How to spot a pyramid scheme - Stacie Bosley

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Bruce Sung

In 2004,

2004 年，

a new company called Vemma Nutrition

有一家叫做維瑪的新公司

started offering a life-changing opportunity

開始提供能夠改變人生的機會，

to earn full time income for part time work.

做兼職的工作 但可以賺到全職的薪水。

Vemma’s offer was open to everybody,

維瑪的這個機會開放給所有人，

regardless of prior experience or education.

不論以前是否有經驗， 不論教育程度如何，都沒關係。

There were only two steps to start get started earning:

只要做兩個步驟就可以開始賺錢：

purchase a $500-600 kit of their liquid nutrition products,

購買一組五百至六百美金的 維瑪液態營養產品，

and recruit two more members to do the same.

並招募兩位會員， 要他們做同樣的步驟。

Vemma Nutrition Company grew quickly,

維瑪的成長速度非常快，

becoming a global operation

成為全球的營運，

that brought in 30,000 new members per month at its peak.

在高峰時期，每個月 會有三萬名新會員。

There was just one problem—

只有一個問題——

while the company generated $200 million of annual revenue by 2013,

雖然 2013 年該公司的 年收益是兩億美元，

the vast majority of participants earned less than they paid in.

大部分的參與者賺到的錢 卻低於他們付出的錢。

Vemma was eventually charged with operating a pyramid scheme:

維瑪最後被控告 靠金字塔式騙局來運作：

a common type of fraud

那是種常見的詐欺， 會員賺錢的方式

where members make money

by recruiting more people to buy in.

是招募更多會員來買進產品。

Typically, the founder solicits an initial group of people

通常，創辦人會先 徵集一群初始會員，

to buy in and promote the scheme.

先買進產品並推銷這個騙局。

They are then encouraged to recruit others

接著，會鼓勵他們去招募其他人

and promised part of the money those people invest,

並承諾會將招募到的人 所投資的錢分一部分給他們，

while the founder also takes a share.

而創辦人也會分一杯羹。

The pattern repeats for each group of new participants,

同樣的模式再套用到 每一群新的參與者，

with money from recent arrivals funneled to those who recruited them.

最近加入的人所投入的錢， 會流向招募他們的人。

This differs from a Ponzi scheme,

這和龐茲騙局有所不同，

where the founders recruit new members

在龐茲騙局中， 創辦人招募新會員，

and secretly use their fees to pay existing members,

並偷偷拿他們的會費 來支付給既有會員，

who think the payments come from a legitimate investment.

既有會員以為他們拿到的錢 是來自合法的投資。

As a pyramid scheme grows,

當金字塔式騙局越來越大時，

it becomes increasingly difficult for new recruits to make money.

新招募進來的會員 會越來越難賺到錢。

That’s because the number of participants expands exponentially.

那是因為會員數目是指數成長。

Take a structure where each person has to recruit six more to earn a profit.

舉個例子，這個結構是每個人 需要再招募六個人才能獲利。

The founder recruits six people to start,

創辦人一開始招募了六個人，

and each of them recruits six more.

他們每個人又再招募了六個人。

There are 36 people in that second round of recruits,

在第二輪的招募完成後就有 36人。

who then each recruit 6 people—

這些人又再招募六個人——

a total of 216 new recruits.

新招募的人數就有 216 人。

By the twelfth round of recruiting,

到了第 12 輪的招募完成後，

the 2.1 billion newest members would have to recruit

就會有 21 億名新會員，

他們還得要招募總共 超過 130 億人才能夠賺錢——

over 13 billion more people total to make money–

more than the entire world population.

這數字已經超過了世界人口。

In this scenario,

在這個情境中，最近一次的招募，

the most recent recruits,

over 80% of the scheme’s participants,

有超過八成的騙局參與者

lose all the money they paid in.

會損失所有他們投入的錢。

And in real life,

在真實人生中，

many earlier joiners lose out too.

許多早期加入的人也遭受損失。

Pyramid schemes are illegal in most countries,

在大部分的國家， 金字塔式騙局是非法的，

but they can be difficult to detect.

但要偵測到這種騙局並不容易。

They are presented as many different things,

它們會以許多不同的形式出現，

including gifting groups,

包括贈禮團體、

investment clubs, and multi-level marketing businesses.

投資俱樂部，及多層次行銷事業。

The distinction between pyramid schemes and legitimate multi-level marketing

金字塔式騙局和合法進行 多層次行銷的界線

can be particularly hazy.

有時相當模糊。

In theory, the difference is that

理論上，差別在於 多層次行銷公司的會員

the members of the multi-level marketing companies

primarily earn compensation from selling a particular product or a service

主要賺取報酬的方式 是銷售某種產品或服務，

to retail customers,

賣給零售客戶，

while pyramid schemes primarily compensate members for recruitment of new sellers.

而金字塔騙局的會員主要 必須要靠招募新賣家來賺取報酬。

In practice, though,

不過，實際上，

many multi-level marketing companies make it all but impossible

許多多層次行銷公司都會設計

for members to profit purely through sales.

讓會員不可能單純靠業績來獲利。

And many pyramid schemes, like Vemma Nutrition,

許多金字塔式騙局，比如維瑪，

disguise themselves as legal multi-level marketing businesses,

會偽裝成合法的多層次行銷事業，

using a product or service to hide the pay-and-recruit structure.

用產品或服務來包裝 「付錢及招募」的商業結構。

Many pyramid schemes also capitalize on already existing trust within churches,

許多金字塔式騙局也會利用教堂、

移民社區，或其他 緊密族群中的既有信任。

immigrant communities, or other tightly knit groups.

The first few members are encouraged to report a good experience

最初的少數會員會被鼓勵 分享他們的美好經驗，

before they actually start making a profit.

但那時他們都還沒真正開始獲利。

Others in their network follow their example,

他們網絡中的其他人 就會以他們為榜樣，

and the schemes balloon in size

騙局就會迅速擴大，

before it comes clear that most members aren’t actually profiting.

且大家都還沒發現 多數會員其實並沒有獲利。

Often, the victims are embarrassed into silence.

通常，受害者會感到丟臉， 因而選擇沉默。

Pyramid schemes entice people with the promise of opportunity and empowerment.

金字塔式騙局引誘人的方式，

是承諾會給他們機會、 賦予他們能力。

So when members don’t end up making money,

所以，當會員最後沒有賺錢時，

they can blame themselves rather than the scheme,

他們可能會怪罪自己而非騙局，

thinking they weren’t tenacious enough to earn the returns promised.

心想是因為他們不夠堅持， 才無法賺得承諾的報酬。

Some victims keep trying,

有些受害者會持續嘗試，

investing in multiple schemes,

把錢投入更多騙局，

and losing money each time.

且每次都損失。

In spite of all these factors,

儘管有上述這些因素，

there are ways to spot a pyramid scheme.

仍然有方法可以視破金字塔式騙局。

Time pressure is one red flag—

時間壓力是一種警訊——

be wary of directives to “act now or miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

看到「現在就行動，不然會錯失

一生只有一次的機會」 這類指示，就要小心了。

Promises of large, life-altering amounts of income are also suspect.

承諾會有改變人生的 巨額收入也很可疑。

And finally, a legitimate multi-level marketing business

最後一提，合法的多層次行銷事業

shouldn’t require members to pay for the opportunity to sell a product or service.

不應該會要求會員付錢來取得 銷售產品或服務的機會。

Pyramid schemes can be incredibly destructive to individuals,

金字塔式騙局 有可能會重傷個體戶、

communities, and even entire countries.

團體，甚至整個國家。

But you can fight fire with fire

但你能夠以火攻火，

by sending this video to three people you know,

把這支影片分享給 三個你認識的人，

and encouraging them to do the same.

並鼓勵他們也照樣做。