Friend trying to recruit me into her MLM scheme

[reasonwith]

posting for traffic

I have recently been made furloughed by the company I work in as the job role I work in is struggling to pick up work for employees. DH is working but has taken a 30% pay cut so finances aren't strong at the moment. I have a friend who has devoted her life to home working in the last year but quit her job in January to work as an MLM 'team member' whatever that is.

I am fairly active on social media, and so is she, on several local Facebook groups. I run one group where it is rather a safe space for members to post - excluding MLM schemes and any other schemes that exploit people. My friend is a part of the group and usually is a compliant poster. However recently she has been messaging me, asking me if I'd like to join her MLM team. She is a recruiter so makes money from recruiting other people and when they pay in, she gets a percentage. I have refused, and she has kept on insisting. Today I logged onto Facebook and saw that she has now tried to recruit my group members and I immediately deleted the post and got rid of her.

She sent a grovelling message saying it was 'totally unfair and rude as MLM offer good working incentives in this current situation'. I retorted back and told her that she is exploiting a lot of furloughed people and unemployed people to pay an absurd money so she gets money!! After that she stopped replying. However, another friend of mine sent me screenshots of my 'friend' ranting on multiple groups about me, and calling for people to troll me and send me death threats.

She's even sent me a bloody invoice of the monthly payments you have to pay in for the MLMs. I have now blocked her and anyone who is associated with her so she can't use them to get into my head. I am livid. Please share any stories you have of MLM recruitment, so I can feel better.

Surely she was BU about this as she is trying to force me to sign up?

I follow a Facebook group called 'MLM Lies Exposed'. It's fab! Cuts through all the bullshit. You definitely made the right call! I believe there may be a way of reporting her behaviour to her bosses. I've never been involved in an MLM but I get my information from reading these posts; they're very entertaining (unless you're caught up in it, obvs 🙁).

My cousin recently got into one. Her and her husband are all about Arbonne and it is cringeworthy as fuck. She keeps trying to recruit family members as well as sell her shit to us - I delete anything that comes through and just ignore, but my sister had a right go at her.

The only MLM I’ll tolerate is Avon because I’ve never had an Avon lady try and recruit me. Any of the others are exploitative particularly to vulnerable women and I won’t have it.

I was doing a job search earlier in my local area and Avon popped up. That's not a proper job!

You're well rid of your bot OP

I tried to follow the threads on her, I had no idea what 'bot' meant actually and now I understand. I follow some social media groups about MLMs and watched the BBC 3 documentary on it which was very fascinating. Unfortunately I know several women like her who seem to really believe in the company and what it stands for, but I often think they are delusional! My sister used to do Avon, only for a short while as she was a single mum and wanted to earn as her DS was young so didn't want to work and pay for childcare but she was spending so much money! How can they get away with these things?

sorry, *here

Our local groups are inundated with new Avon, Body Shop and Younique reps. All thinking they now own their own business

The ‘MLM Lies Exposed’ Facebook group is very informative.

I read a brilliant anti- younique blog once and behind all of these comments is a constant messenger or WhatsApp trickle telling them what to say, what to post and all the “haterz gonna hate - they are just sad and jealous hun” messages.

I tried to speak out on my local women’s recommendations group and I was shot down for ignorance, jealousy, and not understanding that Tropic items as SO FRESH they physically couldn’t possibly be sold in a shop.

You should screenshot the posts she has made trying to get people to send you death threats. I'd genuinely be thinking about reporting that to the police tbh.

Blimey these MLM groups sound rather cult-like! They seem to brainwash their recruits and the recruits appear to totally believe in everything that they're told. You did the right thing OP. And if she is trying to get people to send you death threats,I'd be inclined to call 101 and speak to someone about it.

What does MLM stand for?

another friend of mine sent me screenshots of my 'friend' ranting on multiple groups about me, and calling for people to troll me and send me death threats

Report to police.

I absolutely hate MLM, but just don’t consider Avon to be one. I done it at 15 and used to make some decent money (I had access to leave one book in the staff room at a local care home so lots of orders from nurses and HCPs). About £75 a week which in the 99s was very good for a teenager.

The rest just look horrific though.

I’d suggest block, and keep the screen grabs In case it escalates further.

@VaTeLaverLesMains Multi Level Marketing. Basically someone has started a company where they 'sell products' but 99% of the money made is people recruiting others and they purchase the items so the recruiter makes money.

I hadn't considered reporting to the police, not that I wouldn't, but it seems like it could be a never ending battle where they'd fine her and she'd return under a new alias? I might have to consider whether or not I pursue the police, I have heard of instances where friends of mine have reported someone to the police but there wasn't much resolved.

I agree that inciting people to send you death threats is a police matter.

However, another friend of mine sent me screenshots of my 'friend' ranting on multiple groups about me, and calling for people to troll me and send me death threats.

Isn't that a criminal offence; inciting others to send death threats? If it isn't, it should be.

She's showing all and sundry that she's unhinged. Who, in their right mind, would want to be recruited by her?

Not to hijack the thread but are these travel business type things MLM's? A friend has recently become a 'travel consult' and is always banging on about how she's taken charge of her life and destiny, can't believe she didn't do it sooner etc. She's still advertising now even though the world is on lockdown 🙄

She's also recently recruited some friend and keeps praising them on Facebook for joining her on this exciting journey.

Join that MLM Lies Exposed FB group and send her an invite :)
Seriously though - report her to FB with the screenshots at least!

Erm, I don't think Avon is MLM is it?

I think you can buy most Avon stuff directly off the website now anyway.

Thank you!

Definitely report her actions to the police. Death threats are not simple trolling.

I wouldn't call Avon mlm either. Those travel things sound like a scam to me though.

Send her the peep show episode with Jeremy and the pyramid scheme 😂

I’d be contacting the police and also the forums she has posted those threats on. Being pissed off and having a moan is one thing, this absolutely crosses a line. She sounds absolutely unhinged.

Totally agree you dud the right thing and also should report the threats, that would be taken seriously by the police. Just a thought, can these bots furlough themselves? How does it work? Are they self employed? Do they complete tax returns? Do they earn any money

The annoying thing is that anyone who is so passionate about their MLM views anyone who isn't part of it as demons threatening their cult. It's scary trying to persuade people that their MLM is full of tosh! Going to sleep on the police matter, as I would do it, but can't face the hassle when she keeps on returning.