TVI Express distributor scammed relatives and friends out of thousands

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Here's the original Chinese link and Google Autotranslation

TVI Express entered the news in China again, and NOT in a good way!

忽悠朋友传销挣大钱欠债不还被告上法庭
Betrayed friend, hoping to make big money via MLM
Owed a lot of money, sued by friend

2010-02-09 13:38:30 文章来源： 扬子晚报
09-FEB-2010 13:38:30 Source: YangTze Evening News

轻信朋友做传销可以赚大钱，投资5700元购买股份，没想到血本无归，在向朋友索款无望的情况下，只好拿着朋友出具的借条将其告上了法庭。近日，江阴法院审理了这起因传销引发的债务纠纷案。
Believing a friend that MLM can make lots of money, X invested 5700 Yuan (RMB), but got nothing back, except an I-O-U (a promissory note). As there seems to be no hope of ever seeing the money again, X went to court with the I-O-U hoping to force return of the money. Recently, JiangYin Local Court received such a financial dispute caused by money lost in MLM.

江阴市民祁海发财心切，不但自己加入了传销组织，而且还发展了多名亲戚和朋友加入。
JiangYin Citizen Qi Hai was in a hurry to make money. He not only joined MLM himself, he also recruit many of his relatives and friends.

2009年7月，祁海以“投资英国TVI国际快旅集团能挣大钱”为名，向朋友朱波强烈推介购买该公司股份，并将朱波骗到镇江，要求其加入该传销组织。
In July 2009, QiHai, using the topic of "Investing in TVI Express can make a lot of money", pushed his friend Zhu Po to invest as well, and even enticed Zhu Po to come to Zhengjian, to push him into joining this MLM.

TVI Express busted in Fujian, China

Shanghai Image via Wikipedia

From Fujian XiaPu People's Government Official Website Press Release

http://www.fjxp.gov.cn/html/importantnews/2009/10/09109101130740.html (Google's autotranslation)

(Translator's note: Chinese tradition dictates that the full name of the suspect is not released. Instead, the middle word is left out. I use "X" as substitute letter)

霞浦警方破获 一起网上非法传销案
XiaPu Police have broken up an online pyramid scheme

1900元可住全球星级宾馆一周？
1900 Yuan (RMB) can get you accomodations at highest rated hotels for a week all over the world?

来源：县委报道组 作者：夏斌 张青 点击次数：221 发布时间：09-10-09 10:11:30
Source: County Report Group    Author: Xia Bin Zhang Qing   Clicks: 221    Release time: 09-10-09 10:11:30

9月23日，霞浦警方在宁德市公安局和上海市普陀公安分局的协助下，在上海市宜川新村将涉嫌非法经营的网上在逃人员黄某莉抓获。
On September 23rd (2009), XiaPu Police, with cooperate from NingDe City's Public Security Office, and Shanghai City PuDuo Branch of the Public Security Office, has apprehended a fugitive in Shanghai City, YiChuan New Village. The suspect, Huang X. Li, was a suspect in an illegal operation. 

今年3月以来，霞浦警方陆续获得线索，有人通过网络组织人员进行非法传销，诈骗钱款。县公安局经侦大队立即成立专案组，展开侦查。
Since March of this year (2009), XiaPu Police have received many tips, that someone is using the Internet to recruit people illegally into a pyramid scheme, defrauding people of their money. The Public Security Bureau's special investigation task force has formed a special task group concentrating on this problem. 

TVI Express booster wants you to "go to his TVI Express scam"

Image by jepoirrier via Flickr

Welcome to another episode of "TVI Express Booster Madness", where we expose the various bull**** posted by TVI Express members hoping to recruit more downline so they can get their $10000. We have explored, in previous episodes, that TVI Express members will lie, bend truth, use false logic, and even point at government websites and say "that's a scammy site!" There is clearly a pattern going on!

Today, we will explore http://autopilotincome101.com/the-tvi-express-scam-10k-by-signing-up-2-people-yeah-right/  The blog date was 10-Feb-2010, so this drivel is relatively fresh. However, this author actually wants you to "go to his TVI Express Scam"! Really!

So what does this gentleman have to say about is TVI Express a scam or not? His title is of no help. So his first evidence that TVI Express is not a scam is...

"The first piece of evidence that I found was that every one of the major travel companies that TVI Express is doing business with was putting their business and their reputation on the line and backing their word 100%."

And just WHICH major travel companies are "putting their business and their reputation on the line and backing their word 100%"?  No idea.

TVI Express busted in Yunnan, China

Yunnan People's Government Official Website Press Releases

NOTE: Google Translate Link to original and autotranslation is here

Dated 2009-8-10 16:07:57

五华科技园分局查处一起涉嫌传销案件 

WuHua Technology Park District found a suspected illegal marketing case


五华区科技园分局积极在辖区内深入开展创建“无传销社区”活动，强化宣传，注重教育，维护稳定，突出重点，加大查处力度
WuHua Technology Park Branch office is pushing the "anti-pyramid scheme" movement, trying to spread the news, with focused education, maintain stability, focus important items, and intensify prosecution. 


近期，在接到华山东路派出所关于××酒店有人涉嫌传销的情况通报后，科技园分局联合我局经检大队、华山东路派出所立即前往××酒店进行了检查。
Recently, upon receiving a tip that at UNNAMED hotel near the HuaShang East road police station, someone is attempting to recruit people for a suspected pyramid scheme, the district station at the Technology Park, with cooperation of our office (Gongshangbu, the Industry and Commerce Ministry), and the local police station, immediate raided the hotel room and conducted a no-notice investigation.


执法人员于××酒店二楼发现有一女性正在宣传“TVI快车”相关内容，现场另有群众四名。
Law enforcement officers located, a the hotel's second floor, a female promoting and recruiting for "TVI Express". Four other people, who were listening, were detained for questioning.


在检查中发现“TVI快车”相关宣传资料一份，笔记本电脑一台，投影仪一台。
During the inspection, following items were found: one full set of TVI Express promotional materials, one notebook computer, and one projector. 

分局执法人员对该涉嫌传销人员进行了询问，并联系该女性发展的会员到分局对“TVI快车”的相关事项进行进一步的询问，目前该案正在进一步的调查当中。
Law enforcement officials questioned the suspect female engaging in recruiting for illegal MLM, and also contacted her downline to come to the district offices for further questioning. The case is still pending further investigation.

TVI Express busted in Wuxi, China

NOTE: Google Translate Link is here. I don't claim to be a professional translator, so if you spot a mistake, let me know.
   

刑事發案平穩 Crimes are average

市民要謹防非法傳銷陷阱 Citizens should be careful of falling into illegal marketing traps

來源：無錫日報  時間：2009-11-11
Source: WuXi Daily News   Date: 2009-Nov-11

上周110接警量比前周上升2.8%，刑事案件發案与前周持平，火災事故比前周下降170%。
Last Week, the 110 (China's equivalent of 911 emergency number) call history shows a 2.8% rise from prevous week. Number of criminal activities reported held steady compared to previous week. Fire reports are down 170% from previous week. 

近日，警方接報以銷售“英國TVI旅游快車公司”旅游卡為名的詐騙案件。
In recent days, police are receiving reports of fraud involving selling "TVI Express" travel cards. 

据初步調查，今年6月份以來，少數群眾被騙加入以銷售“英國TVI旅游 快車公司”旅游卡為名的非法傳銷組織，被騙子以購卡返利為名騙走現金30余万元。
Based on preliminary investigation, since June of this year (2009), some have been tricked into joining this illegal marketing organization, based on selling "TVI Express" travel card. Scammers have defrauded victims out of over 300,000 RMB (about $44000 USD) claiming that they can obtain huge profits from buying these membership cards. 

現警方正在全力偵查，同時提醒廣大市民，傳銷是違法行為，任何“一夜暴 富”式的承諾都是犯罪分子的“噱頭”，一定要擦亮眼睛提高警惕。
Police is on the case, and reminds all citizens: pyramid scheme is ILLEGAL. Any sort of overnight-riches promise is merely propaganda by these scammers. Please clear your eyes and be careful out there.

責編：《中國無錫》編輯部
Edited by: Editing department of "China Wuxi"

TVI Express: fails the 11 question test of a legitimate MLM

Consumerfraudreporting.org have a list of 11 questions you need to ask about a MLM opportunity. How does TVI Express score on this test? VERY badly. A real MLM should score no more than 2 out of 11. TVI Express scored 6 out of 11, indicating a HIGH probability of fraud. If you throw in the various falsehoods the TVI Express distributors are spreading, the score climbs to 7 out of 11.

Here is a detailed analysis of each question, answer, and the score given.

TVI Express matrix: hey, just like the iPod "buyers clubs" of 2004!

Image via Wikipedia

A bit of research brought up this old article from Wired magazine, circa 2004:

"Ebay is swamped with new 'matrix' schemes, which appear to be legitimate buyers clubs but are in fact variations on classic pyramid scams, which are outlawed around the world.

In most cases, eBay shoppers are offered hot products like an iPod, a game console or a cell phone at an incredible discount, say for $40 or $25.

The eager bargain hunter is told not to bid on the item, but is directed instead to sites like My3Mobile, The Phone Matrix or Goraks.com, which offer iPods or cell phones as free gifts when products like CDs or eBooks are purchased.

The catch is that buyers only get their free iPod after more people sign up. When making a purchase, the buyer's name is added to a list. As new members join, names are shuffled up the list. When they reach the top, the iPod is dispatched

To speed up the process, buyers are often encouraged to recruit new members to join the scheme. And that's where all the eBay posts come from: Victims are using eBay to recruit new members..."

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/02/62226#ixzz0hNRqYtTw

 Substitute iPod with "$10000", and you pretty much have "TVI Express" compensation model. 

TVI Express booster deludes himself with new definition of "scam"

Image via Wikipedia

Welcome to another episode of "TVI Booster Madness", where we analyze the drivel some TVI Express members pump out in the hopes of convincing someone else to join up, thereby helping HIM (or her) toward the that big payout (is it $10000 or $15000? nobody really knows!)

Today, our highlight is on http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-TVI-Express-Another-False-Promise-Or-Can-You-Really-Make-$15,000-Over-and-Over-Again?&id=2823390

The author claims he had been scammed several times. Well, I am sorry to hear that. So how does he define a scam?

"Any work from home opportunity where you have almost no chance of achieving the financial promises that they make is a scam."

This one is one of the sub-definitions of scam, but it's not the full definition.

scam: a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation (EX: insurance scam)
(Merriam-Webster online dictionary at m-w.com)

So in other words, it is an incomplete definition. While "promising the moon" is one form of fraud, so is a pyramid scheme, and other forms of con / scam / fraud. By only acknowledging ONE form (out of many) of fraud as scam, the author is basically using bad logic to prove his case.

TVI Express cheer section says .gov.uk domain is a scam site

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Welcome to another episode of "TVI Express Madness", where we locate TVI Express members who are losing their grip on reality. Today's episode features a TVI Express cheerleader who cites nonexistent research to support his claim that TVI Express is NOT a scam, compounded by ability to point at a .gov.uk domain (yes, government website) and say it's a scammy website. 

Today's target is http://hubpages.com/hub/TVI-Express-Scam-Is-TVI-The-Biggest-Pyramid-Scam-Of-2009

The article, if you can even call it that, starts by giving a whole bunch of questions. First question:

"The first thing that had to be figured out was did TVI Express has any credibility and if they did where did it come from? "

The first answer it gave was:

"What research showed was that every single major travel company that TVI "claims" to be doing business with was actually backing them up 100%. That was a major green light because no international travel company would put their business and their reputation on the line for TVI if they weren't a legitimate company."

And where is this supposed "research"? WHAT major travel company(ies) are backing them up? What kind of f***ing nonsense is this? And it didn't even answer the question! What credibility? WHERE did it come from? Who's behind this "company"? Nothing!

If you mean Travelocity, there is NO relation there!

TVI Express booster has nothing else to say

It has been more than two weeks since "Lynette" promised to come back with some 5-star hotels that can allegedly be booked with that 7-day 6-night accommodation you get when you join TVI Express with $250 (or $275, or whatever). We still have seen no sign of her. If you miss her rant, you can relive it here. (Scroll down to "Betty")

Perhaps she found that all of those 5-star hotels are actually in India, and it could now be as low as just 3-star?

Frankly, it's rather annoying to see how some people could abandon all their common sense just for some PROMISE of money, and resort to inventing excuses.

Folks, I don't want to recruit you into some OTHER MLM's. That alone should tell you I am far more trustworthy than any hack who says TVI Express is NOT a scam, and then offers to recruit you to be his downline. Reviewers have to be neutral, and recruiting after a review is NOT neutral.