Someone just tried to recruit me for a pyramid scheme...

[LostInAnomie]

... and I burned 'em.

As a favor to my friend who got roped in I listened to this guy's pitch but I knew what was coming.

The fast talking SOB started out by appealing to my greed by asking me what I would do with some ridiculous amount of money. I responded by saying in a disaffected voice "Probably give it away. I'm not really hung up on material wealth, it seems kinda shallow." That rattled him, and he said that he would spend his on cars. I responded by saying "Yeah, I guess some people need their toys to get by."

He then told me about how the program worked by me going out to get others to join, and they they will get others to join, and the money keeps moving upwards. I kept saying "Oh, like a pyramid." I guess that threw up a red flag because he kept saying "It's not like a pyramid." I then drew out how I thought the plan worked by drawing a box and drawing boxes layered underneath it and asked the guy if that is how it worked. He said that was right and then I drew a pyramid around it.

He finally left because he said I wasn't taking it seriously enough.

[faithnotgreed]

1. why would he think you werent serious?

haha

you did awesome. which is my favorite?

that you would give away the money because it seems kinda shallow
or
drawing the boxes then drawing the shape of the pyramid

ill think on that....

[miss_kitty]

2. are ya thinking of calling the law?

or is that something that you wouldn't do? (On Edit: no criticism either way, i am just curious)

BTW Good work on busting that prick...I hope he thinks about it...

[4morewars]

5. The cops can't do much...

It's not illegal for you to hand me a wad of cash or vice-versa. (no pun intended!)

[miss_kitty]

12. it can be depending on the state if it can be shown to be a pyramid

scheme:
from Findlaw

http://criminal.findlaw.com/crimes/a-z/pyramid_schemes.html

"Pyramid Schemes

Pyramid schemes are a criminal form of investment fraud in which a large return on a small amount of money is promised, if the initial investor convinces new recruits to invest their own money in turn. The "pyramid" is built on the belief that others will continue to add their own money into the scheme. But once additional investors become scarce, the pyramid collapses and large amounts of money can be lost. Increasingly, pyramid schemes are conducted via the Internet and e-mail."

[4morewars]

13. I guess the law has changed.....

since I last encountered one of these cons. I know that some of them are much more complex than the last one I encountered, and involve much more money, like millions, instead of thousands. Thanks for posting !

[LostInAnomie]

6. I should

He told me that if I wanted to research it that I should call these numbers that he gave and not look it up on the internet. He compared the internet to graffiti on a bathroom wall that you just can't trust. I gave him a big sarcastic "Yeah OK!" then told him to continue.

[scottcsmith]

18. Were they phone numbers?

Look up the area codes, I'll bet it's the Cayman Islands or some place where they charge you $50 a minute to listen to a recorded message.

[4morewars]

3. Nicely done !!!!

You, at least, slowed him down !! AND you got in a few nice jabs !! Maybe a call to the local PD might be in order ? I'm not sure that they can do much to stop this con man, but ya never know.

[TlalocW]

4. Ha!

Some guy at my gym when I was in grad school tried to rope me into that - treated me to a big ol' dinner at Braum's to butter me up. He kept saying that it wasn't a pyrmid scheme, and I kept drawing like you did to show that it was. Pissed him off.

You handled it wrong though... You did okay on being non-material, but you should have added on to it by insisting on talking to him about Jehovah. ;)

Seriously, good job.

TlalocW

[Philostopher]

7. I applaud you.

That sounds like it was very effective.

Usually, I just smirk and walk away -- you really bagged the S.O.B. Because anytime I smell pyramid/Ponzi stuff, the first thing out of my mouth is 'you have to be fucking kidding me, do you really think people are going to believe this?' ... which generally ends the dialogue, needless to say.

[salib]

8. Wonderful

Now, we all need to realize that we have been recruited into a pyramid scheme as soon as we are born into this country. We like to call it Capitalism, or market-based economics.

[Nikia]

9. We have a friend who is in one

Actually it is called multi level marketing. You make a little bit of money if you are making sales. You make more money if you get people to sell for you. They do actually sell something, but like I said if you want to really make money, you rope other people into it. I couldn't feel good about doing that. I heard somewhere that the multi level marketing idea was borrowed from the illegal drug business, who use this form out of necessity. I don't know why a legitamate business would need to do this.

[arwalden]

10. Did It Involve Selling Of Products? Services?

Or was it something a little more shady where you're selling nothing more than "membership slots" into the pyramid chain itself?

-- Allen

[vajraroshana]

11. my republican brother tried this on me twice

I messed with his head so bad I almost feel guilty.

I was very unhappy that he paid money to be in these schemes and after mind****ing him a little bit with the pitch I did give him a mathematical diagram showing him how he'd been srewed and how many thousands of people he'd have to "recruit" to even begin to see some kind of return on his investment.

He had, especially on his second try with me on some long-distance phone call scheme, some kind of absolute sure-fire way of making lots of money.

I introduced him to very simple mathematics and made my own "pyramid" showing him how many people he'd have to recruit before he made any money. He was amazed at the mathematics. It's actually very simple.

By the time I'd shown him how it works he was *pissed* at the person that *ripped him off*. I countered with "you're now trying to rip me off"!

He took the little piece of paper on which I did the math and has kept it with him since (about 9 years). He keeps it as a reminder.

[LoZoccolo]

14. I rarely LOL at things, but this got me.

He said that was right and then I drew a pyramid around it.

:yourock:

Actually, the legal definition of a pyramid scheme has something to do with how much money is made by actually selling things vs. recruiting people, or something like that. Having a business where you made money just on recruiting people would definately be an illegal pyramid scheme. But that's why they say "it's not a pyramid scheme". To me, it doesn't matter though, it's still annoying to the people you try to get involved in it!

[LostInAnomie]

20. Yeah, it's funny how disrespectful you can be towards someone...

... when you know they are trying to scam you.

[LoZoccolo]

15. Sub-question: who ever buys stuff from Amway?

Like, did anyone here ever have someone actually try to sell them some soap or something? I heard they tell you it might be expensive but you don't use as much. I also heard that certain individual distributors are responsible for further spreading the urban legend that Proctor and Gamble has some sort of satanic ties (debunked by Snopes here: http://www.snopes.com/business/alliance/procter.asp ).

[Wapsie B]

16. There are some people

in multiple pyramid schemes at the same time. It's a whole lot bigger than just Amway or Herbalife. It's a whole subculture unto itself. People so desparate for the big score in life, to build a successful business of their own, that they become easy targets for hucksters.

[Trish]

17. Hee Hee

Good job. I was approached by some Mary Kay woman once. Funny thing, I don't wear any make up! She started by asking me if I would do my job for free.......actually, I said yes, and this kind of screwed her up.....from there it just went downhill.
:)

[scottcsmith]

19. My mom and sister got suckered into one

They told me about it and I said "It's a scam" and they laughed me off. It was the variant of the "put your name on the list and mail it to five people" scam. Try and guess how much money they made? Hint: none.