Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
concernedDude
()
Date: August 31, 2015 09:41PM
So I have this friend who told me about how his neighbor is talking to him about this wonderful opportunity to become financially independent it 2-5 years. How he will mentor him and allow him to create and grow his own assets so he can retire in 2-5 years. But then he tells me he wants me to get in on it, but can't reveal the details just yet.
He continues talking about it and asks if I want to meet up with his neighbor and his wife. I agree, knowing full on that this sounds like a pyramid scheme, but also wanting to satisfy my curiosity.
We meet up with these people, they seem to be nice, average late 20s people. They keep asking these questions to see if we're the type of people that can be mentored. Then they don't reveal any details beyond it being a 'mutual beneficial relationship'. They ask that I read the 'Business of the 21st century' book by Robert Kiyosake. And that only after I ready it, will we meet so we can discuss further.
Has anyone had this happen to them? Any insight into the scam?
He continues talking about it and asks if I want to meet up with his neighbor and his wife. I agree, knowing full on that this sounds like a pyramid scheme, but also wanting to satisfy my curiosity.
We meet up with these people, they seem to be nice, average late 20s people. They keep asking these questions to see if we're the type of people that can be mentored. Then they don't reveal any details beyond it being a 'mutual beneficial relationship'. They ask that I read the 'Business of the 21st century' book by Robert Kiyosake. And that only after I ready it, will we meet so we can discuss further.
Has anyone had this happen to them? Any insight into the scam?
Re: Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
Amway and Quixter
()
Date: August 31, 2015 10:01PM
A few years ago, there was a surge of Amway/Quixter activity in the area. A couple friends I generally view as fairly intelligent got hooked in, and they each tried to rope me in too. They eventually emerged from the scam moderately poorer. Two other people I barely know also tried to involve me. Some key notes:
1) Amway/Quixter reps are trained to brainwash their recruits. At first, it's subtle, like introducing fears about how one's career might not be sustainable. A swim instructor at the McLean Racquet and Health Club (this is years ago, not current staff), who was also a Quixter rep, stopped me in the hall and asked what I did for a living. I said I was a programmer, and he instantly was like "oh, man those jobs are going to India". I thought nothing of it at the time, but it's a technique they use called Microphobias.
2) The sales pitches are always about seizing your own destiny, and being strong enough to succeed. Essentially designed to make you feel bad if you walk away.
3) They are not shy about saying you should "monetize" your friendships. Of course, this is a dead giveaway it's a pyramid scheme.
4) While those who have recently bought into the kits will try hard to recruit you (because they need to build their own pyramid), the kingpins will not indulge skeptics. If you aren't an easy mark, you're not worth their time. They have no interest in being questioned in a group meeting, and they will not chase you if you show you can think for yourself.
4a) Sadly, this means don't even think going to these meetings with your friend can save him/her. You won't be able to prove these crooks wrong; the whole pitch is designed so that there is nothing solid to question. I' recommend you warn him/her now, and say you'll be there for him/her as a friend when they are done with this.
I hate these jerks. They've cost me friendships, and ultimately seek to exploit the poor and desperate. I wish you luck dealing with this.
1) Amway/Quixter reps are trained to brainwash their recruits. At first, it's subtle, like introducing fears about how one's career might not be sustainable. A swim instructor at the McLean Racquet and Health Club (this is years ago, not current staff), who was also a Quixter rep, stopped me in the hall and asked what I did for a living. I said I was a programmer, and he instantly was like "oh, man those jobs are going to India". I thought nothing of it at the time, but it's a technique they use called Microphobias.
2) The sales pitches are always about seizing your own destiny, and being strong enough to succeed. Essentially designed to make you feel bad if you walk away.
3) They are not shy about saying you should "monetize" your friendships. Of course, this is a dead giveaway it's a pyramid scheme.
4) While those who have recently bought into the kits will try hard to recruit you (because they need to build their own pyramid), the kingpins will not indulge skeptics. If you aren't an easy mark, you're not worth their time. They have no interest in being questioned in a group meeting, and they will not chase you if you show you can think for yourself.
4a) Sadly, this means don't even think going to these meetings with your friend can save him/her. You won't be able to prove these crooks wrong; the whole pitch is designed so that there is nothing solid to question. I' recommend you warn him/her now, and say you'll be there for him/her as a friend when they are done with this.
I hate these jerks. They've cost me friendships, and ultimately seek to exploit the poor and desperate. I wish you luck dealing with this.
Re: Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
Mike O'Meara Show Fan
()
Date: August 31, 2015 10:29PM
He's a homo who is trying to fuck and then kill you. The ''wife'' is either imaginary or a man.
Re: Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
concernedDude
()
Date: August 31, 2015 10:46PM
Thank you so much for the reply. I'll warn him even if it will turn into a fight
Re: Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
Loloi
()
Date: September 27, 2015 02:15AM
Run as fast as possible from these am way/ quiz star guys.
Re: Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
nov00
()
Date: September 27, 2015 01:12PM
I want to know how people can think they can live in FFX county just be selling things to their friends. Unless you are a franchise owner, you should not have to spend money to make money. There is no guarantee you will make a cent of this back. I knew an idiot that spend $$$ and still ended up owing money for the products that were bought and not sold. It seems every othere person is selling stuff on FB. If you have money to burn I get it, but these people seem to think it will turn into a career overnight. I don't believe any of those testimonials from the people with 3 teeth saying they are having their "dream home built as we speak".
Re: Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
iLester
()
Date: September 27, 2015 02:38PM
It sounds like an MLM.
1. Business of the 21st Century
2. Won't tell you what they make or what service they provide.
3. Focuses almost exclusively on rewards. such as trips, timeshares, etc., without discussing the risks.
4. Tell you can start a business while working a full-time job.
5. Want to know more about you and your extended network of family of friends to gauge how much more they can extend the pyramid.
Ran into a few government employees and contractors who were pushing Shaklee and Amway.
1. Business of the 21st Century
2. Won't tell you what they make or what service they provide.
3. Focuses almost exclusively on rewards. such as trips, timeshares, etc., without discussing the risks.
4. Tell you can start a business while working a full-time job.
5. Want to know more about you and your extended network of family of friends to gauge how much more they can extend the pyramid.
Ran into a few government employees and contractors who were pushing Shaklee and Amway.
Re: Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
Dubs Checkem
()
Date: September 27, 2015 04:16PM
Sounds like some Primerica horseshit.
Re: Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
MegaBlunk
()
Date: September 28, 2015 12:57AM
Re: Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
aaarrrrrgh
()
Date: September 28, 2015 01:20AM
I can't stand these MLM people and those who try to monetize their relationships.
I bought a house many years ago and on my move-in day the neighbor a few doors down was friendly. The only reason he bothered to contact us at all was to try to sell us in under his Amway pyramid.
When I declined he told me about how he was going to make it big and move on up to a bigger house in a better neighborhood in just a few years while I'll still be here. He just fucking insulted the home I just purchased.
He was still there several years later. His wife's lover parked his car in front of my house when getting some. Good times.
I bought a house many years ago and on my move-in day the neighbor a few doors down was friendly. The only reason he bothered to contact us at all was to try to sell us in under his Amway pyramid.
When I declined he told me about how he was going to make it big and move on up to a bigger house in a better neighborhood in just a few years while I'll still be here. He just fucking insulted the home I just purchased.
He was still there several years later. His wife's lover parked his car in front of my house when getting some. Good times.
Re: Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
My experiences say...
()
Date: September 28, 2015 06:22AM
Every generation has MLM.
It seemed to start right after college...those folks that got married early seemed to jump in real quick.
My parents had warned me about it from their generation 30 years prior...so I kind of knew what to look for.
The opening "pitch" always seemed to be something along the lines of "you seem like a real sharp guy...a real go-getter...I have a friend (who I guess was their "upline") who I want you to meet...he's very rich and successful, and you guys have a lot in common..."
Any questions asked at this point were answered with vague promises of riches doing something that needed no work and was the wave of the future, and if you didn't catch it immediately, you were going to be working some dead-end job the rest of your life. In the very near future, jobs of all kinds were going to be eliminated, and the economy was going to be dominated by people who had a wide circle of friends with an insatiable need for cleaning supplies.
It was strange, though, to go meet these "uplines"...they were never that impressive, but always tried to make it seem they were about to have a major transformation in their lives.
I joined a few times (for business reasons...I won a few accounts this way by joining!) and then a box of soap and window cleaner would show up on my doorstep.
Of my contemporaries who were doing this some 30+ years ago...none did it for more than 3 or 4 years, but it always did make for weird social gatherings...they never missed an opportunity to needle you about your job, and start trying to make it sound like they were doing fantastic things...which of course didn't jibe with the realities of their situations...sh***y cars, living with parents (even though they were married) etc., while those of who had "real" jobs were starting to make money and be able to buy things like nice cars and maybe a condo.
Those people today...most have a pretty checkered employment history.
Of course, they would call it a diverse background, but I might suggest their W-2's would say they never really found their stride with anything, and had a hard time reconciling the idea that hard work could equal financial success.
MLM's are around for every generation, but I wonder if they did take a break somewhat during the tech boom, when youngsters were making big bucks very early on in the job market?
It seemed to start right after college...those folks that got married early seemed to jump in real quick.
My parents had warned me about it from their generation 30 years prior...so I kind of knew what to look for.
The opening "pitch" always seemed to be something along the lines of "you seem like a real sharp guy...a real go-getter...I have a friend (who I guess was their "upline") who I want you to meet...he's very rich and successful, and you guys have a lot in common..."
Any questions asked at this point were answered with vague promises of riches doing something that needed no work and was the wave of the future, and if you didn't catch it immediately, you were going to be working some dead-end job the rest of your life. In the very near future, jobs of all kinds were going to be eliminated, and the economy was going to be dominated by people who had a wide circle of friends with an insatiable need for cleaning supplies.
It was strange, though, to go meet these "uplines"...they were never that impressive, but always tried to make it seem they were about to have a major transformation in their lives.
I joined a few times (for business reasons...I won a few accounts this way by joining!) and then a box of soap and window cleaner would show up on my doorstep.
Of my contemporaries who were doing this some 30+ years ago...none did it for more than 3 or 4 years, but it always did make for weird social gatherings...they never missed an opportunity to needle you about your job, and start trying to make it sound like they were doing fantastic things...which of course didn't jibe with the realities of their situations...sh***y cars, living with parents (even though they were married) etc., while those of who had "real" jobs were starting to make money and be able to buy things like nice cars and maybe a condo.
Those people today...most have a pretty checkered employment history.
Of course, they would call it a diverse background, but I might suggest their W-2's would say they never really found their stride with anything, and had a hard time reconciling the idea that hard work could equal financial success.
MLM's are around for every generation, but I wonder if they did take a break somewhat during the tech boom, when youngsters were making big bucks very early on in the job market?
Re: Scheme around wanting to 'mentor' you to become financially independent
Posted by:
MLM
()
Date: September 28, 2015 01:23PM
My experiences say... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> The opening "pitch" always seemed to be something
> along the lines of "you seem like a real sharp
> guy...a real go-getter...I have a friend (who I
> guess was their "upline") who I want you to
> meet...he's very rich and successful, and you guys
> have a lot in common..."
>
> Any questions asked at this point were answered
> with vague promises of riches doing something that
> needed no work and was the wave of the future, and
> if you didn't catch it immediately, you were going
> to be working some dead-end job the rest of your
> life. In the very near future, jobs of all kinds
> were going to be eliminated, and the economy was
> going to be dominated by people who had a wide
> circle of friends with an insatiable need for
> cleaning supplies.
That's the best description that covers pretty much every MLM hook I've seen over the years.
Con men are great at sales and psychology. There are some universal predator/prey dynamics at play here with a strong play towards deadly sins.
pride = "you're a sharp guy - a real go getter"
greed = "promises of riches"
sloth = "needed no work"
fear = "jobs will be eliminated"
envy = "catch it immediately or someone else will"
urgency = "do it now or your life will suck"
Ironically, it is preventing acedia. O.o
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> The opening "pitch" always seemed to be something
> along the lines of "you seem like a real sharp
> guy...a real go-getter...I have a friend (who I
> guess was their "upline") who I want you to
> meet...he's very rich and successful, and you guys
> have a lot in common..."
>
> Any questions asked at this point were answered
> with vague promises of riches doing something that
> needed no work and was the wave of the future, and
> if you didn't catch it immediately, you were going
> to be working some dead-end job the rest of your
> life. In the very near future, jobs of all kinds
> were going to be eliminated, and the economy was
> going to be dominated by people who had a wide
> circle of friends with an insatiable need for
> cleaning supplies.
That's the best description that covers pretty much every MLM hook I've seen over the years.
Con men are great at sales and psychology. There are some universal predator/prey dynamics at play here with a strong play towards deadly sins.
pride = "you're a sharp guy - a real go getter"
greed = "promises of riches"
sloth = "needed no work"
fear = "jobs will be eliminated"
envy = "catch it immediately or someone else will"
urgency = "do it now or your life will suck"
Ironically, it is preventing acedia. O.o