FHTM - Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing review: SCAM 14

Did another one bite the Dust? It appears as if Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing reps can no longer sell Verizon Wireless. When checking the Simplexity website this afternoon it was obvious that the Fortune referrer URL’s only displayed plans and phones for Sprint, T-Mobile and Nextel.
http://www.cellstores.com/mobile/?referringdomain=fortune&Eid=7070537
Simplexity is still an authorized dealer of Verizon Wireless according to the disclaimer on the bottom of the page but FHTM is NOT! See for yourself. What does this mean to all of the current FHTM reps? They have lost the ability to market for the two largest cellular phone providers in the USA in the past 30 days.

A 2nd blistering class-action lawsuit was just file against FHTM on Dec. 22, 2010 in California. Looks like some others are turning up the heat on this endless recruiting pyramid scheme. Read all of the lawsuit and current news at www.fhtmclassaction.info

BREAKING NEWS!
www.fhtmclassaction dot info
FORTUNE has been in debt for years and used the entire company as collateral!
Read it and weep!

A class action lawsuit was filed against Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing (FHTM), its officers, directors, Presidential Ambassadors and all National Sales Managers claiming fraud, pyramid scheme and RICO violations in the Eastern District of the Federal Courts on September 2, 2010

Defendants listed in the lawsuit include:
Paul C. Orberson, Jeff Orberson, Thomas A. Mills, David Mills, Billy Stahl, Simon Davies, Ruel Morton, Todd Rowland, Ashley Rowland, Todd & Ashley, Inc., Mike Misenheimer, Steve Jordan, Joel McNinch, Chris Doyle, Ken Brown, Jerry Brown, Bob Decant, Joanne McMahon, Terry Walker, Sandi Walker, Sherri Winter, Trey Knight, Kevin Mullins, Scott Aguilar, Molly Aguilar, Nathan Kirby, Dwayne Brown, Aaron Decker, Susan Frank, Ramiro Armenta, Angelina Armenta, Alexis Adame, Teresa Adame, Darla DiGrandi, Matt Morse, Matt Barrett and Roberto Rivera

This is an action by plaintiffs on behalf of themselves and those similarly situated to recover damages caused by the defendants' operation of an inherently fraudulent pyramid scheme. The pyramid scheme is fraudulent because it requires the payment by participants of money to defendant Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing, Inc. ("Fortune"), in return for which participants receive (1) the right to sell products and (2) the right to receive in return for recruiting other participants into the program rewards which are unrelated to sale of the product to ultimate users.

This action is brought on behalf of a national class of persons who serve or have served as independent representatives for Fortune, pursuant to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, 18 U.S.C. § [protected] ("RICO"), the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act, KRS Chapter 367, and the laws of Kentucky.

Under the Compensation Plan utilized by Fortune until at least July 1, 2010, IRs are able to earn compensation from two sources: (1) bonuses for recruiting and sponsoring new representatives; and (2) commissions from sales of products and services by themselves and by recruits in their "downline.

Fortune operates as an illegal pyramid scheme because this compensation plan affords IRs the right to receive in return for recruiting other participants into Fortune rewards which are unrelated to the sale of products or services to ultimate users outside of Fortune. Fortune's compensation plan involves an elaborate set of bonuses which are effectively the only way to earn money in Fortune and which are all tied not to real sales to outside customers, but rather to recruitment of new IRs.

To perpetuate the fraudulent pyramid scheme described above, Fortune claims to have special relationships with or to be a "partner" of several large major national companies whose products and services Fortune offers. These companies include, but are not limited to, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Dish Networks, General Electric Security ("GE Security"), DuPont and Home Depot. Fortune has used the trademarks of these and other companies in marketing materials and business presentations in order to convince prospective customers that Fortune is a legal business. In reality, Fortune does not have any sort of special relationship with these companies. Fortune is not a "partner" with Dish Networks. Rather it is a third-party independent contractor authorized to sell Dish Networks service. There are numerous other such third-party vendors of Dish Network.

All of the defendants in this action collectively form an "enterprise" under RICO, 18 U.S.C. § 1962, in that they are a group of individuals and entities associated in fact, although not a legal entity.

The defendants' promotion of an illegal pyramid scheme is a per se scheme to defraud under the mail and wire fraud statutes; thus, the defendants have committed racketeering acts by promoting an illegal pyramid scheme by using and causing others to use the mail and by transmitting and causing others to transmit, by means of wire in interstate commerce, writing, signs, signals, pictures and sounds, all in furtherance of and for purposes of executing a scheme or artifice to defraud, namely an illegal pyramid scheme.

Yvonne...no one else wants to get on your lawsuit bandwagon...it is a waste of your time, and it would be a waste of theirs. Keep lurking though...just think if you had spent this much time on your FHTM business you wouldn't have to resort to this.

I have been doing some research on Fortune High Tech Marketing. According to their Web site - www.FHTM.net the fee to join is $199 now, not $299. I can see why people have been skeptical about their business plan. Many times network marketing screams scam. However, network marketing requires people to be proactive. I have read multiple positive blogs as well as negative blogs about this particular company. I am under the impression that people are in fact able to make a decent profit if they actively buy from specific companies. Although FHTM does not have a partnership with companies such as Verizon, they work with these companies. Based on what I have heard, Verizon pays FHTM reps when they buy their service. It's just another way for Verizon and Dish to get more customers without having to do advertising. It's the people who work at FHTMs job to buy from specific companies and get others to buy from these specific companies. According to the representative I spoke with and the information I have gathered over the internet, newly joined reps must get a certain amount of points before they can profit. Once they get 10 points (which equates to buying products from the listed companies) the are able to start see a return on their investment (which was the initial set up cost of $199). I think people have to make careful choices about what products and services they choose to buy in order to start having success for this type of company. Any just like Mary Kay and Amway, people are rewarded when they get others to use this business model. I can see why some people are skeptical about this plan but I believe it's legit. Maybe it's not for everyone but I have met a representative who has made a good salary from working for FHTM. He did not sit around and wait for money to start rolling in, he made a proactive effort to buy from specific companies and get others to sign up and also buy from these specific companies. It took him a few months before he started making $3000 plus each month. He received a paycheck electronically once a month. As I mentioned before, FHTM may not be fore everyone but it works for individuals who can follow specific guidelines and be ok with always purchasing from specific companies.

If you have been cheated by Fortune or feel that FORTUNE has mislead you into thinking that they had contracts with all of these companies or any other issues, then please email us at cheatedbyfortune at yahoo.com
This is not to recruit you to anything else.

Whistleblower fights back after frivolous suit by FHTM for exposing their ILLEGAL Pyramid Scheme

Lexington, Kentucky - June 16, 2010 - In light of all of the recent investments scams including the infamous Bernie Maddoff, whistleblowers and those with morals fear that the frauds they expose will result in unjust lawsuits filed against them by the companies they complain about. One such situation was that of the lawsuit filed by Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing against Fortune Social LLC and Joseph Isaacs in May 2010.

Joseph Isaacs and Fortune Social, LLC (collectively “Isaacs”) deny each and every claim brought by Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing, Inc. (“FHTM”) in a filing made today with the American Arbitration Association, who is overseeing this case. In addition, Isaacs fights back and asserts his own counterclaim for relief against FHTM, Paul C. Orberson (individually and in his capacity as President of FHTM), Jeff Orberson (individually and in his capacity as Chief Operating Officer of FHTM), and Thomas A. Mills (individually and in his capacity as Vice-President and Chief Executive Officer of FHTM) (collectively “FHTM”). Isaacs counterclaim claim Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Breach of Contract, Common Law Fraud, Unfair & Deceptive Business Practices, Failure to Register Securities, Fraudulent Practices Regarding the Sale of Securities, Civil Racketeering Conspiracy (violation of the Federal RICO statutes) and Defamation.

FHTM operates an unlawful product-based endless recruiting pyramid scheme that relies on untrue and misleading representations and unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent business practices. While FHTM purports to be in the business of selling name-brand services like wireless, satellite television, home security, vitamins, nutritional products and travel services, its true business is using consumers to generate fee income for representing non-existent partnerships, major sports figures, and prominent businessmen. To entice consumers to participate, FHTM makes untrue or misleading claims regarding its relationship with Fortune 100 companies like Verizon Wireless, GE Security, Dish Networks and Travelocity to create the illusion that consumers can become millionaires in three to five years.

FHTM’s growth exploded when it began to lure consumers disenchanted with traditional jobs and the recession that began in 2007 to inspirational and high-pressure business opportunity seminars touting an innovative business model that promises huge financial rewards through multi-level network marketing. FHTM erring presenters claim to have proprietary tools, special relationships, and other support that allow consumers to grow their own business by partnering with FHTM’s “companies”.

It would not be long before Isaacs (and the world) made several troubling discoveries about FHTM’s business plan and practices that doused his enthusiasm: (1) Paul Orberson had not made any special arrangements with the companies mentioned at the business opportunity/presentation seminar or in the company produced videos; (2) the only way to earn a significant income and be promoted up the ranks was to recruit additional IRs; (3) FHTM had not received regulatory approval for its pyramiding scheme in every state; (4) only a handful of IRs had earned anywhere near the residuals projected; (5) the prominent businessmen, politicians, former attorney generals and sports figures to whom FHTM constantly alluded were in fact IRs actively promoting their own FHTM business; and (6) a growing number of state attorneys general had already begun investigating FHTM in response to numerous complaints.

It turns out that FHTM’s ‘innovative’ marketing plan is nothing more than a face lift to an age-old scheme. According to the FTC’s Consumer Protection Bureau:

Pyramid schemes now come in so many forms that they may be difficult to recognize immediately. However, they all share one overriding characteristic. They promise consumers or investors large profits based primarily on recruiting others to join their program, not based on profits from any real investment or real sale of goods to the public. Some schemes may purport to sell a product, but they often simply use the product to hide their pyramid structure. There are two tell-tale signs that a product is simply being used to disguise a pyramid scheme: inventory loading and a lack of retail sales. Inventory loading occurs when a company's incentive program forces recruits to buy more products than they could ever sell, often at inflated prices. If this occurs throughout the company's distribution system, the people at the top of the pyramid reap substantial profits, even though little or no product moves to market. The people at the bottom make excessive payments for inventory that simply accumulates in their basements. A lack of retail sales is also a red flag that a pyramid exists. Many pyramid schemes will claim that their product is selling like hot cakes. However, on closer examination, the sales occur only between people inside the pyramid structure or to new recruits joining the structure, not to consumers out in the general public.

Nonetheless, the truth is catching up with FHTM. On December 10, 2009, The North Dakota Attorney General's Office filed a Cease and Desist Order for violation of the Consumer Fraud Law, the Transient Merchant Law, the Home Solicitation Sales Law, and the North Dakota Pyramid Schemes Act. On January 19, 2010, FHTM entered into a Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with the North Dakota Attorney General's Office. On March 16, 2010, the Montana State Auditor's Office filed a Temporary Cease and Desist Order against FHTM, Paul C. Orberson, Thomas A. Mills, and Dianne Graber (a Montana IR). According to the Montana State Auditor's Office, FHTM has engaged in acts or practices constituting violations of the Securities Act of Montana, Montana Code ANN.[protected] et seq. On April 22, 2010, FHTM agreed to pay nearly $1 million and to change its business practices to resolve the charge that it is operating a pyramid promotional scheme.

With each passing day, more states are jumping on FHTM’s bandwagon. The alarming rise in consumer complaints and governmental sanctions has prompted the Better Business Bureau of Central and Eastern Kentucky to downgrade FHTM’s rating from “B-” to “F”. At the same time, a proliferation of online bulletin boards and blogs, such as www.complaintsboard.com and www.scams.com criticize FHTM’s pyramid scheme confirms that Isaacs’ experience is not unique. Will those operations be the next target of Fortune’s high price legal team?

I know who your Dad is and meet him briefly when he and I were in SA at Spring Fling. Please email me at dayandcompany@yahoo.com

You are from Texas? I am not trying to get into your personal business, I would just like to get more information on your situation. You may know my father, Chris Doyle, who is also in the business. I know he has a close relationship with people in Kentucky, and I would like to mention our conversation to him. If that is alright with you?

I do believe that FHTM is a strong company, and maybe the people at Corporate are not willing to help. I have been informed that they are not always they most helpful or kind people to deal with... that is coming from my father. I have never spoken with anyone in the Corporate Office.

I would however like to ask about your situation, and see if my father has any knowledge or answers...

You are right, people do feel threatened!
I was in FHTM and was an executive in four months after starting.Or at least that is what everyone even home office said until we found the problem of what my sponsors had done to me.
I was featured on the weekly phone meetings and was on my way to the top. I was looking forward to my first big check the week of Spring Fling in SA Texas when All I got was $17.96 instead of the over $20, 000 in pay that was owed. I was told that because of the freeze that Kentucky had they would get this fixed. I waited, and called and talked to my sponsors who said they had the direct numbers to Mr. BS and others that could help get this fixed. Weeks went by and nothing happened. Home office said they were still behind on paperwork from the huge growth and would get to it. I kept the faith and kept putting people in. Now my check was to be over $40, 000 and I was ready to get it!
I finally got hold of a nice person at home office who really worked with me to get to the root of all of this and found out that my sponsors had been recieving my pay because they had forged documents my downline had been altered to make all of those people in their Reginal Business and in My managers businsess, instead of where they were to be in the first place. They knew this all along! When I called back and asked to talk to the same person again, I was told he was no longer there. Huge red flags again!
After six more weeks of constant calling, getting signed papers from my team as to who sponsored who and who really did train them we were ready to show FHTM the truth. Paul was to be in our area the next week and when we asked to have a meeting with he and or his people we were refussed. We were told that they did not check on signatures and that we should just get over it even if it waS FRAUD they did not really want to deal with it. The people who I was told were helping me in my upline actually were getting promoted from this theft and none of them wanted to give up their new title promotions to make this right. They would not redo my downline to make it correct and pay me what was owed. The company said they would do it if all agreed and they would not do it!
The investigation they supposedly held did not contact one witness that we gave them. They flat out lied about all of it. This is the kind of stuff that has gotten them in trouble!
Paul was allowing this criminal behaviour out in the field and I am not the only one it has happened to either. My whole team stopped since they saw the writting on the wall. The man who claimed to be such a Good Christian was cheating us out of our pay. I tried to keep going forward with this company but just could not stomach seeing others getting hurt.
Now that they are having issues there are alot of people who got cheated out of larger pay because of Go Solo being stopped and moved over. Then Look who is loosing pay because of Peter Lamas being dropped. There is hardly a company that they promote that they dont have renamed as a third party now to cover up what is going on. So many more red flags are going up now.
You can choose to ignore this or you can see that when a goverment agency files papers that they have looked into this and have studied the legalities before they ever filed those papers. Once that happened all of the AGs will be looking at this now too. People will not sign up because of what they are seeing and pay will be dropping hugly and people will loose faith very soon.It is a domino effect.
I am not wanting anyone to get hurt including FHTM. I want them to own up to what is right and handle this in a way that the least amount of people get hurt. When as a rep you get served papers calling you to court, that is life altering and harmful. Who is paying for the reps attorney fees and time while they are shut down? They will never be looked at the same where they live. They have lost their reputaions and I feel for them.
So next time you read something in here dont jump to conclutions that they dont know what they are talking about, because we do. We have lived the nightmare and still are being harmed by it to this day. Until I am paid in full what is owed to me I will stand strong as to what I believe is correct and true what Montana stands for in suing them. Time will tell what will happen. Until then I hope and pray that the dream that we all had can be fullfilled without the black cloud of a scam title hanging over everyones heads and that the people who did all of the harmful actions such as my sponsors be punished by the company and the law to the fullest extent instead of being promoted as what kind of people the company stands for.

I do believe you are mistaken. FHTM is not in trouble, people feel threatened by the company. The ones who complain are the ones who do not succeed. Not everyone will become a national Rep. and thats Ok, but to assume or think that what the company is doing is illegal is absurd. I think you will see that there are more solid people who work FHTM, and those people will keep the company together. The people they either get out of the business, or frankly do not have time for it are the ones who are holding grudges.
I do have a question... If people are "sponsoring" and I am assuming you mean they are paying their way into the business (which by the way, is not a HUGE fee), then how are people getting upset... THEY HAVEN"T LOST ANY MONEY? They didn't pay to get in and so therefore, if they chose that the business what not for them, then where is the loss?
I am assuming you have either been involved with FORTUNE, or attended meetings?

I feel very confident that FHTM will not be shutting down, and if changes need to be made to suit legal issues than Paul Orberson will gladly fix or clarify anything that may seem fishy.

Kristen, what you just described is exactly why FHTM is in trouble. A legal network Marketing Companies Reps main objective IS TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF THE MONTHLY BILLS!
When your whole income is derived from sponsoring it is a ponzi scheme. This is why FHTM will be shutting down or changing how they do business.

I do not think you quite understand the business, and maybe the rep who showed you the business was misleading. The goal is not to make money off the "monthly bills" and is not the main objective. The bills or purchases from Lamas, wireless shop, dish, and etc. are merely a bonus, because you get back a little $ on the bills you pay. Obviously, this is a network marketing business, the idea is to get people to sign up and for those to get people to sign up and so on... but, its not a scheme to get rich quick, thats not going to happen! This business does take patience, time, and a little had work. Quite frankly, the people who do not succeed at this business are the ones who simply don't want to put in the time, or maybe just don't have the time. I do know personally, that FHTM does work for people who are honest about the business, up front about what kind of work that is involved, and eager to help others. I do not know where you learned your information, or if possibly you were in FHTM, but I do know that there are leaders of the company who do know what they are doing, and are honest good people. There is going to be negative feedback from any networking business, I do know this, but I would try to enlighten people about FHTM because it has changed my life!