Fortune Hi-tech Marketing is a Multi-Level-Marketing company founded back 2001 by Paul Orberson, a businessman.
Not much is known about him prior to starting the company.
However, he started Fortune Hi-tech Marketing with the goal of selling quality products from different industries like tech, entertainment, and communications, and also giving members a chance to make money through direct selling. It started out smoothly. But then, it was...
Shutdown
Fortune Hi-tech Marketing was shut down in 2013 by the FTC or the Federal Trade Commission.
This was because of many complaints and clear signs that the only way for the members of the company was to recruit people and nothing more.
They also didn’t have their own products. Instead, they just partnered and outsourced their offerings from other companies so that they have something to sell.
Also, more than 80 percent of the money earned by members were sourced from recruitment, and not from sales.
Court ruling
The national court of justice, along with the initiation of the FTC, charged the company with pyramid scheming and scam operations.
Specifically speaking, Fortune Hi-tech Marketing is banned from engaging in MLM or any business operations. This is after it claims to have coverage over more than 350,000 agents in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
The court also issued a settlement that Fortune Hi-tech Marketing should make due for, which amounts to an initial minimum $7.75 million that should be given back to their members.
However, the total payment they should make to members is $169 million, which they should pay on a specific date.
Current status
Just last 2018, the FTC has already supervised the repayment of 285,361 checks to members, which amounts to more than $3.7 million.
But that is still a small fraction of the total money which should be paid.
Also, note that these payments are from the amendments made by the highest earning members of the company.
It sure is one big mess.
Let us then learn...