Amway scam
Just wanted to warn people in the Suffolk County / Long Island area (Bellport, Sayville, Patchogue, Oakdale, Blue Point, etc.) about a couple nam who appear to be recruiting for Amway.
6 months ago, I organically met them while out and struck up a normal conversation. They seemed friendly, family-oriented, and we exchanged numbers. Later they invited us to Starbucks to talk about a “business opportunity,” but kept the company extremely vague. They had us read “cashflow quadrants” before giving almost any actual information. They made it sounds like they were interviewing for a job! they told us they are very picky! But felt very much like they wanted to be friends also.
We met up again to discuss the book and got invited to a larger “team meeting,” where it became obvious it was Amway.
What upset me most was how misleading the entire process felt. We were specifically told:
- it was NOT about recruiting
- NOT about cold calling
- NOT about selling to friends and family
- we would NOT have to buy products
- it was mainly “free mentorship” and “business education”
But once we attended the meeting/ presentation, it became clear the model involved recruiting people, selling products, and leveraging personal relationships.
Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way was that they opened cans of their energy drinks and immediately handed them to us during the presentation so we’d drink them right there. It felt very performative and pushy. They were also hyper-focused on us throughout the meeting, constantly checking reactions and trying to keep us engaged.
They also presented themselves as very faith-based and heavily focused on God, morals, family values, and “freedom.” As parents, it felt like they were intentionally appealing to the vulnerability of wanting more time with our baby and the stress of finances/work-life balance.
I’ve previously been involved in a very cult-like Christian community, so some of the red flags honestly stood out to me earlier than they might for other people. The vague answers, the excessive positivity, the “mentorship” language, the subtle pressure, the framing of outsiders as negative or closed-minded — it all felt familiar. I still went through with the meetings because I thought maybe I was just being paranoid or overly skeptical.
Turns out I wasn’t.
I’m posting this because I could absolutely see how someone more financially stressed, isolated, or vulnerable could get pulled into this and lose a lot of time and money.
If someone approaches you with a super vague “mentorship/business opportunity,” asks you to read cash flow quadrants before explaining anything, and refuses to name the company directly — be careful.