A new email went out to members stating that Brad has been spending his time creating an audio eBook that he's going to sell to members. No word on when the business that he's sucked 90,000 people into will launch. Only that he wants more money from their pockets put into his own pockets. Another aside about server problems causing delays that will now be fixed... yada yada... same old same old when it comes to his annoying excuses... and then he throws in that he wants to sell the members on advertising... yup... more money in Brad's pocket taken from the poor followers who thought this messed up idea was a "dream".
To see what the members had to say about this continuing travesty I checked their Forum where complainers complain, and zealots excuse... and they've LOCKED the forum to new posts.
Absolutely incredible the depths this cretin will go. My comments section is open to all, and while I can delete them, I promise only to delete off-color ones. So E4L'ers.... tell me it's great and Brad should be excused and given more time... or tell HIM what you really think without fear of being shut down!!!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Illegal chain letters and emails
Two government sites explaining what about chain letters are illegal, and why:
This page from the US Post Office puts chain letters in the category of gambling.
And if you'd like to report someone this page from the FTC provides a couple of complaint options.
Do us all a favor, don't even forward "legal" chain letters or emails that promise good luck to those who forward it on, and bad luck to those who don't. It's all BS and it's frankly rude to wish someone bad luck if they don't spam others.
This page from the US Post Office puts chain letters in the category of gambling.
And if you'd like to report someone this page from the FTC provides a couple of complaint options.
Do us all a favor, don't even forward "legal" chain letters or emails that promise good luck to those who forward it on, and bad luck to those who don't. It's all BS and it's frankly rude to wish someone bad luck if they don't spam others.
Monday, December 17, 2007
More PayPal scams: Sitewealth
I love the FAQ at Sitewealth.info. The last Q&A is whether or not it's legal... here's the exact line:
"Is this legal?
Yes, Sitewealth Club its 100% legal. In return for your investment, you are given access to the list of e-books indside our membership section. Any program that provides a product of any kind is legal."
First off, how is it that none of the scam artists can spell? They use "its" instead of "is" to say that it's legal, and spell "inside" with an extra "d". Morons.
But is it legal? Fat chance. Even if it was, PayPal will probably shut it down before you read this blog. They barely leave room for legal MLM's, and none for outright pyramids. From PayPal's Acceptable Use Policy
"Prohibited Activities
You may not use the PayPal service for activities that:
3. (b) support pyramid or ponzi schemes, matrix programs, other "get rich quick" schemes or certain multi-level marketing programs"
So Sitewealth might get lucky and get shut down by PayPal before the Feds step in and sue their asses into the ground. The idea that you can sell "any kind" of product to avoid legal problems is utterly ridiculous. Either Sitewealth is full of total idiots (probably given their inability to spell) who actually believe that, or they are purposely scamming people. But the law doesn't care that you made a mistake when it's really easy to discover what you're doing is illegal.
If it were true, I could sell blank pieces of paper... or the good guys at Sitewealth were even more clever... they're selling electronic paper... eBooks. You pay only $2.50 and receive access to worthless eBooks and that is supposed to make the illegal pyramid scam legal. They have no costs, and create a downline where they are at the very top.
And guess where I discovered Sitewealth... on the E4L.biz forum where only idiots roam. They still haven't figured out that Lorna's pyramid scam is illegal. Nor do they realize that "biz" will ever actually launch.
"Is this legal?
Yes, Sitewealth Club its 100% legal. In return for your investment, you are given access to the list of e-books indside our membership section. Any program that provides a product of any kind is legal."
First off, how is it that none of the scam artists can spell? They use "its" instead of "is" to say that it's legal, and spell "inside" with an extra "d". Morons.
But is it legal? Fat chance. Even if it was, PayPal will probably shut it down before you read this blog. They barely leave room for legal MLM's, and none for outright pyramids. From PayPal's Acceptable Use Policy
"Prohibited Activities
You may not use the PayPal service for activities that:
3. (b) support pyramid or ponzi schemes, matrix programs, other "get rich quick" schemes or certain multi-level marketing programs"
So Sitewealth might get lucky and get shut down by PayPal before the Feds step in and sue their asses into the ground. The idea that you can sell "any kind" of product to avoid legal problems is utterly ridiculous. Either Sitewealth is full of total idiots (probably given their inability to spell) who actually believe that, or they are purposely scamming people. But the law doesn't care that you made a mistake when it's really easy to discover what you're doing is illegal.
If it were true, I could sell blank pieces of paper... or the good guys at Sitewealth were even more clever... they're selling electronic paper... eBooks. You pay only $2.50 and receive access to worthless eBooks and that is supposed to make the illegal pyramid scam legal. They have no costs, and create a downline where they are at the very top.
And guess where I discovered Sitewealth... on the E4L.biz forum where only idiots roam. They still haven't figured out that Lorna's pyramid scam is illegal. Nor do they realize that "biz" will ever actually launch.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Paypal "it's for real" - make $30,000 in 3 weeks
When they have to say "it's real" that's when you know it's NOT. People, stop being so dumb and gullible. Scam artists send out emails and post to forums and various web sites explaining that you can make thousands and tens of thousands of money via PayPal "which is free". All you have to do... promote an illegal Ponzi or Pyramid scheme. Oh they don't call it that. They tell you it's legal. They tell you it's amazing. They tell you it's fool proof. What they don't tell you is that they hope you are a fool.
First off, just read PayPal's rules... it CLEARLY states that ANY pyramid scheme is against their rules. Second, do a damn Google search when something sounds too good to be true. For some bizarre reason most of what you get when you try to Google this scam are the scam artists.
"Massive return on $10"
"Turn $10 into 10000 in Just 14 Days"
"A Real Money Maker, it really works"
Does any of that sound too good to be true????? Does the phrase "get rich quick" sound familiar????
It's an illegal pyramid scheme... illegal... as in get fined, maybe even go to jail. Of course, it DOESN'T WORK for most people, so most people don't get caught. Just a very few people actually earn any money... usually they're sending out thousands of emails with their own name in first position. And those are the folks getting in the most trouble.
There are LEGAL MLM's out there... they have products.... you actually have to SELL SOMETHING... and people have to actually BUY SOMETHING... otherwise.... ILLEGAL.
First off, just read PayPal's rules... it CLEARLY states that ANY pyramid scheme is against their rules. Second, do a damn Google search when something sounds too good to be true. For some bizarre reason most of what you get when you try to Google this scam are the scam artists.
"Massive return on $10"
"Turn $10 into 10000 in Just 14 Days"
"A Real Money Maker, it really works"
Does any of that sound too good to be true????? Does the phrase "get rich quick" sound familiar????
It's an illegal pyramid scheme... illegal... as in get fined, maybe even go to jail. Of course, it DOESN'T WORK for most people, so most people don't get caught. Just a very few people actually earn any money... usually they're sending out thousands of emails with their own name in first position. And those are the folks getting in the most trouble.
There are LEGAL MLM's out there... they have products.... you actually have to SELL SOMETHING... and people have to actually BUY SOMETHING... otherwise.... ILLEGAL.
Monday, December 10, 2007
E4L sinks to a new low
Shocking! Stupid! Sad! What can I call this new E4L low??? The fact that not one person has picked up on what appears to be a truly 100% illegal pyramid scam being pushed by E4L's highest upline person, a woman named Lorna, is all of those things.
I didn't get the email so I can't say this with 100% certainty, but... I'm about 99% certain... that Lorna has emailed a ton of people something that can get her, and anyone who falls prey to it, into a lot of trouble. Lorna is probably the first, or one of the first to get enrolled in E4L and apparently has the largest downline with many thousands of people below her. But with no E4L business, apparently she's also broke.
Reading their Forum today, one member of E4L asked on the E4L forum if they had gotten an email from Lorna that in part said "pay $10 via paypal to her and put my name on the list then resend it to 100 people".
Ouch - right there I knew it was one of those illegal pyramid chain email letters that collapse very quickly, and are so obviously illegal that they get some of the participants reported to the Feds.
But not one person appears to have picked up on it. In fact, Lorna is the first to respond to his post.. and instead of apologizing, she insults him for "sensationalism". Yikes... how can she have no clue? It makes you wonder if she's ever responded to some Nigerian "attorney" who just needed $10,000 in order to give her 10% of some deceased billionaires fortune. How do people not see through these obvious scams? But there it is... her naked admission of being involved in a pyramid or Ponzi scheme... the kind that isn't iffy like E4L... it's 100% illegal.
What's more, her email apparently suggests using PayPal... and of course that will get her account closed... because oddly enough illegal things are against the PayPal rules. And I believe E4L... if they ever pay anyone anything... is planning to pay people via PayPal.
These things are so obviously illegal to me... maybe because I write about them. But I still don't understand how everyone else on that Forum has totally missed it too. In fact, a few of them are practically begging to be forwarded the email to they can get in on the scam.
Sometimes illegal pyramid schemes are disguised so well that they are hard to decipher and easy to get sucked into. But this is an incredibly obvious one that you'd think only the shockingly stupid could possibly get sucked into. Now I understand why these folks are still sticking around E4L after a full 4.5 months of missing their launch date. They all appear to be gullible and/or stupid not recognizing an obvious scam.
This scam is one sent via email, that says if you only send $10 to the person in the first position, and place your name on the list in the 5th position, and then forward the email to 100 friends, you'll earn some insane amount of money. It's usually something like $30,000 in 30 days, or $30,000 every month, so some "too good to be true" amount of time and money.
Now if the above works, and you send off $10 to the person in first position, and the scheme actually works and you get moved up to a 1st position and people start sending you money... well, congratulations, you'll get a lot of money sent to you. Then, PayPal will shut you down, and someone who gets emailed will turn you in. You may get fined and you will certainly have to give the money back. But chances are the scheme will collapse before it gets to you... which will be the best thing that can happen. You'll be out $10 and PayPay won't be the wiser.
When something sounds too good to be true... especially "get rich quick" promises... well... it's too good to be true. And if you're lucky, people who get sucked into these scams won't be the types of people trying to run your company. Ahh E4L... you guys are ridiculous.
I didn't get the email so I can't say this with 100% certainty, but... I'm about 99% certain... that Lorna has emailed a ton of people something that can get her, and anyone who falls prey to it, into a lot of trouble. Lorna is probably the first, or one of the first to get enrolled in E4L and apparently has the largest downline with many thousands of people below her. But with no E4L business, apparently she's also broke.
Reading their Forum today, one member of E4L asked on the E4L forum if they had gotten an email from Lorna that in part said "pay $10 via paypal to her and put my name on the list then resend it to 100 people".
Ouch - right there I knew it was one of those illegal pyramid chain email letters that collapse very quickly, and are so obviously illegal that they get some of the participants reported to the Feds.
But not one person appears to have picked up on it. In fact, Lorna is the first to respond to his post.. and instead of apologizing, she insults him for "sensationalism". Yikes... how can she have no clue? It makes you wonder if she's ever responded to some Nigerian "attorney" who just needed $10,000 in order to give her 10% of some deceased billionaires fortune. How do people not see through these obvious scams? But there it is... her naked admission of being involved in a pyramid or Ponzi scheme... the kind that isn't iffy like E4L... it's 100% illegal.
What's more, her email apparently suggests using PayPal... and of course that will get her account closed... because oddly enough illegal things are against the PayPal rules. And I believe E4L... if they ever pay anyone anything... is planning to pay people via PayPal.
These things are so obviously illegal to me... maybe because I write about them. But I still don't understand how everyone else on that Forum has totally missed it too. In fact, a few of them are practically begging to be forwarded the email to they can get in on the scam.
Sometimes illegal pyramid schemes are disguised so well that they are hard to decipher and easy to get sucked into. But this is an incredibly obvious one that you'd think only the shockingly stupid could possibly get sucked into. Now I understand why these folks are still sticking around E4L after a full 4.5 months of missing their launch date. They all appear to be gullible and/or stupid not recognizing an obvious scam.
This scam is one sent via email, that says if you only send $10 to the person in the first position, and place your name on the list in the 5th position, and then forward the email to 100 friends, you'll earn some insane amount of money. It's usually something like $30,000 in 30 days, or $30,000 every month, so some "too good to be true" amount of time and money.
Now if the above works, and you send off $10 to the person in first position, and the scheme actually works and you get moved up to a 1st position and people start sending you money... well, congratulations, you'll get a lot of money sent to you. Then, PayPal will shut you down, and someone who gets emailed will turn you in. You may get fined and you will certainly have to give the money back. But chances are the scheme will collapse before it gets to you... which will be the best thing that can happen. You'll be out $10 and PayPay won't be the wiser.
When something sounds too good to be true... especially "get rich quick" promises... well... it's too good to be true. And if you're lucky, people who get sucked into these scams won't be the types of people trying to run your company. Ahh E4L... you guys are ridiculous.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Scammer Kevin Trudeau at it again
Finally Kevin Trudeau picks a subject that he can probably keep himself out of trouble with since it's NOT health related. The book "Natural Cures they don't want you to know about", a total sham and lie of a book, was followed by "The Weight Loss Cure They Don’t Want You to Know About" which I didn't bother to read because it had scam written all over it, and sure enough it got him more trouble with the FTC AGAIN. Both were health related, and it's far too easy to cross the line by making health claims, which Kevin is infamous for.
So this time he's chosen "debt" and money for his new book "Debt Cures They Don’t Want You To Know About". Now I am NOT going to buy this over priced book ($29.95 plus $11.95 in shipping) which includes a couple of "bonuses" (he is after all a master marketer... I'll give him that), because there are MUCH better sources for the same information.
One of the tag lines on his site is "Kevin is blowing the lid off the banking and credit card industry". Well, since you can't get into legal trouble pointing out just how greedy these industries are, and how easy it is to get into debt, this is actually a legitimate topic for him to attack. However, there are so many great books, advisers and advice already, the last person you should send $40 to is Kevin Trudeau.
Here's some simple debt cures:
- stop shopping for stuff you don't need
- rip up your credit cards
- call your credit card companies and demand lower rates - don't accept "no"
- create a budget and track every dollar you spend, then find things to cut out (like that $4 coffee when you can make a cup for pennies at home)
- improve your credit score.
If you've never tried to improve your score before, there are probably some really easy and simple things you can do. To start, order your free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com. It's a virtual guarantee there will be numerous errors on your report, like other people's names and addresses. Get online and on the phone with each of the 3 credit agencies and start cleaning up all errors. Late payments and collections are much harder to clean up, but even more important. There's plenty of free advice on how to do this... like this article.
Cleaning up credit will make it MUCH easier to get the credit card companies to lower your rates. But don't wait to call your credit card companies. But the higher your score, the lower interest rates on car loans, credit cards and mortgages. it's probably the single most important financial thing you can do. Get your score as far over 700 as possible.
Finally - don't waste $40 on any Kevin Trudeau product when there is probably superior information, from more trusted sources, for less money. If you're in financial trouble, find a trust worthy adviser, and Kevin Trudeau is anything but trustworthy.
So this time he's chosen "debt" and money for his new book "Debt Cures They Don’t Want You To Know About". Now I am NOT going to buy this over priced book ($29.95 plus $11.95 in shipping) which includes a couple of "bonuses" (he is after all a master marketer... I'll give him that), because there are MUCH better sources for the same information.
One of the tag lines on his site is "Kevin is blowing the lid off the banking and credit card industry". Well, since you can't get into legal trouble pointing out just how greedy these industries are, and how easy it is to get into debt, this is actually a legitimate topic for him to attack. However, there are so many great books, advisers and advice already, the last person you should send $40 to is Kevin Trudeau.
Here's some simple debt cures:
- stop shopping for stuff you don't need
- rip up your credit cards
- call your credit card companies and demand lower rates - don't accept "no"
- create a budget and track every dollar you spend, then find things to cut out (like that $4 coffee when you can make a cup for pennies at home)
- improve your credit score.
If you've never tried to improve your score before, there are probably some really easy and simple things you can do. To start, order your free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com. It's a virtual guarantee there will be numerous errors on your report, like other people's names and addresses. Get online and on the phone with each of the 3 credit agencies and start cleaning up all errors. Late payments and collections are much harder to clean up, but even more important. There's plenty of free advice on how to do this... like this article.
Cleaning up credit will make it MUCH easier to get the credit card companies to lower your rates. But don't wait to call your credit card companies. But the higher your score, the lower interest rates on car loans, credit cards and mortgages. it's probably the single most important financial thing you can do. Get your score as far over 700 as possible.
Finally - don't waste $40 on any Kevin Trudeau product when there is probably superior information, from more trusted sources, for less money. If you're in financial trouble, find a trust worthy adviser, and Kevin Trudeau is anything but trustworthy.
Unanswered E4L questions
Finally E4L sends out an email that doesn't try to extract money from it's members... AND Brad now promises a December launch. Could be another promise about to be broken, or just maybe they'll turn this apparent scam into a legitimate business. But even IF they actually do launch, it's time to return to the still unanswered questions.
The biggest and most important one is WHERE is the compensation plan? What or how will members be paid!!! Will they get a percentage of gross profits, a percentage of the gross sale, what???
WHY is this simple question not answered? Listen to the zealots and you hear how great it is that you get a "matching bonus" so if someone in your downline earns $10, then you earn $10 too. But not one person knows what their downline will ever make. Maybe they'll made 1 cent per product purchased, so it will require 5,000 purchased products just to earn a measly $50.
Why aren't members kicking and screaming to get a published compensation plan? Why would they spend so much time and effort building a business (meaning their downline) with absolutely no idea what, if anything, they will earn from their efforts?
My guess is that only Brad will make any "real" money if the business ever does launch. He's proven that he's OK shamelessly extracting profits from his members, so why should it be any different with the "real" business? And by hiding the compensation plan details... presumably until AFTER products start being purchased, he can introduce anything he wants AFTER he knows what his personal profit potential is going to be. He will have to pay that "matching bonus" but he can decide that very little initially gets paid so that there's very little to "match".
So where are the screaming calls for a published compensation plan? How can a business launch without one? Will Brad pocket virtually all of the very limited profits from a very low margin business and laugh all the way to the bank? Only time will tell. For now, no one appears smart enough to demand details.
If Brad can actually launch, and not pay for recruitment, he can put himself in the "legit" box and stay out of the "scam" box, and so my review job would be done. But I still predict a dismal failure of a business for everyone, except maybe Brad.
The biggest and most important one is WHERE is the compensation plan? What or how will members be paid!!! Will they get a percentage of gross profits, a percentage of the gross sale, what???
WHY is this simple question not answered? Listen to the zealots and you hear how great it is that you get a "matching bonus" so if someone in your downline earns $10, then you earn $10 too. But not one person knows what their downline will ever make. Maybe they'll made 1 cent per product purchased, so it will require 5,000 purchased products just to earn a measly $50.
Why aren't members kicking and screaming to get a published compensation plan? Why would they spend so much time and effort building a business (meaning their downline) with absolutely no idea what, if anything, they will earn from their efforts?
My guess is that only Brad will make any "real" money if the business ever does launch. He's proven that he's OK shamelessly extracting profits from his members, so why should it be any different with the "real" business? And by hiding the compensation plan details... presumably until AFTER products start being purchased, he can introduce anything he wants AFTER he knows what his personal profit potential is going to be. He will have to pay that "matching bonus" but he can decide that very little initially gets paid so that there's very little to "match".
So where are the screaming calls for a published compensation plan? How can a business launch without one? Will Brad pocket virtually all of the very limited profits from a very low margin business and laugh all the way to the bank? Only time will tell. For now, no one appears smart enough to demand details.
If Brad can actually launch, and not pay for recruitment, he can put himself in the "legit" box and stay out of the "scam" box, and so my review job would be done. But I still predict a dismal failure of a business for everyone, except maybe Brad.
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