TVI Express Busted by Chinese Authorities in Zhejiang as Pyramid Scam

“TVI旅游快车”浙江踩刹车“新型传销”纷纷现形 TVI Express has been brought to a halt in Zhejiang Pyramid Scams have been brought to surface

2009-08-10 11:28:48 Source: Xinhua News agency

Translated by K. Chang

Translator's note: I am not a professional translator, but I do speak and read both Chinese and English. In some sentences, I have to go for the meaning and the nuance instead of going for a literal translation. I do aim for accuracy. If you have a suggestion on how to improve the translation, please feel free to comment. Original is here:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&u=http://zhejiang.12312.gov.cn/zjzz/swzf/513081.shtml&ei=VLzjSt6kO46kswOM7dCwBA&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCAQ7gEwAg&prev=/search%3Fq%3DTVI%2Bsite:.cn%2Bzhejiang%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DTHE

7月中旬，浙江拉开了“打击传销百日联合执法行动”序幕，重拳出击网络化、高隐蔽性的多种转型传销模式。

In Mid-July (2009), Zhejiang unveiled "Anti-Pyramid Scam One-hundred-Day Combined Enforcement Operation", to strongly attack this multi-format fraud that have moved into cyberspace and hidden from the public eye.

半个月内，一些“新型传销”纷纷现形

In half-a-month, many pyramid scams have been revealed.

近日，在网络上曾红极一时的“英国TVI旅游快车”因涉嫌传销，在温州已经急踩刹车，在温州被工商部门查处。

Recently, "TVI Express", which was one of the hottest items on the Internet, was suspected of being an pyramid scam. In Wenzhou, it has been brought to a halt, and is under investigation by the GongShangBu (ministry of Labor and Commerce) of Wenzhou.

调查发现，该组织在温的一名骨干人员已发展下线会员 1122人，涉案金额高达200多万元。

Investigations show that this organization's various members in Wenzhou has developed downline of 1122 people, with dollar amount of over 2 million RMB.

只要交271美金注册一个账号，成为TVI会员即可获得：7天6夜住宿五星级酒店的假期、免费返程机票(只限国内线路)、经营事业的实体办公室以及在线参加打折旅游活动等等；还有可能拿到15000美元的回报。

Just pay $271 USD to register an account, become a member of TVI, and you will get: 7 days and 6 nights accomodations in a 5-start hotel, free return plane ticket (domestic only), a virtual business office, discount for online travel purchase and more; a possibility of geting 15000 USD in return.

在网络上，一打入“英国TVI旅游快车”，就跳出近3000条搜索结果，很多都宣称“当前赚钱最快的项目”。

On the Internet, just type in "TVI Express" [into a search engine] and you will get nearly 3000 results, many claim to be "the fastest way to earn money today".

实际上，这些诱人的条件只是一件美丽的外衣，掩盖的是诈骗钱财的传销活动。

In reality, these tempting items is merely a beautiful overcoat, disguising a pyramid scam that will cheat people out of their money.

大妈带银行卡听课

Older Lady brought ATM card to presentation

忽悠她注册7个账号
Pressured into registering seven accounts without thought

实际上，我们查到的这些人没有一个享受过所谓的旅游优惠和五星级住宿等。
In reality, none of the people we investigated had enjoyed any of the so-called travel discount and five-star accomodations, and so on.

温州工商部门有关人士告诉记者，一看名字，“英国TVI旅游快车”给人感觉挺高端的，而实际被骗加入传销的这些市民，多数是不懂英文、也不懂电脑操作的中老年妇女，以个体户、家庭妇女为主。
Spokesman from Wenzhou Gongshangbu (Ministry of Labor and Commerce) told the reporter, if you look at the name, "British TVI Travel Express" (directed translated from Chinese name of TVI Express) sounds rather high-class (legitimate). However, the citizens who were tricked into joining, most don't speak English, nor do they understand any computers, and are mostly middle-age to older women, self-employed, or housewives.

注册成为会员后，她们想的都是如何拉自己的下线，继续发展会员。

After they registered and become a member, all they think about are how to recruit people for their downline(s), to develope more members.

温州苍南的叶老太太今年60多岁了，因为没读过书，她只会写自己的名字，大字不认识几个，更不用说英文了。

Mrs. Yeh, from Cangnan in Wenzhou, is over 60 now. She is illiterate, and can only write her own name. She doesn't recognize most words, and obviously knows no English.

前几天，向她推销过保险的保险员神神秘秘找到她，对她说：“我有个很好的项目要介绍给你，只要花1800多元，就可以赚大钱。”

A few days ago, an insurance salesperson, who had tried to sell her some insurance, found her rather furtively, and said to her, "I have a VERY advantageous deal I want to introduce to you. Just spend a little over 1800 RMB, and you can earn lots of money. "

叶老太太在对方的怂恿下，有点心动了，带上了银行卡，从苍南来到温州市区南站的一套公寓里听课。

Mrs. Yeh, under the other person's spell, was tempted. She brought her ATM card, and left Cangnan for Wenzhou, to listen to a lecture in an apartment near the Southern Station.

“基本上也不怎么明白她在讲什么，她们还要我一次注册7个账号，大概1万多元。

Really, did not understand what she was talking about. They wanted me to registered 7 accounts all at once, about a bit over 10000 RMB.

可还在她一头雾水，没搞明白这个“TVI旅游快车”到底是什么东西，怎么就能轻轻松松让她赚上几万美金时，碰上工商部门检查，阻止了她取钱。

When she was still confused, still not understading what is this "TVI Express", how would it easily make her tens of thousands of US Dollars, Gongshangbu inspected the apartment, and stopped her from making withdrawals (from her bank account).

现在想想，幸好及时有人阻止我，当时被她们说得真是有点头脑冲动，银行卡就在身边呢。

Now that I think about it, it was fortunate that someone stopped me in time. They were very persuasive and have me convinced. I had my ATM card in my hand!

”叶老太太后怕地说，以前只是听说，没想到自己竟然真的碰上传销，还好没取钱。

Mrs. Yeh later lamented, she had only heard about pyramid scams, but she had never expect to actually encounter any. Fortunately she did not withdraw any money.

又是旅游又是免费酒店

There is travel, there is free hotel

本质上依旧是拉人头
but it's really just recruiting downlines

 “7月27日下午，我们对这个公寓进行突击检查时，里面有房东陈某和她的7名客户。
In the afternoon of July 27 (2009), we conducted a raid upon this apartment unit. Inside, we found landlord Chen and 7 "clients" of hers.

鹿城工商分局的检查人员告诉记者，那时陈某正向7名客户宣传“英国TVI旅游快车”的情况，房内设有两台台式电脑、一台笔记电脑。
Gongshangbu Luchen Branch Office's inspector told reporter, that subject Chen was at the time promoting TVI Express. They recovered two desktop PCs and one notebook PCs from the location.

在现场，他们查出大量有关“英国TVI旅游快车”的活动资料，从这些宣传资料里，他们找到了不少涉嫌传销的证据。
At the location, they found massive amounts of promotional material about TVI Express. From all this promotional material, they found much evidence implicating it in a pyramid scam.

在而后一系列的调查后，工商人员认为“英国TVI旅游快车”公司是通过网络进行传销的，“没有任何实质上的商品，他们的产品就是会员。
In later investigations, inspectors of Gongshangbu concluded that TVI Express is a pyramid scam that uses the Internet. "There are no actual products, their product is more members."

一般人只要缴纳271美元(折合人民币1897元)注册一个账号便可成为他们的会员，据称可以享受免费旅游、入住7天6夜的五星级酒店、国内回程机票，全球旅游打折等，但实际上还没有几个人能享受到这样的实惠。
People just have to pay $271 USD (1897 RMB) to register an account to become their member. Claims are free travel, 7-day 6-night accomodation in 5-star hotel, free return ticket for domestic flight, world-wide discount travel, but in reality few if any enjoyed such benefits.

另外，会员还可以通过发展下线来提升级别获得奖励，而这才是最为关键的。
In addition, members can, through developing downlines, raise their level and get special awards, and that is the key here.

15个人一个盘，凑满人“盘主”升级
15 people per board, fill the board and you are "cycled out"
工商详解“快车”奖励模式
Gongshangbu explains the reward model of TVI Express

这个“旅游快车”到底是怎么一个拉人头赚钱的模式呢？
So how does this TVI Express make money by recruiting more people?

工商人员给记者详细介绍了其奖励制度，原来该奖励制度分为两个板块，即A盘(旅游者板快)和B盘(快车板块)。
The officials of Gongshangbu explained very clearly to reporter. The reward model is divided into two boards: traveler's board (A board), and express board (B board).

每个板块分四层，第一层8人、第二层4人、第三层2人、第四层1人，成金字塔型分布，当A盘被填满，最上层的盘主就进入B盘，并获得首笔奖金500美金。
Every board has 4 levels, first level has 8 people, second level has 4, third level has 2, and fourth level has 1, forming a pyramid. When A board is filled, the person at the tip, the board owner is "cycled out", moves to the B board, and gets $500 USD.

原来的A盘分成两个新A盘，第三层的两人升为两个新A盘的盘主，二层升为三层、一层升为二层，再发展一层人员。
The original A board splits into two new A boards, and the two at level 3 becomes the tip of their own board (board owner), and everyone below them moves up one level, so they each need to develop more first level people (to fill their own boards).

A盘盘主进入他推荐人所在的B盘，B盘结构分布与A盘相同，当第一层8个位置填满时，B盘主领到15000美金出局。
A board owner, when he "cycled out", move into his upline's B board. B board is the same as A board. When the bottom 8 positions were filled, the person at the tip of B board (board owner) gets $15000 USD and is cycled out.

同时，他们公司将再安排出局B盘主去经营另一个新B盘，循环不息。
At the same time, the company will move the B board member who just cycled out to start a new B board, and the cycle continued.

如何才能获得15000美元的回报，答案就是：后来的注册会员。
So how do you get 15000 USD in reward, the answer is: all the people who registered later.

就像金字塔不断忽悠一样，上级剥削下级，最后无法支撑的时候，金字塔轰然倒塌。
Like a pyramid built from the bottom up, those on top are fleecing those on the bottom. When the bottom fails, the pyramid will collapse.

据陈某交代，她已经经营过3个B盘了。”工商人员表示，陈某是公司在温州的一名骨干人员，
According to subject Chen, she has cycled out of 3 B boards, the officials of Gongshangbu indicated. Subject Chen is one of the founding members of TVI Express in Wenzhou.

她于今年6月12日参加该活动，共注册7个账号，有3个账号已分别获得15000美元(10000美元+价值5000美元的代金券)。
She started in June 12 (2009), and registered 7 accounts. Three accounts have received 15000 USD each (10000 USD in cash, and 5000 USD in vouchers)

陈某表示这些奖励由公司直接打入她的账号。
Subject Chen indicated that all these awards are credited directly into her account from the company.

至案发，她下面已有1122人注册账号，涉案金额高达212.8万元。
Until the investigation, she has 1122 people registered under her (as downline), and total amount received is 2.128 million RMB

每个会员交付会费时，均没有拿到相关发票和收据，仅仅由上线将其相关资料录入到“TVI旅游快车”的网站上。
Each member, when paying for membership, did not receive any sort of receipt or invoice. The upline simply entered such information onto the TVI Express website.

目前，该案已移交公安部门进一步调查处理。
At present, the case has been transferred to Guoanbu (ministry of public security) for further investigation and disposition.