pyramid schemes

The self-proclaimed "King of Infomercials" and snake oil salesman extraordinaire Donald Lapre was indicted this past Wednesday on more than 40 counts for his nationwide scheme to promote useless vitamins that defrauded nearly a quarter of a million victims out of more than $50 million. A federal...

Desperate times inspire desperate actions. This may be part of the business plan behind the reemergence of Amway from behind the obfuscating name it adopted, Quixtar. The company, often criticized for operating much like a pyramid scheme, is returning to its best-known brand name, Amway, no doubt...

Want to make $50 billion? Take a lesson from Bernard Madoff, and you too could be perp-walking into the Attorney General's office. Just follow these simple steps -- 1. Establish a great reputation for acumen. Sporting a legendary family name, and serving as the head of NASDAQ are examples of how...

The news that Bernard Madoff was arrested Friday and charged with securities fraud in what federal prosecutors called a $50 billion Ponzi scheme should serve as a warning to anyone asked to give money with promises of getting high returns if they sign up more people. Hopefully you won't get...

On his website totalwellnessnetwork.com, Dr. Ladd McNamara extols the benefits of network marketing: "20% of all millionaires in the world made their fortune through the Network Marketing system," he writes.But if 20% of the world's millionaires got that way through multi-level marketing, they also...

More than 800 Pennsylvania homeowners have been hoodwinked into almost losing their homes. The homeowners refinanced their homes with Wesley A. Snyder, who has now pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud charges and faces up to 30 years in prison.The homeowners took out mortgages on their homes,...