British Deaf Association
  • ABOUT US
      • BDA Manifesto
      • What we stand for
      • Our Work
      • Board
      • Strategic Vision
      • Management Team
      • What the BDA means to you
      • History
      • Annual Reviews
  • WHAT WE DO
    • SIGN LANGUAGE
      • BSL in GCSE
      • BSL Act Now! Campaign
      • Legal Status for BSL
      • Our work in Government
      • BSL Facts & Resources
      • Research & Consultations
      • Sign Language Week
      • National BSL Day
    • OUR PROJECTS
      • Community Development
      • Training & Consultancy
      • Deaf Roots & Pride
      • Family Sign in the Home
      • Signs of our times
      • Advocacy Service
      • Heritage
      • Dementia Toolkit
      • Dementia Research
      • England Loneliness Project
    • VIDEO INFORMATION IN BSL
      • COVID-19
      • Family Sign at Home
      • Health & Wellbeing
      • Hate Crime Prevention (Scotland)
      • Derbyshire Crime Project
      • Leicestershire Deaf Forum COVID-19 Project
      • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
      • Access to Justice
  • NEWS & EVENTS
    • NEWS
      • All News
      • England
      • Northern Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Wales
    • EVENTS
      • BSL Conference 2025
      • National BSL Day
      • All Events
      • England
      • Northern Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Wales
    • OTHER
      • British Deaf News
      • World Federation of the Deaf
      • European Union of the Deaf
      • SHARE: The Deaf Visual Archive
      • Sign Language Week
      • Deaf Awareness Week
  • GET INVOLVED
    • SUPPORT US
      • Make a difference
      • Ways to Donate
      • Fundraise for the BDA
      • Fundraising Opportunities
      • Sending Sponsorship Money
      • In-Memoriam Donations
      • Gifts in Wills
      • Our Supporters
    • JOIN US
      • Current Job Opportunities
      • Become a Member
    • MORE FROM US
      • Newsletter
  • CONTACT
    • GET IN TOUCH
      • Contact Form
    • OUR OFFICES
      • England – London
      • England – Derby
      • Northern Ireland – Belfast
      • Scotland – Glasgow
      • Wales – Cardiff
    • SOCIAL MEDIA
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
      • Facebook – British Deaf News
      • Instagram
      • Linkedin
      • YouTube
  • SHOP
  • |
  • MEMBERSHIP
  •  |
  • DONATE
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT US
      • BDA Manifesto
      • What we stand for
      • Our Work
      • Board
      • Strategic Vision
      • Management Team
      • What the BDA means to you
      • History
      • Annual Reviews
  • WHAT WE DO
    • SIGN LANGUAGE
      • BSL in GCSE
      • BSL Act Now! Campaign
      • Legal Status for BSL
      • Our work in Government
      • BSL Facts & Resources
      • Research & Consultations
      • Sign Language Week
      • National BSL Day
    • OUR PROJECTS
      • Community Development
      • Training & Consultancy
      • Deaf Roots & Pride
      • Family Sign in the Home
      • Signs of our times
      • Advocacy Service
      • Heritage
      • Dementia Toolkit
      • Dementia Research
      • England Loneliness Project
    • VIDEO INFORMATION IN BSL
      • COVID-19
      • Family Sign at Home
      • Health & Wellbeing
      • Hate Crime Prevention (Scotland)
      • Derbyshire Crime Project
      • Leicestershire Deaf Forum COVID-19 Project
      • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
      • Access to Justice
  • NEWS & EVENTS
    • NEWS
      • COVID-19
      • All News
      • England
      • Northern Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Wales
    • EVENTS
      • BSL Conference 2025
      • National BSL Day
      • All Events
      • England
      • Northern Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Wales
    • OTHER
      • British Deaf News
      • World Federation of the Deaf
      • European Union of the Deaf
      • SHARE: The Deaf Visual Archive
      • Sign Language Week
      • Deaf Awareness Week
  • GET INVOLVED
    • SUPPORT US
      • Remember A Charity Week 2022
      • Make a difference
      • Ways to Donate
      • Fundraise for the BDA
      • Fundraising Opportunities
      • Sending Sponsorship Money
      • In-Memoriam Donations
      • Gifts in Wills
      • BDA Shop
      • Our Supporters
    • JOIN US
      • Current Job Opportunities
      • Become a Member
    • MORE FROM US
      • Newsletter
  • CONTACT
    • GET IN TOUCH
      • Contact Form
      • 07795 410 724 (SMS)
      • Oovoo/Skype
    • OUR OFFICES
      • England – London
      • England – Derby
      • Northern Ireland – Belfast
      • Scotland – Glasgow
      • Wales – Cardiff
    • SOCIAL MEDIA
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
      • Facebook – British Deaf News
      • Instagram
      • Linkedin
      • YouTube
  • SHOP
  • |
  • MEMBERSHIP
  •  |
  • DONATE

News

21st June 2018

Scam Alert: Pyramid Schemes

There has been an alarming international trend of Pyramid Schemes and so-called ‘Multi-Level Marketing’ organisations targeting Deaf communities and vulnerable individuals to join exploitative schemes.

So, what is a Pyramid Scheme?

A Pyramid Scheme is a way of making money mainly from enrolling other people onto the scheme rather than selling products or services. It could look like a big-budget company, or like a small group of people inviting you to be involved.

The rules are simple: a person joining up has to make a payment and, in exchange, they can then take a share of the money from every additional member they recruit to join the scheme.

They may have to sell a product or service, like diet foods or make-up, but this is not how the organisation makes most of its money. The organisation makes its money by recruiting as many people as possible and getting them to pay a subscription or buy big quantities of the product.

What’s the problem?

Pyramid Schemes/MLMs often say that it is quick way to earn lots of money, and have very attractive and persuasive adverts and events. However, most people who work for them do not earn any money at all, or lose money. This is because it does not work except for people at the very top of the pyramid.

The problem is that these schemes often work this way:

  • One person asks 6 people to pay some money to join the organisation;
  • These 6 new members then each need to recruit 6 new members themselves. The organisation then has 36 members;
  • These 36 new members then each need to recruit 6 new members themselves. The organisation then has 216 members

Just 9 more steps, then in order for those people to earn any money then they need to recruit more people than live on Earth! Obviously this does not work.

In the UK, Pyramid Schemes are a type of fraud. If you are caught establishing, operating or promoting a Pyramid Scheme you can risk a criminal conviction, fine, or even a prison sentence.

Some companies now call themselves ‘Multi-Level Marketing’ (MLM), but work in the same way. There are many reasons why a company might say they’re an MLM, but this is usually a way to find a legal loophole in countries in which Pyramid Schemes are illegal.

What can I do?

If you or someone you know has been affected by a Pyramid Scheme/MLM:

  • Stop any payments to the organisation immediately
  • Do not ask any of your family or friends to join – they could also lose money
  • If you think someone you know is getting involved in a Pyramid Scheme/MLM, let them know the risks
  • Contact Action Fraud on textphone (0300 123 2050) or by using an online form (https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report-a-fraud-including-online-crime-questions )
  • Contact the police non-emergency number in your area.

 

Legal
Previous StoryHospital communication crisis for Deaf people
Next StoryDRP Midlands – Paintballing

Related Articles

  • BSL-Act-Now-14th-October-Feat-WEB
    Rosie Cooper, MP, meets with Deaf sector representatives
    View Details
  • BBC-Red-Button-Web
    Withdrawal of the BBC Red Button text service
    View Details

SEARCH ALL NEWS

NEWS CATEGORIES

All News
England
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Wales

RECENT NEWS

  • Calling-Deaf-Football-Fans-WEB-Feat
    Press Release: Calling All Deaf Football Fans
  • BSL-Poet-Laur-web-feat
    British Deaf Association reveals the UK’s 2025 British Sign Language Poet Laureate
  • MI Final Reckoning
    Mission: Impossible – Daily Captioned Screenings
  • Classroom-web-feat
    At long last, the BSL GCSE moves closer
  • Houses-of-Parliment
    British Sign Language comes to Parliament

BDA Head Office

We welcome your feedback and comments. Please feel free to get in touch:

Email: bda@bda.org.uk

USEFUL LINKS

Accessibility
Privacy Policy
Complaints Procedure
My Donations
British Deaf News

Registered charity - England and Wales (1031687) and Scotland (SC042409) Company No: 2881497 (England and Wales) - Copyright British Deaf Association 2024