SEC attorneys can’t accept a settlement agreement of their own accord).

Unfortunately Commission approval of the settlement is anticipated to take “approximately six weeks”. [Continue reading…]

I’m not really sure you can claim the moral high ground when you’re providing Ponzi scams with backend software.

Nevertheless, the makers of ProXScripts are calling My24HourIncome out for pirating their Ponzi script. [Continue reading…]

There is no information on the Post 2 Profits website indicating who owns or runs the business.

The Post 2 Profits website domain (“posts2profits.com”) was privately registered on the 3rd of January, 2017.

Further research reveals the Post 2 Profits website originally used the domain name-server hosts “ns1.xtremeprosystem.biz” and “ns2.xtremeprosystem.biz”.

The Xtreme Pro System domain is a private host that houses a number of directories bearing the names of MLM opportunities launched by Johnny Ganoza:

That Ganoza owns Post 2 Profits can be independently verified via a marketing video uploaded to a YouTube account bearing the name “The PLR System” on January 5th:

Ganoza (right) first popped up on BehindMLM’s radar as the admin of Xtreme Pro System.

Xtreme Pro System launched in late 2014 and operated a straight-line cycler scheme. Affiliates invested in $45 positions on the expectation of an advertised $300 ROI.

In February 2015 the SEC shut down Achieve Community, a similar matrix cycler Ponzi scheme. A week later Ganoza announced Xtreme Pro System was ditching its cycler Ponzi model.

Needless to say that decision marked the end of the scheme.

A reader request then saw me review Ganoza’s Average Joe Profit System in mid 2015.

Average Joe Profit System itself however was launched prior to Xtreme Profit System. The scheme saw $202,500 ROIs offered on $5 investments.

After Xtreme Profit System, Ganoza went on to launch PowerPost Profits in September, 2015.

That lasted a few weeks, with The PLR System launched a few months later in November.

The PLR System was a cash gifting scheme operated via a matrix cycler.

Two reboot scams, The $100 System and The PLR System v2 were launched in 2016.

The PLR System v2 grew in October but has flatlined over the past few months. This has likely prompted the launch of Post 2 Profits.

Read on for a full review of the Post 2 Profits MLM opportunity. [Continue reading…]

There is no information on the World Bitcoin Gift website indicating who owns or runs the business.

The World Bitcoin Gift website domain (“worldbitcoingift.com”) was privately registered on the 21st of December, 2016.

The official World Bitcoin Gift Facebook group is operated by a dummy account bearing the profile name “Worldbtc Gift”. The account was created on January 3rd, 2017.

Alexa currently estimate that France (34%) and the US (13%) are the two primary sources of traffic to the World Bitcoin Gift website.

The official World Bitcoin Gift Facebook group is also titled “World bitcoin gift official fr-en”, suggesting whoever is running the company is probably based out of either France or the US.

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…]

When you do network marketing, you’re run by a corporation. They have you by the balls.

You’re at their mercy and for no reason, no reason whatsoever, they can terminate you.

That’s not really freedom. You’re not really your own boss.

-Dina Lynn, Facebook (Dec 23rd, 2016)

Juice Plus is a Tennessee based MLM company that market supplements they claim are the ‘next best thing to fruits and vegetables‘.

Dina Lynn joined Juice Plus three years ago after she was introduced to it by a friend. [Continue reading…]

There is no information on the Easy Odds website indicating who owns or runs the business.

The Easy Odds website domain (“easyodds.biz”) was first registered on March 26th, 2012. The domain registration details were last updated on March 20th, 2016.

Sherm Mason is listed as the Easy Odds domain owner, with an address in the US state of Arkansas also provided.

Sherm Mason (aka Optimus Dale) first popped up on BehindMLM’s radar as the admin of Magnetic Builder.

Magnetic Builder was a $29.95 recruitment scheme launched in 2011.

In 2015 Mason (right), launched at least five known dubious schemes:

• Paradise Payments (February 2015) – a $2 to $1000 cash gifting scheme
• Magnetic Gratitude (April 2015) – a $580 matrix-based Ponzi scheme
• Summer Fun Matrix (July 2015) – a $22 three-tier Ponzi scheme and
• 3×9 Millionaire Machine (September 2015) – a $3 in, $435 million dollars out Ponzi scheme
• Instant Pay Christmas (November 2015) – a $5 to $800 cash gifting scheme

In 2016 Mason doubled down on his efforts and launched Elite Pay Alliance (matrix-based cash gifting), 5 Dolla Money Lines (pass-up chain-recruitment), Adstraordinary (matrix-based cash gifting) and Cash Rally GPS (Ponzi cycler).

Cash Rally GPS was launched around September. Alexa traffic estimates for the Cash Rally GPS website reveal the opportunity had collapsed by early December.

This has likely prompted Sherm Mason to launch Easy Odds.

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

On their website The Perfect Solution refer to themselves as ‘TPS & Partners Co. Ltd., a Hong Kong based corporation‘.

Heading up the company are General Managers Daniel Yeung (Hong Kong, China), Garry Regier Jr. (US) and Mark Lee (China).

Yeung and Regier appear to have MLM backgrounds, with Lee providing e-commerce connections in China.

Daniel Yeung’s TPS corporate bio credits him with “20+ years in  direct sales with over 50,000 team members”.

Possibly due to language barriers, I was unable to independently verify this claim.

Garry Regier’s LinkedIn profile cites him as a “Corporate Sales Trainer” for Zhunrize. Richard Ramos is credited as TPS’ VP of Sales & Marketing and was also involved in Zhunrize.

The SEC shut down Zhunrize for being a Ponzi scheme in late 2014.

On his personal blog Regier (right) also promotes My Lead System Pro, an affiliate marketing MLM opportunity.

Mark Lee’s TPS corporate bio credits him as being

instrumental in identifying right resources in building the cross boarder ecommerce site (ecosko.com) and manage and train the staff and product suppliers for the successful running and operation of the ecommerce site.

At the time of publication the Ecosko website was non-responsive.

Read on for a full review of The Perfect Solution MLM opportunity. [Continue reading…]

There is no information on the Twinkas website identifying who owns or runs the business.

The company was founded by a team of enthusiastic humanitarian specialists.

An address in the UAE is provided on the Twinkas website, however further research reveals it belongs to the Vietnamese embassy for the Abu Dhabi.

At the time of publication Alexa estimate that 95% of all traffic to the Twinkas website originates out of Nigeria. Currency calculations on the Twinkas website are also provided using the Nigerian Naira.

Given the bogus UAE address, it is far more likely that whoever is running Twinkas is doing so out of Nigeria than Abu Dhabi.

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…]