"Pyramid Scheme Comes to Canada," by Dale Boyd

image Courtesy of FHTM.net

FHTM (Fortune High Tech Marketing), a company which has been banned by Montana's Auditor General for being an illegal pyramid scheme, has now come to Canada.

FHTM is in the buisness of social marketing, to those of us who don't know what social marketing is, it is marketing through word of mouth and networking with people.

The main selling point of paying the $400 sign-up fee to join FHTM is that you make an increasing amount for every addtional person you sign up, and eventually you will move up through the ranks and retain a larger monthly income for each additional person, and if your good enough at recruiting you get a three month lease on a Lexus.

As this is a textbook pyramid scheme design and would otherwise be illegal, FHTM lets you be your own customer by buying products you would buy anyway such as shampoo and phone services, according to its website.

Apparently all of what FHTM promises isn't exactly true according to Jackie Boyle spokesperson for the Auditor's office of Montana.

"Basically a lot of the claims they've been making are false," Boyle said.

Montana officials ended a five month investigation with a cease and desist order for FHTM according to this Kentucky.com article.

"FTHM is not a multilevel distribution company but rather a pyramid promotional scheme because the compensation each participant in the program receives is derived primarily from obtaining the participation of other persons in the program and not the sale of goods and services," the cease and desist order reads.

FHTM's buisness is marketing, and they have appeared to have found a loophole in the pyramid scheme laws, since technically they are marketing the products they sell and not selling the fact that you make money by recruiting members, which is what's getting them in trouble.

Local meetings have been held at University's such as Grant Macewan's downtown campus and U of A to recruit new members.

These meetings appeal to people who are unhappy with their jobs find the more they work the less time they have to do the things they like to do according to critics such as the author of this article.

A good selling point in the Edmonton area, where the current economic downfall is leaving people out of work.

image courtesy of FHTM.net

Edmonton-

Edmonton is the Capital of the province of Alberta. It is the second largest city in Alberta after Calgary, and is known as "The Festival City," for being host to a multitude of festivals all year round. It is the second most populous Provincial capital after Toronto. Edmonton. The North Saskatchewan River runs through Edmonton right by the downtown area, splitting the city into it's northern and southern parts.

Mostly a hockey city, Edmontons sports scene is fairly active. The NHL team the Edmonton Oilers are known for their historic Stanley Cup wins in the past, although their recent success is waivering. The Edmonton Eskimos, the local football team, has also had success in the past, but has been in and out of playoffs in the past few years.

Edmonton is also a military city as it is home to the Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, and houses a military base fairly close to the city. Edmonton also ranks as one of Canada's most crime ridden cities and has crime statistics that rival Winnapeg and Toronto.