A former councilor in La Trinidad is reportedly in hiding after being tagged in a pyramiding scam. The scam was exposed on national television when some of the victims complained via the public service show T3: Reload on TV5. The ex-councilor in question is Von Ryan Tauli. Tauli allegedly recruited people to a company called Riqueza International and collected money from the recruits with the promise of doubling or even tripling their money. The problem is he disappears when it's time for him to reimburse his investors and deliver the earnings he promised.
A certain Dr. Ana De Castro complained on T3:Reload that she was fooled by Tauli into investing in his business. She described Tauli as very talented when it comes to persuading people to join his business. Another victim appeared on the segment lamenting that she not only lost her money, she was also harassed when she tried to get her money back.
The modus operandi
Based on what was exposed on the T3:Reload segment, Tauli's modus operandi allegedly includes asking $100 from recruits with the promise that it will earn $70 within a week. In exchange for the $100 investment, Tauli provides the recruit with beauty products. But when it comes to delivering his promises, Tauli grossly fails.
Tauli and his business venture
In the T3:Reload report, the company mentioned as owned by Tauli is Riqueza International. Do a quick Google search about the company and there's nothing there. If you go to Tauli's Facebook page, he lists himself as the owner and president of a company called T.R.V. Enterprises. So which is which? It's either Riqueza International is fronting for T.R.V. Enterprises or the other way around. The T.R.V. Enterprises website (http://www.rightventure.biz/) is currently unaccesible. The company's Facebook page hasn't been updated since July 2012.
There's a post on the T.R.V. Enterprises Facebook wall from someone we could assume as a victim of the company. The message says: "Buhay pa ba ang TRV? Kasi wala na yung office niyo sa Session. Saan na kayo nagtago? Wala na ba talaga kayo balak na ibalik pera ng mga niloko niyo? Wag kasi gagawa ng business na di niyo kayang patakbuhin. Dami niyo tuloy niloko. Makakarma din kayo. You can run, you can hide but you can never get rid of the karma. Good luck sa inyo. Sana hindi kayo makarma ng million times." (edited for clarity purposes)
Blatant lies about the products
Tauli reportedly convinces recruits that they are being provided with exclusive products which are available only to members. These products even have Spanish sounding stickers that says Riqueza Internacional. Here's the problem: the products turned out to be not exclusive after all. The products in question have labels that were covered with Riqueza Internacional stickers. In fact, the products are owned by another company, A&M Trading. So in effect, Tauli is just reselling the products and claiming them to be exclusive. You can learn more about the products on the website of the actual company that creates them here.
By the way, we are not endorsing the products. We are just pointing out the misleading ways that network marketers use to fool hapless victims. In fact, we are encouraging people that as much as possible, don't buy products from networking and MLM companies. Most of the time, their products are USELESS. Not only are they very expensive, they are built on lies and misleading salestalk.
By the way, we are not endorsing the products. We are just pointing out the misleading ways that network marketers use to fool hapless victims. In fact, we are encouraging people that as much as possible, don't buy products from networking and MLM companies. Most of the time, their products are USELESS. Not only are they very expensive, they are built on lies and misleading salestalk.
A piece of advice
Be smart. Use your common sense. When someone comes to you and tell you that you can double or triple your money by investing in a networking or multi-level company, take the time to investigate. If it sounds too good to be true, simply walk away. There's no such thing as easy money. The idea that you can double your money by simply availing of a package of products is just STUPID. Where will the earnings come from? Most networking companies are about recruiting, not product-selling. The products are just baits to get people to bite into. Once you take the bait and hand over your money, you can kiss that money goodbye.
Here's something you should keep in mind. In network marketing, the lifestyle of the top 1% is supported by the 99%. The cars, the checks, and the brand new houses that they keep flashing in your face? They may be real but you have better chances of getting them via lottery than investing in a networking company.