Fiji’s consumer watchdog is investigating reports of consumers being lured by what it describes a possible scheme mimicking the hallmarks of a pyramid-recruitment scheme.
And the Consumer Council of Fiji has called for vigilance among members of the public to tread carefully when engaging with individuals and or traders on social media platforms advertising alluring ways to earn money while barely disclosing any information about the scheme.
Council CEO Seema Shandil says the operator has a physical store at Market Road in Nadi, and advertises that people could join his company – “initially as an intern and process five orders per day”.
“For processing these orders, consumers are offered to move to the next tier, which requires an upfront payment. The process continues to level five, with increased payment required for each level,” Mr Shandil said.
While investigations were still in the preliminary stages, she said the council was proactively alerting members of the general public so they asked the right questions and not fall victim to any potential scams.
“Our consumer tip-off led investigation is revealing that the trader in question is a registered business in Fiji, however, when questioned, fails to reveal the specifics of its business operations such as why are the recruits required to pay a lump-sum payment, what is their (recruits) exact role and the modus operandi of the business.
“These can be potential red flags of a scam especially as recruits are required to pay a deposit. We are also reassuring consumers that the name of the business orchestrating this alleged scheme will be released soon,” Ms Shandil said.
