17 Signs that You're In a Sales Cult, or How a Sales Cult is like the Borg

Patrick Stewart as Locutus, the Borg assimilated
Jean-Luc Picard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A sales cult is a deformed "sales team", that uses cult tactics to keep and grow its membership, to take over its member's lives to the point where the members essentially cuts off most ties from his normal social circle all in the name of "success".

At what price? Are you really joining the Borg Collective instead?

Following are the signs that you're in a sales cult, not a sales organization. How many did you spot?

• I chant and sing every morning as part of a group "warmup"
• I have a mentor who shadows me almost 24/7. 
• I am always looking out for new recruits, whom I hope to mentor one day
• I am fully involved in my job / opportunity and have no time for frivolous stuff, like relationships
• I buy my clothes and stuff on credit because I haven't made any money (soon...)
• I think my partner / friend / family does NOT support me fully in my job / opportunity
• I have drifted apart from my regular partner, friends, and family
• I attend all sorts of after-work social events by my sales leader and mentor
• I am often very tired as I don't sleep much (I wonder how "they" do it...)
• I think my partner does NOT understand how important my job/opportunity is to me
• I think my partner does NOT understand how hard I am working
• I am not stopping for anyone or anything (including "friends", "family", "partner", and more)
• I cite my daily or weekly accomplishments to the team and I am PROUD of it. 
• I feel very sad if I don't hit my daily / weekly goals
• I am jealous of my sales leader's success and paycheck and fancy car and fancy cloths
• I have some doubts, but I don't dare show it. I am sure it's a phase that will pass. 
• I can't quit. I will let my leader and the team down if I do. They'll tell me I'm not a quitter. I am not. 

How many of these apply to you? Read on to understand why these are signs of a cult, not a business.

Below you will find two people discussing the signs above... a cult expert, and a former member of the Borg collective (this is kinda humorous, but rather dark humor).

What's common among Pigeon Chess, Scam, and the Matrix? Victims.

What's common between pigeon chess,
scam, and the Matrix?
 (Photo credit: Bill & Mark Bell)

Recently someone reminded me of this Internet meme: Pigeon Chess. It basically goes like this:

Arguing with [Insert Group Name] is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good I am, the pigeon will knock over the pieces, craps all over the board, then fly off and claim victory with its flock

You can find various versions of this with various group names substituted, from retards to Christians to Mac Users, but what this really applies is a bit of a double entendre... as a "pigeon" is also slang for an "easy mark" or a "dupe", i.e. a gullible person, easily scammed.

And nowhere is this more obvious with pseudo-MLM scam victims, who refuse to recognize they had been cheated even when all the signs are right in front of them.

I've discussed "3 blind men and elephant" analogy before, as well as "ignorance is not bliss", but I thought I'd just hit this theme one MORE time to make my point.

Scam victims, i.e. a pigeon, often believe in the scam so much that nothing you tell them will convince them that they had been scammed. Instead, they'll insult you, refuse to listen to you, and claim they had "won" their argument with you by leaving.  They are much like Cypher... preferring the Matrix to reality. or to steal another catchphrase... "You can't handle the truth!" (from the movie "A Few Good Men")

Just like the pigeon who will knock over the pieces, crap all over the board, and fly off to its flock squawking victory.

Let's look at a few examples.

BREAKING NEWS: Tesla CIO Jay Vijayan surprised at his picture appearing on WCM777 websites, will seek removal

A few days ago Ming Xu of WCM presented his speech at SVIEF 2013, and took pictures with Steve Wozniak (ex-Apple), Al Gore (ex US VP), and Jay Vijayan (CIO of Tesla). These pictures, already translated along with Ming Xu's 10 minute video, are spreading like weeds among WCM777 affiliates who are posting them on their websites and blogs and tweets and videos as if it adds credibility to the suspected Ponzi scheme.

Guess what... Just found following tweet:

One down, two to go!

Related articles

• WCM777 affiliate steals Will Smith "inspirational" video, just like Club Asteria Scam Did in 2011
• BREAKING NEWS: WCM Ming Xu admits on Twitter that he faked his resume on LinkedIn
• BREAKING NEWS: Siemens denies ANY involvement with WCM or any related company, Ming Xu lied
• WCM Head Ming Xu posts paper with name Siemens China and some unknown company, claim it is "agreement"

What Does the Bible Say About Scammers Claiming to be Man (or Woman) of God?

There are plenty of scammers who claimed to be men (and women) of God, but scammed people in various schemes, such as Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, and so on and so forth. Some operated such schemes themselves. Others participated in such schemes and recruited their church members.

And please don't say this does not happen. Here are a couple examples.

Nanci Jo Frasier, of Focus Up Ministries of Ohio, pusher of Profitable Sunrise Ponzi
[Report 1] [Report 2] [Report 3] [Report on Profitable Sunrise]

Bradley Collins, fake pastor, in $30 million Ponzi scheme within state of Indiana
[Report]

Jim Bakker of the PTL Club, who kept two separate accounting books to conceal his fraud in the millions.
[Wikipedia entry]

There are many many more scammers, who were WIDELY KNOWN to be man (or woman) of God, yet was clearly sinning by telling lies, committing fraud, and dragging innocent people into scam for their own profit.

What does the Bible say about such scammers and sinners, who flies the banner of God but are clearly working for Satan?

When Robin Hood Turned Out to Be Just Hood: Story of "Double Shah" Ponzi scheme in Pakistan

If a man, having had no financial education, went to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) for six months, came back, and claimed he can DOUBLE the money you give him in only 15 days, would you believe him? Most of us would answer: no way.

Yet that's what thousands of people did in Pakistan, in the infamous case of "Double Shah", the nickname bestowed upon Syed Sitbul Shah. And like Charles Ponzi, Double Shah's scam did not last, even though people were lining up to give him money, just like Charles Ponzi.

In 2005, Syed Sitbul Shah, who was a mere humble school teacher, took leave from his work and spent six months in United Arab Emirates, specifically Dubai. Upon return to his town, Wazirabad, in Punjab region of Pakistan, he started circulating the news that he has learned the secrets of money in Dubai, that he can double people's money in 15 days.

And it took only one person (his old friend) to start, and a small amount to get started. When that was doubled, word spread, soon 1 became 10 (his old work colleagues), 10 became 100... And soon people are lined up outside his home DEMANDING that he take their money for doubling. Soon the dates start to slip. 15 days became 30 days, 30 days became 60 days, and then 70 days. Now dubbed "Double Shah", he purchased various assets with the money, such as multiple gasoline and CNG stations in Punjab, the region he was in, as well as alleged casinos in Dubai. It is estimated that he had gathered TENS OF BILLIONS of Rupiahs (up to 1 billion US dollars) by some estimates. Some claimed that he had RETURNED 40 billion rupiahs to investors.

All that came crashing down when a newspaper "The Nation" out of Lahore published a full investigative report, prompting a full police investigation on in April 2007 and arrest of Double Shah a week later. (Just like Charles Ponzi).

Ming Xu got a few photos with celebrities... So what?

Plenty of WCM folks claim that the photos with some Silicon Valley and other celebrities will somehow "prove" that Ming Xu's not a scammer, as posted on Ming Xu's Twitter account.

First, I ask you, what is the 7th Sin in the 7 Deadly Sins?

The 7th deadly sin is Pride. Showing off oneself.

And these "Ming Xu with celebrity photos" are evidence of pride: appearing next to celebrities to make oneself a faux celebrity.

Real people doing God's work are NOT supposed to show off by posing next to celebrities.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. -- Proverbs 11:2

Yet every photo of WCM777 are of leaders showing off themselves alone, themselves standing next to Ming Xu, Ming Xu himself, Ming Xu standing next to some celebrity... or Someone Ming Xu claims to know standing next to some celebrity (like his friend in Colombia, which he can't spell, shaking hands with the Pope).

They are ALL evidence of pride.

Now you are probably complaining, but those celebrities can't possibly take a photo with a scammer!

You'd be sadly mistaken.

Frankly, if you can afford to buy yourself into that forum (and Ming Xu is a "diamond sponsor", look it up, which means he paid at least $10000) he can pose with anybody he wants, esp. with the abbreviated resume he presented to the forum, not mentioning his various shady activities such as

• "zero-risk EB-5 residency visa for $530000 USD"  [Proof]
• "WCM777 ponzi scheme under investigation in Colombia" [Tweet and news]
• "lying about working with Siemens" [Proof]
• "confessed to fudging his LinkedIn profile"  [Proof]
• "confessed involvement in Olympic fundraising scandal" [Case] [confession]
• "confessed involvement in Vantone stock / pyramid scam in China"  [case] [confession]
• "continued to use Vantone name, but ONLY IN CHINESE"
• Created multiple questionable unaccredited schools such as "Harvard Global Institute" [Proof]
• and so on and so forth 

But if you want a better example... Any one recognize this photo?

Yes, that's President GW Bush on the right. Who's on the left? That guy claims to be "Commander" Bobby Thompson. He can't possibly be a scammer because he shook hands with the president, which means Secret Service must have looked him over, right?

WRONG!  This guy is a con man, who ran a fake foundation called US Navy Veterans Association. He got ton of donations (millions), then tried to stash the money under multiple identities, disappeared with 1 million cash in a suitcase, captured after a manhunt, and claimed IN COURT that the whole thing is a CIA plot.

But wait, there's more examples of conmen posing next to really famous people!