FHTM Fortune High Tech Marketing Trey Knight of FHTM Trey Knight lied about DSA ranking Internet, Kentucky

At no time during any meeting did Trey Knight state that FHTM was ranked #54 out of 500 at the DSA. The DSA only governs approx. 200 companies. (This is an obvious statement on the uneducated person making the claim) The person making the claim needs to pay more attention to what is said.  Trey Knight stated that the DSA is the organization that governs the companies that participate with its program.   DSA Mission:  "The Association's mission is "To protect, serve and promote the effectiveness of member companies and the independent business people they represent. To ensure that the marketing by member companies of products and/or the direct sales opportunity is conducted with the highest level of business ethics and service to consumers.")  FHTM is a pending member of the DSA.  Fhtm also ask all associates abide by the DSA code of ethics as well as the companies policies and procedures.

60. Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing (FHTM)
More than $100 million
Country: United States

With name-brand providers such as Dish Network, Travel FHTM, The Wireless Shop featuring AT&T, Sprint and Nextel, GE, True Essentials and Lamas, it’s easy to understand FHTM’s rapid growth.

Wholesale Corporate Revenue:  More than $100 million 
Marketing Style:  Person-to-person 
Compensation Plan: Multi-level 
Products:  Health and beauty products, services, entertainment and communications 
Markets: 3 
Distributors: 85,000 
Employees: 50 
Headquarters:  Lexington, Ky. 
Year Founded: 2001

The above was copied and pasted from :http://www.directsellingnews.com/index.php/site/entries_archive_display/the_100_million_club

Maybe research should be done before false accusations are made! Seems like there should be a lawsuit filed for slander! These type of false accusations are malicious in nature and should not be tolerated! In traditional business a statement like this would result in all out legal action. If you would like to play with the big boys I suggest you crawl out from behind your computer and face the music. Fortune is a real business that we treat as such and we will not allow yahoos to make slanderous statements.

All of the successful FHTM reps have the same canned wrap. Trey Knight and his band of reps will do anything to put people in the business for a quick promotion including lying. They will tell you anything you get you on their team instead of someone else's. They will twist the truth any way they need to to satisfy their urge for the bonus affiliated with being an NSM, or wanting to be. He wants in the President's Pool, its all about recruiting. The Montana Securities Commission recently - March 4, 2010 issued a CEASE & DESIST ON FHTM and its Founders in Montana. More states will be seeing this entity as the self centered fraud they are.

The State is trying to stop an alleged pyramid scheme from operating here in Montana. The State Auditor has issued a Cease and Desist order against a company that has reportedly taken more than $1.8 million from participating Montanans.

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After many phone calls and complaints over the last few months, Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Monica Lindeen announced that her office has ordered Kentucky-based Fortune Hi Tech Marketing to stop operating in our state.

"What they do is convince people that it's a great money-making venture,” Lindeen said. “Unfortunately, very few people actually make any money."

Nearly 1,300 Montanans have been recruited to be part of the alleged pyramid scheme. Commissioner Lindeen advises those people to immediately end their involvement with Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing.
She adds that especially during difficult economic times, more schemes surface and people are more likely to look for alternative ways to generate income.

"They have more scams today than ever,” said Helena resident Bud Lee. “People have to be wise."

"I think it happens everywhere, so I’m not surprised it happened here," said Joey Carter of Helena.

"When you lose your job, you find ways to keep the electricity on. So, I bet more of these things start to crop up," said Raylean Garrison of Helena.

Lindeen adds that members only benefit if they recruit others to join this alleged scam. She says her office is committed to keeping pyramid schemes out of Montana.

"In Montana, we will not tolerate forms of pyramid schemes and we are going to stop it. We don't want to see hard-working Montanans lose their money."

On its website, fortune hi tech marketing says it hopes for a quick resolution to the matter, but asks its montana reps to refrain from doing business in the meantime.
lindeen says she anticipates a hearing against FHTM and hopes that some Montanans can get their money back.

For more information or to make a complaint, she encourages you to call 1-800-332-6148

FHTM claims to have direct relationships with Dish Networks, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, DuPOnt, GE Security and others. NONE CAN BE SUBSTANTIATED. They are merely an affiliate of a 3rd party authorized reseller of these big companies. THEY HAVE NO CONTRACTS THEMSELVES.

Commissions are so minute with FHTM that 90% of all revenues are made from the recruiting of others - making this a "PPS" as outline by the Federal Trade Commission rules and regulations.

The biggest problem with FHTM - Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing is that they mislead prospects into believing that they have these huge contracts with Dish Networks, Travelocity, Verizon Wireless, Dupont and GE Security, when in fact they have NONE!

How can their National Sales Managers (the FHTM gurus) claim that they are the largest customer gatherer, ahead of radio shack, for Dish Networks when they dont even have a direct agreement with Dish to do anything.

FHTM has merely become an affiliate marketing company of one of those company's 3rd party authorized dealers. In a recent filing against FHTM in Montana - letters from those company's explicitly saying there is NO direct relationship.  How can FHTM say there moto is integrity and honesty when all they do is lie to everyonry about what they really do and how they do it. 

In addition, FHTM is a sponoring machine - very little is made on residuals. FHTM makes all of their money with a website for $24.95/mo with a $20.00 setup fee as well as charging reps $299.00 to join (heard it just went to $349.00) with a $199 ANNUAL renewal. The NSM's get $320.00 everytime someone (anywhere) joins their National manager code. This amounts to hundreds a day for some Presidential Ambassadors like Ruel Morton (purported to make in excess of $800,000/monthly) and Todd Rowland (purported to make in excess of $250,000 monthly) on the dreams and desires of others - not product sales......others well in excess of $50,000 monthly.

Orberson, Mills and the top 7 reps make all of the money in this scam. Did Orberson really come out of retirement to help others or becasue he was broke and needed more money to support his lavish lifestyle?

FHTM applied for a membership with the DSA (nothing but an industry trade group that supports illegal mlm"s) last year and their application is still pending. No guarantee it will be approved unless Orberson throws a bunch of money at them, like he does sports in Kentucky to keep the Kentucky AG from closing his doors.

I did some research and according to directsellingnews.com they had them ranked number 60 out of 68 with revenue sales of over 100 millions dollars.

You can go to their site http://www.directsellingnews.com/index.php/site/entries_archive_displays/the_100_million_club

and you can see how they derived their assesment of the 68 companies listed.

 

I have been doing a good amount of research on Fortune High Tech Marketing (FHTM). I recently spoke with a representative who explained the companies policies to me in detail and I have reviewed a few different Web sites such as www.FHTM.net. I have been informed about the lawsuit in Montana that caused a temporary shut down of one of the offices. That office is now open again. Anyway, I think some of these complaints are extremely exaggerated. Many people tend to be skeptical of network marketing and yes there are scams out there. Based on what I have read and learned about FHTM it is an actual legit company just like Mary Kay and Amway. It requires people who join to buy products and services from specific companies such as Dish and in return for buying from these specific companies, the individual is able to start getting a return on their initial investment which is a $199 start up fee. In some of the complaints on this site, it states that the initial fee is $299. That is not correct. People who are actively engaged in buying from specific companies and getting others to do so can make a decent amount. One person I spoke with started making $3,000 a month after a few months of working for the company. He received his check electronically by direct deposit. He did not start making this amount over night but in time he made it. He explained the point system to me. He had to receive 10 points (which equates to buying from 10 different companies in the network) before he could begin receiving a return on his $199. Once he did that and got people to use his virtual store and got others to join the program he started to make a good amount. I think the individuals who sign up with FHTM have to do more work then they might realize but if they are able to consume from specific companies and get others to do so, they can make an additional income or even make this their main source of income. I am under the impression that it's just not going to happen over night and its up to the individual to make a proactive effort to succeed.

The owners of this scam continue to take advantage of  1000’s of new victims weekly by convincing them into joining as they reap the benefits of a purported $500Million dollar nationwide criminal enterprise. 2010 started off with the Attorney General of North Dakota issuing a cease and desist for operating a business in that state without the proper licensing. That was followed by the
Montana Securities Commissioner, Monica Lindeen also shutting them down, but this time, it was for operating as an illegal endless recruiting pyramid scheme. The company was forced to change their business practices (in an attempt to make their business appear to be legal. Can you do that if you were already legal or is that an oxymoron), charge only $75.00 entrance fee (from the then current $299.00) to new Montanans who wished to explore the American Dream through FHTM and refund almost $1,000,000 to the good folks of that state who made no money and wanted a refund of monies paid.

FHTM was also forced to produce (one time only) an income disclosure statement (“IDS”) which according to industry expert, Robert FitzPatrick who is the President of Pyramid Scheme Alert, is so skewed that it isn’t worth the paper it is written on because the figures do not include the almost 30% who did not make even a dime in this business opportunity. Looking at the numbers produced by FHTM itself, over 90% fail.

In talking to FHTM reps, they insist on telling the story that every business is a Pyramid and so is the government. What they fail to differentiate is what is a legal and an illegal pyramid scheme. They go on to explain that 95% of all businesses in America fail and the team they have an opportunity to build in FHTM will produce a lifetime of residual income. FHTM claims that building the Fortune opportunity is a willable, trustable and saleable enterprise, but that is false. They have
coined the phrase, “Loyal Customer”. In fact, the reality is that when reps drop out of this business (and 90% or better will do so within 6 months) all of those “loyal customers” are gone along with the residual income. Most sales of products and services are to the IR’s that have paid for the right to be part of this business opportunity.

Existing IR’s saw multiple compensation changes that were sold to them as a message from God and as “another pay raise” yet it was merely a way to screw more at the bottom of this pyramid and enrich those that were hand-picked by the self proclaimed King of MLM, Paul Orberson.

In fact there were more than a half dozen compensation changes that occurred in 2010 which somehow parallels the ½ dozen state Attorneys General (IL, TX, SC, NC, CA, KY, ND and MT) that
began active investigations into this alleged pyramid scheme. FHTM had an “F” rating with the KY BBB until November/December 2010, when top leaders in the organization posted bulletins asking for their IR’s to report FHTM as a model company which assisted in raising the current rating to a “C”. What a sham that system is. Self rating goes against the grain of having the BBB in the first
place.

According to Corporate Frauds Watch: Like the bosses, and reality-inverting propagandists, of the 'Amway' mob, the bosses, and reality-inverting propagandists, of the 'Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing' mob have steadfastly pretended that:  Their direct selling company is perfectly lawful and is associated with all manner of trusted household-names in the USA. They cannot be held responsible if some rogue 'Independent FHTM Business Owners' do not obey the company's own rules which oblige them regularly to sell significant quantities of good-value products, and services, to the public for a profit. 

At the same time, numerous dissidents, testify that the 'FHTM' plan for financial freedom is,
in point of fact, a dissimulated closed-market swindle, in which unlawful internal payments (in exchange for effectively-unsalable wampum) have been arbitrarily defined as lawful external 'sales.' In this way, tens of thousands of 'FHTM' adherents continue to be deceived into handing over regular cash-payments to a counterfeit 'direct selling company' controlled by a little gang of sanctimonious racketeers, on the pretext that  anyone can retire from work by being their own loyal 'FHTM ' customer and by recruiting their friends and relations to be their own loyal customers, etc. ad infinitum.

Fortune Hi-Tech has lied about everything in their business presentations since day one including statements about being debt-free, its D&B rating and its business relationships/partnerships with
real fortune 100 companies to cover up their illegal ways and to produce the aura that they are some way legal because of these affiliations (Legal by Association). Since 2010 major companies like GE, DuPont, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Travelocity, Home Depot and Peter Lamas have either run from these relationships or claimed they never existed in the first place including the their demand that FHTM discontinue the unauthorized use of their coveted logos, trademarks and names in presentations and printed materials. Fortune thought it was ok to use the logos of major international enterprises to enhance their own image in order to appear as if they were legal when in fact their entire enterprise is built on misrepresentations. They attempted to tie themselves to Fortune Magazine until ex-representatives revealed the truth, henceforth the recent (end of 2010) disclaimer on the bottom of the FHTM corporate website that now states “FHTM is not sponsored by, endorsed by, affiliated with, or otherwise associated with, Time Inc. or Fortune Magazine. For years this company has used the names of famous people to provide evidence of legitimacy, all which were lies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyGaQfDP--c&feature=related

The nightmare for representatives deepened as FHTM was about to hold its national convention in Lexington, Kentucky in September 2010. On the eve of the convention USA Today appeared
there to interview IR’s and attend its presentations. It was the same day that Fortune, its officers and 40 top distributors were served with its first of two class action lawsuits claiming mail and wire fraud, RICO violations, pyramid scheme and money laundering.

The FHTM outside legal team got an early Christmas present with the filing of the 2nd class-action
lawsuit in the Southern District of California on December 22, 2010. This lawsuit mirrors, in many ways, the one originally filed in Kentucky in early September with the addition of multiple violations of California consumer protection laws. The California judge recently sent that case to combine with
the Kentucky one.

FHTM has only succeeded in recent years because of the recession and the fact that its top reps in 2004 brought their teams from the defunct Excel Communications (Another MLM that operated in
the gray area of the law until it went bankrupt). They were hand-picked by Paul Orberson to be the top reps in FHTM, paid to bring their teams, given large cash bonuses and a back door deal which included a piece of the pie (equity). They are referred to as the “Fab 6” by Paul Orberson. This enterprise will always remain private to hide these side deals and the money made by its
founders.

How can representatives in 2011 continue to tout this as the best marketing plan and business opportunity ever when the founders have been caught in so many lies, changed the compensation plan to further enrich those at the top, have such a huge 95%+ failure rate, are being sued in Federal court by ex-reps as well as ex-vendors and have multiple states investigating their illegal
ways?

They buy magazine covers, give to charity and self published their own autobiography in an effort to prove legitimacy. Some reps even claim that they are approved to do business in all 50 states. That is far from the truth as no State ever approves or disapproves the business plan of any business.

In 2010 Fortune made a decision to solicit the Latino markets throughout the USA and recruit by promising green cards. They don’t care whether the Latino immigrants are legal or not. Anyone
can join FHTM if they pay the fees. If you are an illegal immigrant, an unemployed truck driver or just a fool – this business is for you. If you don’t mind operating an enterprise that never can be willed, sold or profitable - this business is for you. If you don’t mind screwing your friends and family to
get into a business with you that you know they will lose money in – this business is for you. If you don’t mind buying or selling overpriced goods and services – this business is for you. If you have the ability to tell folks this is your destiny per God’s word – this business is for you. If you are a great
liar – this business is for you.

Most of the revenues created by FHTM reps are made by recruiting others into this Ponzi scheme and not from the residual income as they claim. 80% or better sales are to the reps themselves
so they can qualify their business in order to get paid bonuses for bringing in others. This violates the FTC rules and the laws in almost 50 states.

In 2011 FHTM was added to the joint investigation by the FTC and individual state AG’s “Operation Empty Promises”. It was recently discovered that many representatives at the Executive and National level are pocking huge sums of cash from presentations and meeting and skirting their obligations to the IRS. This is not only promoted by but is also endorsed by Paul Orberson – the self proclaimed highest paid network marketer of all times.

Please help to stop this scam from ruining the lives of another 100K Americans.

For more on this company go to www.fhtmclassaction.info

It never ceases to amaze me how the Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing
cult followers put a twisted spin on everything they say and the number of
articles being posted to the internet lately to counter attack the millions of “scam”
and “illegal pyramid scheme” allegations that are out there by hundreds of
ex-representatives.

Recently I read an article claiming that the FTC gave their
seal of approval to FHTM when in fact it is the exact opposite. The FTC’s “Operation
Empty Promises” campaign and the joint effort of local Attorneys general
offices like Roy Cooper in North Carolina have serious criminal and civil
investigations ongoing against Paul Orberson and FHTM. What will the excuses be
and the twisted story become if another State AG shuts down FHTM or even worse
Paul Orberson is indicted by the feds for fraud?

Maybe it is just because folks in America who worked for
$6/hr prior to FHTM have no idea how to differentiate between reality and the
myths and lies spread by the FHTM leaders to make them appear to be legitimate.
There is a huge difference between hiring an ex-AG from the 80’s as a legal consultant
and having an ex-AG as a representative. That is such a far-fetched twist of
reality.  Is there such a thing as
corrupt politician, corrupt attorney or AG? Has there ever been a case where
the attorney leading a huge Ponzi scheme went to prison? Research the facts and
the answer to that question is yes a dozen times over. It is only in the minds
of small thinking people, that these anti-reality blazing statements can be
construed as legitimate.

These same representatives are probably new to the FHTM scam
and therefore, like good little soldiers, go around the country and the
internet and spout the fallacies that helped FHTM get to where they are today.
There are many rewards mall programs and affiliate marketing deals available to
anyone who spends 15 minutes on the internet doing some research. If a company
like Home Depot aligns itself with a rewards mall and FHTM happens to figure
out a way to make money from that mall relationship does it mean that Home
Depot and FHTM have some sort of marketing partnership?

Absolutely not, unless it is a mall that has been developed by
FHTM and all of the vendor contracts are directly with them. In the case of
FHTM – they were an affiliate marketer for the BSP Rewards Mall through a
company called Ocenture. After all of the legal woes began for FHTM in December
0f 2009, they have since dropped Fortune. None of the companies that market
their products through an mall or affiliate deal ever heard of Fortune nor do
they promote network marketing as a way to sell their products.

For years everyone that spent one day as an independent representative
for FHTM has attempted, at one time or another, to prove FHTM legitimacy for
association. With millions of scam allegations on the internet it is no wonder
representatives have to work extra hard to counter attach the real truth. The famous
last words, of every FHTM cult leader is, “These Fortune 100 companies and
ex-AG’s wouldn’t associate with FHTM if we were illegal, a scam or a pyramid
deal”. The truth of the matter is none of these companies associate with nor
have approved any deal with FHTM to market their product or associate their
brands with FHTM. Over the past year, this has become painfully obvious with
the loss of their BSP rewards mall, Travelocity, GE, DuPont, AT&T and
Verizon Wireless.

Anyone can hire an attorney but that doesn’t make your
company legal by any sense of the word. That paid spokesperson is nothing more
than a person or firm paid big bucks to spew crap to calm the masses of
representatives. If anyone would actually take the time to research this
company for themself, the truth would be obvious.

For years Judy Hammerschmidt, the ex-general counsel for FHTM
was portrayed as an  assistant Attorney
General to President Reagan. That title is rather impressive except they forgot
to tell you that there are dozens of assistant attorney generals and none of
them work directly for or with the President of the USA. These same liars
neglected to mention that her real title was Special Assistant to the Attorneys
General. That is a completely different position. A Special Assistant to the AG
is a legal clerk, a glorified secretary. She held this position right out of
law school. Not a big deal - unless you are trying to spin your credentials in
an effort to make yourself someone you never were or to impress unsuspecting cult
followers. This has been a web of deceit since the beginning.

So back to the original question – Is Fortune Hi-Tech
Marketing a SCAM? Who really knows the answer? If it walks like a duck and
sounds like a duck, it probably is a duck. Many media sources and regulatory
authorities think so. I think it is more of a cult than a scam. Members join –
most never make any money yet are brainwashed into convincing herds of other
this is the greatest thing since sliced bread – 99% quit within ninety days
according to a recent conference call held by the founder Paul Orberson and
less than 5% earn anything. Like other cults – anyone who quits FHTM loses
money, precious time, family, friends and their integrity. When will morals
overtake American Greed?