Do you receive requests from Family and Friends about kinda Absurd Money making Offers?

in LeoFinance3 years ago (edited)

For some reason, I do get them. More then once in a while.

Just a few days ago, it was one of those offers to earn 2k$ in Bitcoin within an hour. The only requirement to enter this program is to pay 200$. Before I responded to this message, the person who shared this with me, received another message mentioning something like 400$ to get alerts. They may have something to offer, who knows: But for the mass, this is a scam, period!

Sometimes these offers are more believable. Like selling energy and phone subscriptions for which a starter package is required, costing a few 100$. Over time, I checked a few of those offers. All of them using the pyramid game. Added to that: The participant has to sell prepared packages which are more expensive than when getting the same product or service from the vendor directly. Those offering these programs, literally talk about selling to friends and family.

Either one is able to screw people over and over all the time, or it's gonna be an investment wasted.

This morning I was triggered by some guy with a video on LBRY (video). He talked about 'Swipe Files'. No clue what Swipe Files are about, nothing planned for the day other than cooking some quality meals, I decided to dig into the (supposedly) master of Swipe Files 'John Crestani'.

This guy offers free training! Time for some research...


screenshot: promo video by John Crestani

Took a bit of time before this guy mentioned Swipe Files. It seems to be a set of proven advertisements to be used for affiliate marketing. But first things first!

The first hour of the video was kinda ok. This guy, John, was explaining how he was struggling to make an online business when he was 18/19 years old. After trying all sort of activities, he discovered affiliate marketing when he was 20 years of age. Since then he started making money. Mostly he was explaining what affiliate marketing is. Explaining the concept of people, place and product. Social media platforms to be used (Facebook, YouTube and all). However, he was not giving anything tangible. None of the information he is giving in his video can be used to start the business of affiliate marketing with any success. Obviously, he was building up to sell something to the viewers.

An hour it took before he dropped his 'product'.

A 5k$ worth package...


screenshot: promo video by John Crestani

...now for a measly 997$.


screenshot: promo video by John Crestani

No indication how much time left for the end of the video, I let it run in the background. Now 2,5 hours later from the start of the session, the video finally ended. This guy talked 1,5 hours just to try to get the viewers converted, ie buying the package. He used all the known tricks. But at the same time, he became sloppy in his content. A limited number of new signups, fluctuating between 17, 20 and 30 in maximum numbers depending on where in the video. Multiple times, limited time offers for the next XYZ minutes. Extended time offers. Additional bonuses increasing the value of the package. Testimonials: Lots of testimonials! From Facebook message all the way to videos of those who made lots and lots of money using the program of master Crestani.

Hear Hear!

While the video progresses, more and more bonuses added to the package, increasing the package value every single time.


screenshot: promo video by John Crestani

Next one...


screenshot: promo video by John Crestani

And then another one: Bonus number 5...


screenshot: promo video by John Crestani

The viewer is simply stupid not to spend the little money the packing costs. 1k$ for a package worth around 20k$ of free money! The ability to earn as much as a starting value of 2,5k$ per week? All of this for 4 hours work week only? An offer you can't refuse!

He himself made over 20M$ using his own program. Maybe he did. Or, maybe he simply earned all that money from all those giving him 1k$ to participate in the program. 20k ignorant people are required, only.

I must say: This guy is good! A great sales guy! Not one of those slick ones. He comes across very knowledgeable, especially to those not familiar with marketing and business terminology. In the first hour, he gives information about how this whole affiliate marketing works. He shows a few websites he uses. Very believable. But when you are a bit familiar with affiliate marketing, it is clear this guy didn't give any solid information at all. It's just a cleaver sounding information session, without any substance. I suppose good enough for those who stay till the end of the video; Who may actually buy his package.


screenshot: promo video by John Crestani

Again, I realised how good these people are. The way he builds up his show will trick people into believing him for sure. And of all those people who start believing him while the session progresses, for sure some will hit the subscribe button and pay him the requested 997$.

With just a tiny bit of research, one can easily conclude this guy is a likely a scam artist. The URL with the offer presented as a limited time offer, continuous to be available, also after his show. When opening the same page in another tab of the web browser, it starts the countdown of 45 minutes again. The website doesn't even recognise the other open session I had in my browser. But I suppose, those who actually believe this guy can make them rich, whilst not spending too much time, will not research, but just click the buy button.

I'm pretty sure people do make money with affiliate marketing. Some may even make so much money most of us can only dream about. But I'm also pretty sure, way more people out there spending good money for nothing!

Whenever I'm approached by someone asking me if some 'scam' program is an honest one, I ask myself the same question. A question, I like to ask you (the LEO and HIVE community) as well:

How can we protect people from Internet scams?

To be honest: I don't have an answer, other than adding warnings to such messages whenever they are discovered (as a result of research: manual or by AI), or blunt out applying censorship (which I'm not in favour of). I do know, when nothing is done against these type of scam artists, it'll continue to create a lot of victims. I even suspect an increasing amount of victims over time, since we will see income from jobs reduced, the number of jobs reduced, while the urge of earning online increased the more we progress into the future.

a LEO / HIVE original
all images by edje unless stated otherwise
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As @steevc mentioned, I also got sucked in an affiliate program but I also sucked terribly at selling stuffs, that's probably why I am not rich with my music (for now, but you can join my new affiliate program where I show you how to get rich by doing nothing!!!).

All these so called experts fall eventually, let's go the list of the fallen ones:

Grant Cardone under investigation

Thai Lopez "look at my garage"

Dan Blizerian

There is also Jerry "suckmyowndick" B that was very big on this blockchain, but I am not even gonna put his full name in, and doesn't deserve a youtube video.

Great research on this post!!!

🤣🤣🤣🤣

for now, but you can join my new affiliate program where I show you how to get rich by doing nothing!!!

🤣🤣🤣🤣

WOW, massive abuse this Cardone guy/case. Cleaver of him to monetise his huge followbase with training/coaching and books. The Thai Lopez one gioves me an idea; The idea of doing this myself; Other topics, but my friends tell me I know a lot; I think I just know basic stuff of a lot of topics; But I stories and can invent stories easily > New revenue stream for me 🤣🤣🤣 The Dan Blizerian seems to be super fake. Love the presentor: Jarvis Johnson...Super entertaining! 🙃

This post is not to be missed!

one can easily conclude this guy is a likely a scam artist.

What, you listened to a video (even in the background) for 2,5 hours? This is called preparation for the topic and research! 🙌

There are scam artists out there, indeed. I can not say anything about affiliate marketing, I have zero knowledge about the topic, but scams, hm, plenty of.

If you let me, can I describe one of the scams going on with teachers?

So, a piano teacher receives an email with the next offer (there are changes and slight differences the scammers are including... but basically this kind):

A parent wants piano lessons for 3 or 4 children. Twice a week. During a period of xy months. The parent is deaf, so just messages, they can not talk on the phone. (another version is that the parent doesn't speak the language)The children will be brought with a personal driver, so no contact again with the parent. The money, which is now determined (because they agree on how many children/per week/per months/price of the lesson) is paid by the parent through a transfer. The parent accidentally pays more, so asks the teacher to pay back the extra money. The teacher pays, the parent disappears with the paid back money and the initial transfer is cancelled or not realized at all.

I saw this so many times at piano teachers forums in the USA. Almost daily complaints about how they get scammed in this way!

How can we protect people from Internet scams?

Giving those examples, but you can not help, in reality, as not everyone will listen.

I even suspect an increasing amount of victims over time, since we will see income from jobs reduced, the number of jobs reduced, while the urge of earning online increased the more we progress into the future.

This is happening in crisis, yes... also gambling, games of chance are increasing when people are in need :/

Hahahaha well... Maybe not all time for research for this post. More like: while curating the blockchain this morning, I came across a post with a video on the LBRY network. See them more often, but next to launching the video and skipping through it, I also took the time to check if my wallet was still available and accessible. Long story short: Yes it was. With the newly downloaded client I started to browse the LBRY network, and amongst others, came across a promo video (the one I mentioned at the beginning of my post). That one led me to check his website and the long video. I suppose, because the topic of internet scamming was somewhere in my mind due to this Bitcoin scam thingy a friend almost got hereself into.

An hour into the video, I thought: I could make a post for HIVE so I decided to watch the rest as well. Well watching, at some point I started writing the post with all the blahblahblah at the background.

Must say, this John guy was a whole lot better than the BTC guy my friend walked into.

Question still is: Is this offer by John a scam, or will those who signup and pay, get access to some library of training material, a community, support channel and group/p2p coaching services? Maybe this is in fact offered.

Since I don't know what this guy delivers, I can't claim he is a scammer. But, people shall be aware it may be money wasted, when getting into the offered 'game'. Since, the average jo will not excel in affiliate marketing. That's a given.

The teachers scam. Interesting how people believe someone having paid, and refund some of the money before they even receive the payment. D*rn those scammers: They bank on the fact people are of good will, and people believe others have a good heart. Now, I must say: I do believe most people have a good heart, but that is beside the point :)

A few people in my circles know how I do my reearch, and know when they ask me something, I give my honest answer which I try to keep as objective as possible. These people tend to checkin with me whenever they feel they are on to something they like to get into (usually some easy money scheme) and before they continue to subscribe, get my opinion. Others in my circles ask me what to vote for when elections are held. For similar reasons: I do my research. That's my way of contributing to the scam artists. In fact, I think we need AI and human based teams rating information and offers. Results shall somehow be presented with the search results in search engines. It's then up to the searcher, to act on the ratings, or not.

Sorry for a bit late reply, I was doing my research and writing the SadSunday post... where maybe you are involved... and in my yesterday's post also 🤣 What an influencer you are.
And a researcher. If your friends for your opinion in such delicate matters, it indeed means you are a good researcher and they trust you! Nice.

So I went to lbry, and saw just short videos, so the long one is on his website. ok. Education is not cheap, and a good education that can be paid back is worthy. Now the only question is what you get, is it really worth and do you have your own capabilities to make that real. I don't see myself even close to the matter, but that is me.
Maybe there are some motivated people who can to it possible, but I suppose they could make it even without this program then? I don't know.

The teacher scam, I am just amazed at how some people can fall into it, but on the other hand, I can understand. In desperate situations, every student counts so you want to do as much as possible to have some extra students.

Are you edje in lbry?

Have to check your latest post, will she them tomorrow morning 🙃
But really? Influencer? pfffff hahahaha
LBRY: @edje#4

There seems to be a consistent pattern to a lot of online selling. I have looked at some music courses and some of them do a similar deal where you get lots of 'free' stuff if you buy now. It is open to question whether anyone ever paid what they claim for it. Some of these people also want you to buy further courses before you have even started the first one. Personally I want to see if it is any good. I am more likely to trust someone who does not rely on such 'tricks'.

A while back a guy I worked with tried to get me onto a scheme he did of selling some health products where you got a cut from anyone you signed up. I'm just not a sales person and I would not feel good even trying to sell to friends and family.

I guess that some of these schemes work for some people.

Indeed, most of the online selling follow very similar patterns. Some of them leading to true scams, others may just take money from people thinking the world can give them more or less free money. Or actually think some task is as simple as it is told by the seller. They pay for the package, they get decent information and service, but then discover they are not sales people at all. It's best to discover this before making the effort to pay.

The pyramid sales, is something that is around quite a lot. Not all bad, to be honest. Tupperware is sold in a similar scheme and very successful; This is ongoing for decades, maybe half a century. But this type of pyramid sales is profitable for those who live B2C sales, on- and/or offline. One must be born with the right gen's to be such a sales guy, it's something very difficult to learn.

Great you didn't go for the teaching courses. I believe: Best is to spend some (more) money and get private teachers, or go to physical or online schools where one can talk directly with people before enrolling into the program. Call me old fashioned, but like you, I want to see things first, before I spend money on something :)

My mum sold Tupperware when I was young and we still have some of it.

I have bought some of the music courses, but just went for the basic offer to see what it was like. The high pressure selling does put me off. Mind you, most of them provide some decent quality free lessons too. I think they may operate through some agency that persuades them to use the 'buy now to save lots' strategy. I have seen it too many times to fall for it.

Tupperware is great! I don't have it, but my mom has a lot.
I just told her, I can find something else to Tupperware that is as good. Then I went to some store with all sort of super professional stuff (and expensive) to proof my point 🤣🤣🤣

This pushy sales, I think is something that is quite American (North American.... well, USA). It's not for me as well. And true, its a selling technique for products and services that may be of good quality. However, like you, I usally don't go for anything when a something is sold to me in such way.

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Brilliant article. Really ...will reply more fully later ...

cool 🙃