Thread by @juhi_momaya

#SCAM ALERT!!!
This tweet is about #QNETScam. An old Ponzi or Pyramid Scheme which is back in action.

Please refrain yourselves from investing into new start-ups or business opportunities associated with QNET, Team Ocean or Vihaan Direct Selling Pvt Ltd company.

What brings me here to write about the Qnet scam is a strange incident that happened to me recently, and I would like to share my experience of being prey and almost duped by this scam.

In addition, I want to spread awareness, and no other person shall fall prey to this fraud and eventually lose their hard-earned money and lifetime savings for the short-cut money. I had no idea about this direct selling business and how does it work until now.

It all started when one of my long-lost college friends texted me out from nowhere, chatting about her startup business. She asserted that she was looking forward to work along with someone whom she knew personally.

Honestly, we have known each other for a decade but haven't met since college and only had minimal contact, which kept me wondering how she knows me personally. However, giving the benefit of the doubt, considering our old friendship, I agreed to talk about her business proposal.

Well, along she arranged a virtual meeting on Zoom with her senior business partner. In the interim, as of my curious nature, I asked my friend about the company's name, business prospects and sponsors for the startup but never got the answers.

So, lastly, she said that her senior partner would describe the startup business more precisely. She made me fill a google form to sound professional. At this stage, the role of my friend ends and the actual duping starts with a meeting.

Before the meeting, they arranged a system check meeting with some lady, saying she would introduce me to some highly business-oriented person; working with him had changed her life. She bragged about him and, in due course, created his positive impression in my cognizance.

Soon after the system check meeting ends, another virtual meeting starts with this senior partner from Kerala. He proclaims himself of having various businesses and making a fortune from these businesses.

He said he resigned from his monotonous 9-5 job in the anti-money laundering department in some Dubai based bank to join this startup business. Then he asked whether I wanted to make an additional source of income, and I said yes by phrasing who does not want to.

Later, he lectured about why it is not good to purchase non-income generating depreciating assets. And how it is good to invest in income-generating assets, such as his startup business. As we discussed my job, interests & hobbies, he got to know that I am a travel enthusiast.

Then he started pitching his startup business as an online/e-commerce franchise-based business model in the travel industry. He vaguely said that this business offers flexible vacation membership access to more than a thousand hotels and resorts worldwide.

He said that his company is not just a mere startup but has a broad reach worldwide. To penetrate the Indian markets, he approached me to invest in this business.
In all these pep talks, I still had no clear idea about the company's name and how does that franchise model work.

Finally, our meeting concluded that he would enlighten me with all the details regarding the company's business models and my job role, pay structure. Only when I have a sufficient amount of funds in my bank account, i.e. five lakhs rupees.

This senior partner then shared his screen with his ITR filings to gain confidence that he is genuine and earning crores. Whilst going through his screen, I accidentally, or I can say, fortunately, saw the name of the company, i.e. Vihaan Direct Selling India Pvt Ltd company.

By searching on the net, I realized that Vihaan Direct Selling is an Indian subsidiary franchise company of Qnet famous for its scams. So, connecting the dots, through his online presence, I learned that this senior partner is representative of Team Ocean, aka Qnet Company.

Digging a little dip, I found they use the same patterns and modus operandi to lure investors and make them invest in the business. Then, once money is received, these investors are only used as a pawn to dupe another set of new investors.

So, finally, without much ado, I texted my friend that I am not interested in investing in this business. If you ever come across such scams, please refrain from investing. Always remember that there is no such free lunch in this world, and it always comes with a price tag.

QNET is MLM business model and a legitimate company on papers. You might earn more by enrolling others, but at the cost of breaking their trust and compromising on your relationships & friendships.