Robert Lawrence FitzPatrick is an author. He serves as president of Pyramid Scheme Alert,[1][2] a consumer organization to confront the abuses of pyramid schemes.[3]

Biography

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Early career

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Fitzpatrick's interest in pyramid schemes was sparked in the 1980s when he joined a business with a multi-level, direct-sales model. While Fitzpatrick didn't lose money, he did witness first-hand how one could get sucked into what he called "delusional behavior".[4]

Author

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FitzPatrick is the co-author of the self-published book False Profits: Seeking Financial and Spiritual Deliverance in Multi-Level Marketing and Pyramid Schemes (ISBN 0-964879-514),[5] a 1997 critical book that examines the multi-level marketing industry. He has followed it up with his book Ponzinomics: The Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing.[6]

Speaker

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FitzPatrick has been featured on Fraud Squad TV,[1] ABC World News[2] and WTTW's Chicago Matters.[7] He has been interviewed live on CBC's Marketplace.[8] He has been quoted in newspapers and journals, including The Wall Street Journal[9][10] and The New York Times.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Fraud Library - Pyramid & Ponzi Schemes Fraud". Fraud Squad TV. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  2. ^ a b "ABC News - Multimillion Dollar Scam Exploits Women". ABC World News Archive. Archived from the original on 2004-08-03. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  3. ^ Robert FitzPatrick | Pyramid Scheme Alert
  4. ^ "Multi-Level Marketing Critic: Beware 'Main Street Bubble'". CNBC. 9 January 2013.
  5. ^ "False Profits - Robert L FitzPatrick - Book - Barnes & Noble". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  6. ^ Pyramidschemealert website
  7. ^ "WTTW Chicago Matters - Money Talks - Is It a Pyramid Scheme". WTTW Archive. Archived from the original on 2009-11-06. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  8. ^ "Easy Money - Buying Into the Pitch to Become Rich - CBC News Marketplace". CBC Marketplace. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  9. ^ Stecklow, Steve (28 January 2009). "In Echoes Of Madoff, Ponzi Cases Proliferate (1-28-2009)". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2015-09-19. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  10. ^ Maremont, Mark (2006-03-01). "Online 'Autosurf' Scams Use Legal Businesses to Flourish - Partial Article (3-1-2006)". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  11. ^ Zimmerman, Eilene (2009-03-15). "Direct Sales as a Recession Fallback - NY Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
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