Robert L. FitzPatrtick and Joyce K. Reynolds at Book Signing at
Borders Book Store in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Robert L. FitzPatrick is an expert in examining and revealing
deception and fraud in bogus home-based businesses. He is an author, teacher
and internationally recognized authority in multi-level marketing schemes
and pyramid sales fraud. He is a catalyst and leader in the international
effort to end the pervasive fraud in the multi-level marketing business.
He is the author of False Profits, the first book to critically examine the multilevel marketing industry. He was featured on NBC Dateline, ABC World News, and he was interviewed by corespondent Mike Wallace on CBS 60 Minutes. He has been interviewed live on NBC Today show, Canada's CBC National News and on several BBC radio news programs.
False Profits was a featured resource at the 2003 annual meeting of the Association for Professional and Practical Ethics. The related booklet, Pyramid Nation by Robert FitzPatrick, has been translated to Chinese and used by government regulators in writing China's first laws on pyramid schemes. His essay, "The 10 Big Lies of Multi-Level Marketing", has been translated into four languages and posted on numerous websites.
As a speaker and teacher, he has conducted seminars for staff of Federal Trade Commission, state Attorney General's offices, US Postal Inspector and members of the White Collar Crime Center in Richmond. He was a featured speaker at the 2003 annual meeting of the National Association of Consumer Protection Investigators. In his White Paper, "The Amway Indusry", he exposed the extensive influence-buying of the multi-level marketing industry, resulting in the failure of federal regulators to protect consumers from pyramid marketing fraud.
He has developed informational resources for consumers, journalists, academics and regulators including a multi-media PowerPoint presentation and a statistical analysis of the losses suffered by participants in multi-level marketing schemes. For state regulators, he produced a PowerPoint review of federal prosecutions of multi-level sales schemes that are based upon continuous recruitment of new sales representatives rather than on retailing to end-users. He also published a widely read booklet on the landmark federal case brought against the Amway Corporation.
Robert FitzPatrick founded and serves as president of Pyramid Scheme Alert, the first international association to expose and prevent pyramid scheme fraud. PSA's website, www.pyramidschemealert.org, is visited each month by thousands of consumers, regulators and journalists worldwide. He personally responds to hundreds of consumer and news media inquiries. He has served as consultant and expert witness for Attorney General offices in two states, the US Dept. of Justice, and in numerous cases involving distributor fraud and pyramid schemes.
In his books, lectures, websites and publications, Robert FitzPatrick reveals how more than 99% who join pyramid sales schemes lose their money, squander time and resources and, perhaps most sadly, unwittingly recruit their own friends and relatives into the folly. His examination of the structure and tactics of schemes reveals how the line between legitimate sales companies and "business opportunity" recruitment scams is blurring. More than 5 million Americans annually are lured into pyramid sales schemes that are based upon "endless chain" recruitment of new sales representatives rather than on legitimate retail selling to consumers. Consumer losses exceed $10 billion annually, with many people losing life savings or going further into debt based on the scheme's hype and false claims.
Deeply held convictions and values of fairness, trust, equity, and integrity drive Robert FitzPatrick. His expertise is founded upon studies in a Catholic seminary leading to degree and graduate studies in Sociology. His advocacy work began as a community organizer in the neighborhoods of Charlotte North Carolina. He later organized and managed national trade associations that advocated the interests of independent distributors in three industries. For more than a decade, he has provided strategic guidance and executive coaching in the field of manufacturer/distributor relationships where factors of trust, integrity and sensitive communications are critical to the business. His corporate clients include Fujifilm, DuPont, Epson, and many others.
Robert L. FitzPatrick lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and soulmate, Terry Thirion who is a professsional artist. He continues his writing, public speaking, and consulting work. He welcomes your comments. Write RFitzPatrick@FalseProfits.com
Joyce K. Reynolds is a writer, corporate trainer and speaker who has devoted her recent career to encouraging the concept of service and the growth of spirituality in the workplace.
Having lived all over America as a result of career pursuits, Reynolds left her last corporate position as Senior Vice President of Marketing for a New York City-based international communications firm in 1986 to pursue her entrepreneurial interests. Her first company, Retail Advertising Video Enterprises, Inc. (R.A.V.E.), was responsible for creating and producing benchmark programming in the category of special interest films primarily for the direct marketing industry.
A former radio talk show host, Reynolds continues to facilitate entrepreneurship through a private coaching practice which grew out of her weekly radio segment, On My Own. Author of such corporate training programs as Responsibilities in the Workplace, Reynolds focuses this work on equality, the development of open communications and the enhancement of ethical business practices with emphasis on the subject of sexual harassment. She is a keynote speaker in the business and spiritual communities.
Joyce K. Reynolds earned a B.S. degree with a major in Sociology and a minor in Music from her beloved alma mater, Indiana University, and recently moved from New York City to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Write jreynolds@jkr.net