February 14, 2009 3:00 pm GMT
Cyberwize – Pyramid game, scam, everything you want to avoid
by Gary IllyesEvery now and then we get emails from people who have been scammed. Usually we already know about the scam they report, but not in this case. Peter Horn, who just started to explore the internet, found a promising “work from home” offer, and since they were extremely convincing, he jumped on the band wagon as well. And this was just the beginning of his unfortunate journey.
Cyberwize, unlike the traditional scam sites, has a quite beautiful website where they advertise their wellness products and an “opportunity”. The wellness products looks fine, even though their secret is a meteoroid which hit the Earth in 1908 in Tunguska. Since we have no knowledge about these products we can’t say a word about them.
Cyberwize opportunity – multilevel marketing, scam
The opportunity they advertise is more interesting as seemingly is a well designed pyramid game. To sign up for this opportunity you have to have a referrer, a person who already “enjoys” the high payouts of the Cyberwize multilevel marketing scam.
After you provide the referee’s ID (a number), you will face some slight issues: you are required to fill out a form, later you will have to provide more personally identifiable information including your credit card’s number. Your credit card is needed to pay the sign-up fee, $99 (USD). Later you will be informed that you will also have to have a website, company website as they call it, which will cost you about $14.50 monthly and your credit card will be used to retrieve this fee. Again, monthly.
They promise “unlimited income” and you will work from home. Basically, this is true. What they “forgot” to mention is that you will also have to buy on your own money all the promotional materials, including brochures, sample products and other merchandising items.
When you finally signed up, you will have to sell products and refer new people in the system to be successful. Selling products is OK as even Amway works this way, but referring new people is fishy.
Another interesting thing we didn’t see anywhere else is that they state that they will effectively buy a car for you. Seemingly, you have to apply for a car loan, then each month you qualify for their “CyberWize Car Bonus”, they will pay your car loan for that month.
The testimonials on the website sounds great, maybe too great. Noteworthy that at the time of our review each and every testimonial sounded like if it was written by the same person and in the videos the people were like actors who are playing roles.
Cyberwize – why is it a scam?
Cyberwize fits perfectly in the “pyramid game” niche. Let’s see a summary of the reasons why we state Cyberwize is a scam:
- There are dozens of hidden fees which are not stated anywhere on the Cyberwize website
- You have to refer new people in the system to be successful
- Their company claims that they will pay your car loan
Diane Tulkku on Wed, 11th Mar 2009 9:07 pm
I really think you should check your information as what you have said is not accurate. I have been on the cyberwize website and it does in fact state all of the fees and committments needed to join. As for refering other people, I got involved with a network marketing company, which by the way is totally legal and Don Trump is the spoke person for this company and for network marketing,(what you refer to as a so called pryamid
scam), and referring people is how you build your sales team and the people you refer have the same or greater opportunity.
Have you ever heard of a liable suit. Thats what can happen when you make false states. I would be careful if I were you.
methode on Thu, 12th Mar 2009 6:56 am
Actually, we have talked with several people who signed up and we wrote the article based on their experience.
If you have had success or in the meantime their strategy has been changed and we can find evidence of it, we will update the article.
Thanks for your comment
Sara on Mon, 20th Apr 2009 3:37 am
Nope- You’re info is WAY off based. In their presentation online the mere 100 that you have to spend monthly (if you sell their amazing product – which it is as i have lost 2 dress sizes on it- you WILL want to also USE it- so you can be a product of a product.
Secondly- AMWAY is a MLM company also meaning you have to build a downline to earn risidual income. YES you introduce people to the company to build up your downline- but it is a binary payment plan where you build one leg and your upline helps you build the other. AMWAY is MUCH harder- as i have done it also….
A SCAM is defined by webster as : a fraudulent operation. Fraudulent would be if they never shipped out a product after you paid for it, or wrote checks that could not be cashed. My checks cash just fine and i spend the $$$ just fine too!
I think that people hate on MLM companies b/c they want FAST money with no work- look at the top income makers you are critisizing they have worked HARD to build their downline and are now getting paid. ANY business you build you HAVE TO work hard. I run a retail store- ive worked 14 hour days for TWO years, even thru my pregnancy and 5 days after the baby- that was my scarifice and i now have hired employees and can relax more….I LOVE the business i have built even though you have to work hard in the beginning….
You must have looked hard to pick on the “spending your own money buying brochures and advertising” as brochures start at 2.00 (HAHA) I have 500 and paid $40..i paid more for business cards for my clothing store…That’s 12 cents each…PLEASE that is such a farfetched claim…you must have ran out of things to pick on!!
Thirdly- the car bonus is CLEARLY stated that you have to attain a certain position in the company and the terms are CLEAR when you read it….IT WAS OBVIOUS you would have to work hard… i currently know more than 5 friends recieving that car bonus and they have attained that in less than 8 months. I have also made 1000 in my first month. So it is NOT a fraudulent company.
Also- EVERY product i have sold my customers have LOVED it..and they ALL work. It is also a Christian-based integrity filled company- i have met the Owner and founder and can atest to their integrity- i am SO proud to be a part of this company!
A lot of poeple who can not manage in a networking company- or see them as scams….simply can not be their own initiative and work adequately, and theyve already been brainwashed that you can only make money working for a corporation. I personally find CORPORATIONS a scam..you go to work 9 to 5 pm…work hard take 30 mins or an hour to hurridly eat and then a a 15 min break if you’re lucky … then you make $ for who- THE CEO…do you get to take it home–NOPE you work hard to build someone else’s business and they rate your value by an hourly amount…I will never build up someone else pocket again..I love Cyberwize and I am my own sucess story. You cant sit and wait for a bright future to happen- you have to work to make your future bright…. http://www.cyberwize.com/*removed*