DIRECTORY OF MLM NEWS UNITED KINGDOM AND EUROPE
We have reporters from around the world. Volunteer to be a MLM WatchDog reporter for reporting MLM Europe and your country! Europe and U.K covers the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Spain and others:
UK GOV LAUNCHES NEW SCAM SITE
15 Feb 2008 - With scams running amuck in the U.K., the government has woken up and is making a scammer list like the FBI controls in the U.S. Bout time! Although we can't say that we have seen a lot of results in from the big database feeds in the U.S.
15 IRISH DISTRIBUTORS HAUL AVON TO COURT
16 July 2007 - 15 angry Irishwomen have their.. well.. uh... Irish up! In 1994 when Avon opened Ireland they recruited a group of housewives trained them as “Managers” and gave them designated areas that were theirs to build sales forces in. These housewives went to work in upscale neighborhoods around Dublin. The mad Irishwomen say, “they were promised the areas for life” when they built their Avon businesses. Then last year Avon changed the game... Ouch! No more exclusive areas!
WatchDog Note: In the U.S. this can’t be done. Why? Because if you give a designated territory, it makes the business a franchise and it takes 10 tons of paper to make legal.
WatchDog P.S. I love this writer (link below) Dearbhail McDonald and her phrase – “DING Dong, it's Avon Calling! But this time it's lipsticks at 50 paces!”
FINDEL BUYS KLEENEZE AND COBOUCHON AFTER BANKRUPTCY
8 Nov 2006 - European Home Retail, the London Stock Exchange Company, that was the parent of British MLM Company Kleeneze, had to call in the receivers after their Farepak subsidiary left Euro Home Retail broke. Kleeneze MLM with flat sales the last few years, has sold to Findel, the home shopping conglomerate based in Lancashire, UK. Findel also bought Cabouchon, and other companies in the fire sale bundle as Kleeneze. The officers of Findel are working hard to convince distributors that Kleeneze and Cabouchon have a good future, but no money has been put up for improving marketing efforts or commissions of either company.
SPAIN STAMP PYRAMID DESTABLIZES COUNTRY
1 Aug 2006 - In what amounted to a scam involving a pyramid scheme, stamps were bought at low prices and then sold at vastly inflated prices to customers lured by HYPED promises
GOOD STORY ON UK PURE PYRAMID SCHEMES
31 July 2006 - Well written chronology of UK pure pyramid schemes that have plagued the island nation. Good history of theft. http://www.gowyc.co.uk/moneyschemes.htm
IRELAND AND UK HIT BY SCAMS
8 June 2006 - The Bank of Ireland and the UK Fair trading office rang big alarm bells yesterday!
IRELAND HIT BY BIG GIFTING SCAM
15 Apr 2006 - Suckers put 5,000 Euro (about $7,000) into the Liberty Gifting scheme. They are guaranteed an 8x return on their investment if they bring in 2 new suckers. The big twist is the money is taken in Germany because of its liberal tax laws and no capital gains tax.
a clean record? funny since I can name a growing number of ex LLI associates who have filed against LLI thru the AG in Arizona and have
gotten refund checks ...
EPI is nothing but a spinoff of Liberty League International .... Jason Cox was an EC member @ LLI and EPI promotes "webucation" training .... with a heavy emphasis on Offshore seminars ... and a "system" that is "automated" with "no cold calling" ... and amazingly all of the EPI reps "claim" to be making 3-5k per week working 20 hrs per week
OFFICE OF FAIR TRADE (OFT) KICKS OFF WEB SCAM SEARCH
28 Feb 2006 – The U.K. OFT is joining consumer affairs regulators worldwide in an Internet Scam search for bad guys that can be nailed internationally. Usually in the U.S. the FTC (OFT counterpart) doesn’t announce scam searches until they are underway and warrants issued. Note No MLM Areas Targeted.
U.K. PORNO PYRAMID SCHEME COMES TO BAD END
Jan 2006 – A porno pyramid scheme that did not deliver appears to have ended in murder and mayhem in England. We classify this as a pyramid because multiple persons were involved in the selling of the pyramid scheme. http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=120233
WATCHDOG COMPLAINTS DO COUNT IN THE U.K.
Jan 2006 -- Complaints do count. See UK complaint area in the scam library......... http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16601110&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=investigate--capital-funding--name_page.html
BRITS HIT BY LOTTERY SCAM
Oct 2005 – A real high overhead here for a lottery pool! A decent sort of chap would break even on operating the pool and do the take as a member of the pool! This has been done in the U.S. too! Don’t be sucker! Besides if your pool wins the money how do you know what your numbers were? This commentor misses the main ways you can be screwed! UR Editor Rod Cook
ECONOMIC LESSONS! GREEK PYRAMID BY ATHENS PROFESSOR
Oct 2005 - A professor at Athens Greece, University of Economics and Business, is suspected of operating a business venture since 2000 that called for investment in exchange for high returns. The Academic offered his clients (and rich students) monthly returns of 5 percent, which mounted up to 60 percent per year. Now he has disappeared and his students and investors got a real life lesson in Economic Scams! http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100018_09/09/2005_60573
2ND TIME IN A MONTH! WOW THE UK IS REALLY ON TO MATRIX SCAMS
Oct 2005 – The UK is really blasting Matrixes as being at the top of the Pyramid Scams. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT)in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland just fired out the second (#2) blast this month on Matrixes and their poor history. The OFT in the UK is like the FTC in the U.S. In fact they both work together on busting international scams. I was told by a company rep in England that the OFT wouwould not accept registrations by Matrixes. Looks like he was only half wrong. Big problem is Matrixes collapse before they pay out the money promised. The OFT in the UK hates them for sure. Makes 3 of U.S. From the 1980's in the U.S. there was a move by States to ban matrixes. Today if you are a Matrix don't get close to N.C. !! or several other states! The OFT says, "Matrix schemes, the heirs to pyramid schemes."
UK LISTS TOP 10 SCAMS INCLUDING MATRIXES
October 2005
PEOPLE IN PROFIT SCAM HITS IRELAND
Sept 2005 – After Alaska got hit by PIPS and left people impoverished,,, the scammers headed to Kells Town in Ireland to do their dirty work. The EUC now threatening to pass consumer protection laws to throw people running International scams in jail. Somebody needs to stop this Scam and protect good MLM Companies!
IRISH TO GET SKYBIZ MONEY!
Aug 2005 – Yes, their are MLM Distributors in Ireland! Some good ones too! Irish Government reports that Irish Distributors are to get money back after hearing that Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and etc were getting part of the $20 million! This article is interesting because it says that part of the loot from Skybiz was kept in a Dublin bank. FTC reports and the court trial of Skybiz and it's owner never mentioned this. Mmmmm does this mean the Feds are holding out on returned money.
OUCH! BRITS ARE IMPORTING GIFTING PROGRAMS
Aug 2005 – Women Empowering Women shows up in the UK and now Heart... a scam on deaf people that is a gifting program! The exports from the U.S. to the U.K. (Great Britain or England – and yes I have had inquiries about what I mean when I say U.K.) they didn’t need ......scams! Click here for Story
UK SKYBIZ VICTIMS CAN GET REFUNDS FROM U.S.!
June 2005 -- The UK Office of Fair Trading says 25,000 UK victims the illegal international pyramid scheme Skybiz could get money back as part of a US Federal Trade Commission redress program.
AVON AND KLEENZE HOME PARTIES TOO HOT?
April 2005 -- England: Are Avon and Kleenze "bad home party kids" in Carmarthenshire U.K.? One message to the WatchDog indicates Trading standards officers in that area have arbitrarily extended the “cooling off period” to 14 days. Plus that an arbitration scheme has been put in the works. What in “Heavens Name” is going on in that part of the U.K.?? Please use the complaint form on the MLM Watchdog to forward any information on this local attack on home party plans in the U.K. (not so Merry Old England)
GERMANY TAKEN TO COURT FOR LABELING GARLIC A DRUG
Apr 2005 -- Germany is being taken to court by the European Commission for treating garlic supplements as drugs. Germany, the home of Bayer and other major drug companies, has long caused nutritional supplements to be classified as drugs, while other countries treat them as food. Ed. Note: Wow the EUC may help folks there after all! Germans may get some help with German nutritionals under E.U.C. law.
LONDON COMPLAINTS ON SCAMS (Also See Library)
Mar 2005 -- Monpolizer and other London scams in the U.K.. For London those who have been defrauded, please contact the Metropolitan Police. You can't do this by e-mail, you HAVE to phone. This is ONLY for victims of the scam. The police can take action pretty quickly but you MUST make the effort to call them, OK. Ask for the Control Room and report FRAUD. Savile Row police station is the one nearest to the Monopolizer, Beak St maildrop. Tell them Monopolizer is running from mailbox 172 at 77 Beak St. W1.
0207 321 8867 from within the UK.
44 207 321 8867 from outside the UK (but not the US).
011 44 207 8867 from the US.
Those who may or may not have been defrauded but simply want the scam shut down should also contact Trading Standards below:
And the Office of Fair Trading, Consumer Regulation Enforcement Division:
Put Monopolizer Scam in your subject line in each case.
Remember: "If it sounds too good to be true, then it is!"
EVORA NOW RETAIL COMPANY – BY COURT DICTATE!
Sept 2004 – The Regional Court, Hamburg, Germany shut down MLM activity by EVORA a German Kosmetic MLM company. EVORA was promising part time work but applicants had to pay for training and their inventory. In Germany training is even a bigger red flag than in the U.S. The “snowball like” marketing system has been forbidden. No ads for full or part time work while they participant has to pay for anything (Reminds us of Equinox in the U.S. !!). They have to pay all the money back to all the participants (estimated at $2.5 million). NOW they can only sell direct sales no MLM! This is a German company and got favored treatment, no jail time. Ed Note: I haven't lived in Germany for 30 years so my translation is probably not perfect.
NEW GERMAN MLM LAW
Aug 2004 – This month Germany changed their MLM law to tighten up against pyramid schemes by further defining Progression Driven Customer Marketing. This is in § 16 of the UWG’s (Commercial Code). Roughly translated § 16 UWG means “Punishable Advertising.” False income claims = imprisonment 2 years or level 1 fines (steep). (2) Promising to build a pyramid scheme as part of advertisement = imprisonment 2 years and fines at the very highest rate. This country does not kid around or do plea agreements like the U.S. Ed. Note: I was in Germany in 1975 when they threw at least 30% of MLM leaders in jail. It was known as Germany’s “black September” to MLMers for years. No, I did not go to jail! :>)
LADY PYRAMID SCAMMER AND DIAMOND THIEF NEEDS OWN BOOK
29 July 2004 – This Scots Woman needs her own book. Wow what a life. Most pyramid schemers don’t have the nerve to pull this stuff off! This reads like an adventure novel! What a crooked life! GREAT short story! http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=847412004
3 GIFTS MATRIX SCAM
July 2004 – Here is another UK scam. They must love this junk because the law doesn’t quite cover the scam (see article below) Buy Ebooks which are virtually worthless on the Internet in this day and age (phony product) and get entered in this scam to win all kinds of FREE gifts. The more friends that you sucker in the more of a scammer you become. http://www.3gifts.co.uk/faq.htm
IPOD MATRIX PYRAMID SCHEME ON EBAY LEAVES UK HELPLESS!
July 2004 – UK Fair Trading Officers said: "These things are a con, it's very simple.” The Fair Trading Standards also said they were struggling to do anything and that: Our draft gambling bill makes these schemes illegal, and we hope to introduce this into law in the autumn.” From there they can prosecute. Until then MLM WatchDog notes that doing an Ipod scam on Ebay gives you an 1.1% of getting an Ipod!
UK MASSIVE PYRAMID – PLANLINE
12 July 2004 – Dead give away! 700% return on rare photographs (sound like collector paintings?) paid 10 levels. Money offshore to the Caymans! Wow what a deal for suckers that love this sort of scam and raking in innocents to take their money!
PYRAMID SCHEME ELECTRIC MONEY TREE REBORN IN THE U.K.!
16 June 2004 --THE Electric Money Tree is a simple scam. Once you join, an un-named product will be sold on your behalf. Wow what a deal! Is it a receipe or how to steal money? The Liverpool Post reports on the UK scam of the month!! Some body dug out this old U.S. scam from 1997! The best part is the Post
ran down the scam artists running this pyramid scheme!
GERMANY HIT BY MASS PYRAMID SCHEME?
June 2004 – Newsweek International issue. Pyramid Scheme as big as Enron? Germany picks on legal MLM companies (very strict) and they let pyramid schemes like this flourish?
Albanian Pyramid Scheme Manager Dies In Prison
29 May 2004 -- Rrapush Xhaferri, manager of one of Albania's pyramid schemes of the 1990s, has died in prison. Prison authorities said Xhaferri, 69, died yesterday of liver cancer. A number of fraudulent investment companies in the 1990s cost many Albanians their life savings when the firms collapsed. Riots and looting followed. Thousands of people died in the violence. With international help, a government committee was appointed to manage restitution but little cash has ever been returned to investors.
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