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	<title>Pyramid Scheme Alert</title>
	
	<link>http://pyramidschemealert.org</link>
	<description>The first international organization to expose, study and prevent pyramid schemes.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:36:22 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Newspaper Series Explores Cult Connection to MLM, NXIVM</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PyramidSchemeAlert/~3/KhLIZK4Rgtw/</link>
		<comments>http://pyramidschemealert.org/newspaper-series-explores-cult-connection-to-mlm-nxivm/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:36:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert FitzPatrick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[MLM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pyramid Schemes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scheme Alerts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commercial cults]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consumers' BuyLine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cult]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cultism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NXIVM]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pyramidschemealert.org/?p=1164</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The lethal combination of cult and pyramid in a multi-level marketing company was vividly explored in a recent newspaper series on the multi-level marketing company, NXIVM (pronounced like the acid reflux “purple” pill). The four-part series in the Albany Times Union by James M. Odato and Jennifer Gish chronicles lawsuits, accusations of sexual abuse of [...]]]></description>
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		<title>A European Court Rules: “Herbalife Is an Illegal Pyramid Scheme”</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PyramidSchemeAlert/~3/sXPHMXeHjSE/</link>
		<comments>http://pyramidschemealert.org/a-european-court-rules-herbalife-is-an-illegal-pyramid-scheme/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:02:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert FitzPatrick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Legal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pyramid Schemes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scheme Alerts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pyramidschemealert.org/?p=1152</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are two icons of MLM that represent all the others of that &#8220;industry&#8221;. They are among the oldest and largest MLMs, and they have spread to most other countries worldwide. One is Amway. The other is Herbalife. Herbalife has just been ruled an illegal pyramid scheme by a court in Belgium. A case had [...]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Texas AG Forces MLM, Fortune High Tech Marketing, to Pay Refunds</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PyramidSchemeAlert/~3/zfCqnVAetds/</link>
		<comments>http://pyramidschemealert.org/texas-ag-forces-mlm-fortune-high-tech-marketing-to-pay-refunds/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:26:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert FitzPatrick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Legal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scheme Alerts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pyramidschemealert.org/?p=1101</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Fortune High Tech Marketing (FHTM), the darling of the multi-level marketing industry when it was launched by former recruiters of the bankrupt MLM, Excel Communications, has been hit by regulators in yet another state. Texas consumers who were involved in the scheme may be entitled to refunds, totalling more than $1.3 million. The company has [...]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>FTC: Line between MLM and Pyramid Fraud too Complex to Regulate</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PyramidSchemeAlert/~3/WXVE8SjDdr4/</link>
		<comments>http://pyramidschemealert.org/ftc-line-between-mlm-and-pyramid-fraud-too-complex-to-regulate/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:32:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert FitzPatrick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[MLM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business opportunity rule]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FTC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[multi-level marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Network marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pyramid Schemes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scam]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pyramidschemealert.org/?p=1082</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The staff of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reversed its earlier position on the need to regulate multi-level marketing and has now recommended exempting all MLMs from a proposed &#8220;business opportunity rule.&#8221; This means MLMs will have no rules requiring disclosure of income averages, recruiting requirements, saturation, failure rates, or business costs when recruiters [...]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Is Social Security a Ponzi Scheme? Pyramid Scheme Alert Answers: NO!</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PyramidSchemeAlert/~3/WALhg2Vchzs/</link>
		<comments>http://pyramidschemealert.org/is-social-security-a-ponzi-scheme-pyramid-scheme-alert-answers-no/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Sep 2011 14:19:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert FitzPatrick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Investment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Legal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scheme Alerts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[multi-level marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Network marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ponzi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ponzi Scheme]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pyramid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pyramid Scheme Alert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rick Perry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Texas]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pyramidschemealert.org/?p=1026</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since its founding 11 years ago, Pyramid Scheme Alert has battled an epidemic of Ponzi and Pyramid Schemes in the USA and internationally. The schemes operate as multi-level marketing, home-based businesses, gifting clubs, investment schemes, buying clubs and under other disguises. Our Directors, Advisers and supporters have researched and analyzed pyramid schemes and have worked [...]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Is Social Security a Ponzi Scheme?</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PyramidSchemeAlert/~3/0N7pZbAwUjM/</link>
		<comments>http://pyramidschemealert.org/is-social-security-a-ponzi-scheme/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Sep 2011 17:52:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert FitzPatrick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Legal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[multi-level marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ponzi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ponzi Scheme]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pyramid Schemes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rick Perry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pyramidschemealert.org/?p=1046</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By Robert L. FitzPatrick, President of Pyramid Scheme Alert, with the Assistance of Pyramid Scheme Alert Directors and Advisors. A presidential candidate charges that the American Social Security system is a “Ponzi scheme” not long after the largest Wall Street Ponzi scheme in history collapsed and wiped out pensioners and charities. Pundits loudly argue the [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Hyped by Donald Trump, ACN Video Phone Business May Be Collapsing</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PyramidSchemeAlert/~3/fn6PiEvuP1w/</link>
		<comments>http://pyramidschemealert.org/hyped-by-donald-trump-acn-video-phone-business-may-be-collapsing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:06:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert FitzPatrick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[MLM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ACN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[multi-level marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video phone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WorldGate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pyramidschemealert.org/?p=996</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Donald Trump tells Americans that it is a technology breakthrough, a wave of the future; everybody will own one; better get in now! He is personally endorsing and hyping the &#8220;revolutionary IRIS V Video Phone&#8221;, the flagship product and the new icon of the multi-level marketing company, ACN, for which Donald Trump serves as pitchman-in-chief. [...]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Music MLM, BurnLounge, Ruled Illegal Pyramid by Fed Court, Finally</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PyramidSchemeAlert/~3/d057MPZv370/</link>
		<comments>http://pyramidschemealert.org/music-mlm-burnlounge-ruled-illegal-pyramid-by-fed-court-finally/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:46:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert FitzPatrick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pyramidschemealert.org/?p=987</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Federal Trade Commission (FTC) officials invested four years in seeking a verdict from a federal court on their charge that the multi-level marketing (MLM) company, BurnLounge, Inc. was an illegal pyramid scheme. Finally, on July 1, 2011, the verdict came in: Guilty! Read an Analysis of this important federal court decision&#8230;]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Has MLM Corrupted Avon?</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PyramidSchemeAlert/~3/THI6in0v_C0/</link>
		<comments>http://pyramidschemealert.org/has-mlm-corrupted-avon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 31 Jul 2011 22:41:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert FitzPatrick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Avon]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pyramidschemealert.org/?p=902</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Avon has long been, and is today, the pillar that holds up the credibility of the direct selling industry. It has unintentionally lent legitimacy to multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes that sold outrageous health scams, some that were sued by financially ruined consumers and others that were shut down by regulators for pyramid fraud. By their [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Federal Court Decision May Allow Restitution to Some Victims of MLM, YTB</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PyramidSchemeAlert/~3/o_bsumYSuRM/</link>
		<comments>http://pyramidschemealert.org/federal-court-decision-may-allow-some-ytb-victims-to-seek-restitution/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jul 2011 22:56:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert FitzPatrick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pyramidschemealert.org/?p=954</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A three judge federal panel has overturned an earlier ruling by a federal judge, thus giving new life to a class action lawsuit against the multi-level marketing scheme, Your Travel Biz.com (YTB). The class action lawsuit stated, &#8220;The defendant corporations have taken over half a billion dollars from their unsophisticated customers, selling them on the [...]]]></description>
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