5 ms·

I mean if you want to prevent people from being scammed you should do it at the conference itself right? plus it is way more fun.

meken 5y ago
I guess I’m missing the part which indicates this is obviously a scam. I don’t know why people are attending this conference, but could anyone actually be getting value out of it? If so, then it just depends whether you find this conference ethically defensible, or not. Seems like people could differ on that.
- M2Ys4U 5y ago
  > I guess I’m missing the part which indicates this is obviously a scam. The host was really pressuring people to pay to join, even when his prospective customers didn't have the money: >Before Snowden joined, Tulsiani was trying to sell $47 tickets to a "VIP" session of the conference. While pitching the VIP session, Tulsiani repeatedly said, “If there was a gun to your head saying you have to find [the money]...you’ll find it,” included as a response to an audience member who said in the group chat that she couldn’t afford the entry fee. That's not necessarily a scam, but it sure is a massively unethical business model.
- mattigames 5y ago
  My skepticism is not towards this scammer actually providing value, but more towards the likelihood of you being the scammer and trying to defend it on a public platform.
- drenvuk 5y ago
  I don't understand why you're ok with dying on this hill. He's a scammer. If you had actually watched the video and listened to the explanations by Snowden and looked up the court case that you're saying the scammer was not guilty in but WAS FOUND GUILTY then you would either delete your comments or edit them to say you're wrong. Many times these things aren't black and white. This is one case where it is. Please don't defend obvious scams. Don't give any gap for them to somehow convince people that they're on the up and up because those victim will be hurt. Snowden is using his name and appearance to out this guy and I'm very ok with that.
  - meken 5y ago
    Ah, you're right. Turns out he was found guilty. My mistake. I would edit the comment, but it doesn't look like I can now.
- not1ofU 5y ago
  more context -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uxWjgrr3BA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uxWjgrr3BA
- pavel_lishin 5y ago
  > could anyone actually be getting value out of it? Of course, the scammers running this are absolutely getting value out of it.
- ev1 5y ago
  If you've had friends involved or lost to Ponzi, HYIP, or MLM, as soon as you see "investment club" and the guy in a gaudy cheap suit, with logos like these? You know. It's a nearly-reflexive gut feeling.
  - meken 5y ago
    Ah, that might explain my ignorance. I’ve never heard the term “investment club” before today. I just assumed it’s legit.
    - ev1 5y ago
      There are legitimate investment clubs, intended to spread risk or do a larger group buy or similar, but the legitimate ones are almost 100% chance not containing showboating arsewaffles that make fun of poor people and telling them that's why they're still poor if they can't come up with the money to give to a scammer. The meetings are often much less boring and procedural, or otherwise it's teenagers learning finance with small amounts being held by a non-minor trustee. Think of it as the difference between a group of people with a formal contract and meetings for investment splitting in a conference room vs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCcwn6bGUtU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCcwn6bGUtU It's extremely obvious which category this article's meeting falls into once you know about those two categories. I've had a bunch of friends fall into the MLM world (which will keep telling you it's not a pyramid scheme), and every single presentation or meeting they've ever seen, talked about, or been to has either been mindnumbingly cringe and unprofessionally fraudulent slides with false income numbers (upline-held ones) or cult-like scam screaming and money worship (corporate ones).

meken 5y ago

I guess I’m missing the part which indicates this is obviously a scam. I don’t know why people are attending this conference, but could anyone actually be getting value out of it? If so, then it just depends whether you find this conference ethically defensible, or not. Seems like people could differ on that.

M2Ys4U 5y ago
> I guess I’m missing the part which indicates this is obviously a scam. The host was really pressuring people to pay to join, even when his prospective customers didn't have the money: >Before Snowden joined, Tulsiani was trying to sell $47 tickets to a "VIP" session of the conference. While pitching the VIP session, Tulsiani repeatedly said, “If there was a gun to your head saying you have to find [the money]...you’ll find it,” included as a response to an audience member who said in the group chat that she couldn’t afford the entry fee. That's not necessarily a scam, but it sure is a massively unethical business model.
mattigames 5y ago
My skepticism is not towards this scammer actually providing value, but more towards the likelihood of you being the scammer and trying to defend it on a public platform.
drenvuk 5y ago
I don't understand why you're ok with dying on this hill. He's a scammer. If you had actually watched the video and listened to the explanations by Snowden and looked up the court case that you're saying the scammer was not guilty in but WAS FOUND GUILTY then you would either delete your comments or edit them to say you're wrong. Many times these things aren't black and white. This is one case where it is. Please don't defend obvious scams. Don't give any gap for them to somehow convince people that they're on the up and up because those victim will be hurt. Snowden is using his name and appearance to out this guy and I'm very ok with that.
- meken 5y ago
  Ah, you're right. Turns out he was found guilty. My mistake. I would edit the comment, but it doesn't look like I can now.
not1ofU 5y ago
more context -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uxWjgrr3BA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uxWjgrr3BA
pavel_lishin 5y ago
> could anyone actually be getting value out of it? Of course, the scammers running this are absolutely getting value out of it.
ev1 5y ago
If you've had friends involved or lost to Ponzi, HYIP, or MLM, as soon as you see "investment club" and the guy in a gaudy cheap suit, with logos like these? You know. It's a nearly-reflexive gut feeling.
- meken 5y ago
  Ah, that might explain my ignorance. I’ve never heard the term “investment club” before today. I just assumed it’s legit.
  - ev1 5y ago
    There are legitimate investment clubs, intended to spread risk or do a larger group buy or similar, but the legitimate ones are almost 100% chance not containing showboating arsewaffles that make fun of poor people and telling them that's why they're still poor if they can't come up with the money to give to a scammer. The meetings are often much less boring and procedural, or otherwise it's teenagers learning finance with small amounts being held by a non-minor trustee. Think of it as the difference between a group of people with a formal contract and meetings for investment splitting in a conference room vs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCcwn6bGUtU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCcwn6bGUtU It's extremely obvious which category this article's meeting falls into once you know about those two categories. I've had a bunch of friends fall into the MLM world (which will keep telling you it's not a pyramid scheme), and every single presentation or meeting they've ever seen, talked about, or been to has either been mindnumbingly cringe and unprofessionally fraudulent slides with false income numbers (upline-held ones) or cult-like scam screaming and money worship (corporate ones).