When you were an active JW, did you ever have dealings with a pyramid scheme?

by Tameria2001 39 Replies latest jw experiences

  • HiddlesWife
    HiddlesWife

    @Solzhenitsyn=> NEXX (telecommunications company); A.C.N., AVON, Mary Kay, Ardyss International to name some more, plus various insurance businesses and real estate businesses as well. Whew!!

  • Pete Zahut
    Pete Zahut

    Over the years I must have encountered all of the different angles JW's got involved with to get rich quick in the guise of wanting to make enough money to pioneer or ride out this wicked system of things.

    The use of anecdotal stories rather than data was the norm but the biggest red flag for me was when being part of the selling of the product was more important than the product itself. The next giveaway was when they used expressions such as "we're really excited about this product", "Double blind studies have shown", "third party independent testing proves..."

    I remember there was there was one product called Nikken and they sold magnetic headbands for migraine headaches and expensive mattress toppers for insomnia.

    There was also one called "Super Blue Green Algae". This was literally pond scum that was supposed to not only make your rich but cure all of your ills and make you smarter to boot.

    Oh well...scammers gotta' eat too I suppose.

  • smiddy3
    smiddy3

    I had a couple of encounters with a brother and a sister that was involved with different types of weight loss schemes.

    The "sister" was rather plump and overweight and tried to entice my wife into the scheme ,I tactlessly told her that it didn`t seem to be doing her much good .

    And the "brother" who had a beer belly that any drinker would be proud of as having your own private keg wore a T-shirt that said "Lose weight ? Ask me how"

    That was a great source of amusement for me.

    Their was also a couple ex missionaries who ran a hair removal salon using electrolysis ,what a scam that was that many witnesses fell for.

  • ShirleyW
    ShirleyW

    I remember two sisters in the Hall sold some kind of cleaning detergent, but it wasn't Amway. I don't remember the name of it, but I remember this particular product wasn't very trustworthy, I remember watching an investigative report on the news about it, this was in the late 70 or early 80's and it was kind of funny to me, but this woman here in NYC agreed to sell the product, she could barely speak English with the reporter, but she pointed to the living room of her apt and the room was FILLED with boxes of this product that she had to sell !! Funny to me because these two sisters were involved with it, but surely not funny to that woman who got stuck with a shitload of the stuff in her apartment.

  • SnakesInTheTower
    SnakesInTheTower

    Who was the CO involved at a high level in ACN? He was eventually removed. I am too lazy to find it at midnight.

    Snakes

  • APieceOfShitNamedTate
    APieceOfShitNamedTate

    This Melaleuca stuff is crazy. I get a very strong Scientology vibe from it. I wonder what happens if you try to leave them. Just listen to the way these people talk. They're obviously brainwashed.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54lkdFrevw8

  • tiki
    tiki

    I never personally fell for any of that stuff...but I knew many who were into all sorts of those schemes. It was very popular in the brohood in the 70's and 80's. All sorts of cures and crap being purveyed....

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    My Dad was particularly susceptible to MLM pitches (in retrospect, he really wanted to trust people, among other things).

    Drove my Mom nuts.

  • carla
    carla

    Sparky beat me to it too!

  • zeb
    zeb

    I have seen a few such schemes over time but never got involved. They all come out of the US and then try to say this is an Australian enterprise.

    Just took a look at the video above.. good grief all they need is those blue "org" badges..

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