Bengaluru woman's ₹4.5 lakh ‘business opportunity’ meeting sparks MLM scam fears
A Bengaluru woman was approached for a B2B e-commerce venture requiring a ₹4.5 lakh investment for distributor rights.
A Bengaluru resident recently recounted her experience of an unusual business meeting, where she was urged to make a "quick" decision and invest ₹4.5 lakhs upfront to secure distributor rights for a B2B e-commerce venture.
In a Reddit post titled, ‘Another BLR scam’, the woman explained that a casual acquaintance invited her to meet at a café in Park Square Mall, citing a "business expansion" opportunity.
Upon arrival, she was introduced to her acquaintance’s partner, who mentioned that the “senior partner,” a woman, would join later to gauge if she had the ‘vision and mindset’ to be part of their business.
Read the post here:
The ‘senior partner’ described it as a B2B e-commerce venture where the woman would gain a ‘virtual distributor shop’ with rights to sell products from major corporations to retailers. Promised benefits included a 10-14 per cent commission, shared among partners, and a ‘lifetime royalty’ on sales from her virtual store. The catch? She would need to make a quick decision and invest ₹4.5 lakhs upfront to secure the distributor rights.
When she pressed for more information, such as official documentation or a website, the senior partner refused, insisting that everything she needed to know would be explained after the initial investment. “If it were on the internet, everyone would be doing it,” the senior partner claimed, emphasizing the "exclusive" and "protected" nature of the business.
The Reddit user found the arrangement suspicious, especially with the insistence on secrecy, lack of verifiable information, and a significant upfront payment. Ultimately, she declined to join, sharing that she couldn’t be part of a business she didn’t fully understand or that wasn’t openly accessible.
(Also Read: Bengaluru landlord demands ₹5 lakh deposit for flat with ₹40,000 rent. ‘Insane,’ says internet)
How did the Reddit users react?
Reddit users quickly reacted to the Bengaluru resident’s post, echoing suspicions that the business offer was likely a scam. One user quipped, “I have to make a quick decision — S.C.A.M!” while another pointed out, “It’s an MLM scam, not just a Bengaluru thing, and it’s been going on for over twenty years.”
Frustration was evident, with some noting the predictable tactics: “They keep rewrapping the same MLM schemes with slight variations — aren’t they bored yet?"