I was scammed by a crypto MLM - warning to others

My biggest piece of advice - never recruit someone who cannot afford to lose their investment. If a person is living paycheck to paycheck, you are potentially putting them in a worse financial position. Be ethical about who you bring into the business.

I tried 3 different MLM companies over 5 years. Total invested: about $15,000. Total earned: about $3,500. Total friendships damaged: at least 10. Would I do it again? Absolutely not. But I do not regret the lessons I learned about myself.

I lost $5,000 in a crypto MLM that promised guaranteed returns through AI trading bots. The pitch was that a team of expert traders would manage a crypto portfolio and distributors would earn from both the trading profits and recruitment bonuses. For the first 3 months, I received payments and thought it was legitimate. Then one day the website went down, the company Instagram was deleted, and the founders disappeared. This was a classic Ponzi scheme using MLM structure and crypto hype as cover. Warning signs I should have seen: guaranteed returns, anonymous founders, no registered business entity, pressure to recruit quickly before the opportunity closes.

I joined Amway in college because a senior student recruited me. Spent $2,000 I did not have on products and tools. Made $47 in commissions over 6 months. Dropped out of the business but the experience taught me to always research before investing in anything.