Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing review: Blame Game deepens for Paul Orberson and FHTM 1

The Blame Game deepens as Fortune Hi-Tech (FHTM) leaders attempt to destroy Whistleblower! By Slavick Scungilia, The Sentinel

Talk to any of the top leaders in Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing nowadays and they will tell you that Joseph Isaacs is the key to their recent business failures, representative departures, product losses and legal woes. These stories have been fabricated by Paul Orberson and passed down to many of the leaders including Todd Rowland, Ruel Morton and Woodson Gardner, who have in turn spread the rumors through the lower ranks of the FHTM sales force. Fortune holds weekly leadership calls that include the Presidential Ambassadors and top NSM’s to discuss their legal woes and put a spin on the latest BS that they intend to disseminate to the troops in order to cover up the real truth about their scam and to totally discredit Isaacs. Instead of facing the facts about the situation, they claim he has single handedly destroyed their business relationships, their down lines, their product offerings and brought numerous AG's up their ###. If Isaacs is capable of such a huge feat - then FHTM should wake up and hire him to rebuild their highly tarnished image. Isaacs obviously possess better determination and skills than they ever gave him credit for.

They have created elaborate stories about him that are about as real as their supposed direct relationships were with GE, DuPont, Verizon, Travelocity, Dish Networks and AT&T. Everyone now knows that those direct relationships never existed, nor did FHTM have permission to use those company logos. In fact, during the past year since the harassment against Isaacs began, FHTM has lost the ability to sell Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Travelocity, Peter Lamas, BSP Rewards Mall and GE. DuPont has forbidden them from any additional use of their logo or name (no more trying to be “legal by association”). Time, Inc., a Time Warner Company and owner of Fortune magazine, required them in 2011, to add the following disclaimer on the bottom of www.fhtm.net, “FHTM is not sponsored by, endorsed by affiliated with or otherwise associated with Time Inc or Fortune Magazine”. They have been claiming association for years.
Isaacs applauds these companies for protecting their reputations and walking from any distant relationships they may have had with FHTM. We can only conclude that their reputations were more important, to these icons, than the menial amount of business sent to them by FHTM. Maybe these entities didn’t want a public relations nightmare on their hands in the event another state or federal agency shut FHTM down in 2011, or even worse the FTC enforcement bureau charges Paul Orberson criminally. It’s unfortunate that the FHTM leaders aren’t familiar with the expression, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. Isaacs was a huge ally of FHTM until regulatory authorities began their investigations and fines.

FHTM and the top leaders are so desperate for business and recruits that they have made up ridiculous stories about Isaacs in an effort to save their preverbal ###. The story lines are so bizarre and false that they sound like they are right out of the Twilight Zone. Then to make it worse they have sued this whistleblower, lied to the courts and created more BS to hide the real fact that they operate, according to Monica Lindeen of the Montana Securities Commission, an “illegal promotional pyramid scheme”. This story would make a great documentary pinning the criminals against the advocates of the truth.

They were not exonerated in Montana. It was never proven they were a legal enterprise. In fact Montana required they change their entire method of operation and refund almost $1Million to ex reps who felt they had been ripped-off. FHTM intentionally settled the case with Montana so they wouldn’t have to publically admit any guilt, have a determination and being branded a “pyramid scheme” or have a media nightmare when the lost in court. This is the modis apperendi for most MLM’s that get in trouble for operating illegally.

Newspapers and thousands of past reps talk about FHTM on hundreds of blogging sites with complaints of fraud, scam and pyramid scheme dating back to 2003, yet FHTM has decided to focus merely on Isaacs and in a recent brief to the court states that FHTM has no issues with any other reps except Isaacs. This is because FHTM has never persecuted any other reps or ex-reps for expressing their opinions or repeating what newspapers and government agencies have said. The despise Orberson and his staff has for Isaacs is borderline schizophrenic. Isaacs is the victim here yet FHTM has done everything to portray him as a lunatic out to destroy them.

“The victims of these frauds are our neighbors – people who are trying to make an honest living, ” said David C. Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Under pressure to make ends meet, they risked their limited financial resources in response to the promise of a job, an income – a chance at a profitable home-based business. But these turned out to be empty promises – and the people who counted on them ended up with high levels of frustration and even higher levels of debt.” “When jobs are scarce, claims to help people make money fast become plentiful, ” Cooper said. “Consumers think they’re buying into a great way to earn a living, but they could end up paying far more than they’ll ever make.” Why isn’t FHTM suing the FTC director for his slanderous statements? Do we live in the United States of Cuba and Castro is our president?

According to a press release issued by the NC AG’s office in March 2011, Fortune Hi Tech Marketing claims that people who buy into its business earn thousands of dollars a year. Based on consumer complaints, Cooper’s office launched an investigation into FHTM in mid 2010. Consumers say they paid money to the company but were only able to make money by recruiting others into the scheme, not by selling any actual goods or services. A total of 25 consumers have now complained about FHTM, and Cooper’s office is investigating the company.

Although this case is currently under investigation, it’s important for consumers to know that a pyramid scheme is a violation of the law and is defined as any plan in which a participant pays money for the chance to receive money upon the introduction of new participants into the program.

The truth of the matter, according to FHTM’s own Income Disclosure statement from 2009, (before all these legal issues) 30% of the people made zero and 90% earned less than $100 a month prior to expenses. Isaacs feels this fits the FHTM business model to a tee. The old adage, “Don’t shoot the messenger” definitely applies to the FHTM-Isaacs ordeal. They should work on cleaning up their internal house of cards instead of persecuting the messenger of the truth. It appears ok when an AG makes such a statement but FHTM considers it slanderous when it’s repeated by Isaacs (according to recent motions and briefs filed in the court case). How is that reasonable? Where is the justice in this country? What happens to Isaacs’ rights as an American citizen?

“We’re looking closely at business opportunities that seem to offer false hopes, and also reaching out to educate consumers on how to recognize and avoid fraud, ” Cooper said. Isaacs has done nothing but inform the public of the truth but FHTM is attempting to completely discredit Isaacs, claiming he lies about his statements regarding FHTM when in fact FHTM has lied about their entire operation since its founder Paul Orberson started the criminal enterprise in 2001.

Isaacs integrity and moral fiber runs deep and therefore he spent his own time and money to dig up and uncover the real facts about many facets of their criminal enterprise such as the fact that they a) had no direct relationships with the companies they claimed (FHTM was nothing more than a 3rd or 4th part affiliate – they were never an authorized dealer of anyone as they claim); b) did not have permission from icons such as GE and DuPont to use those company logos in the FHTM presentation, marketing materials, online or in the representative kits. FHTM had the audacity to blame their own representatives for this cease and desist even though they used the DuPont logo in all company produced marketing and presentation materials; c) FHTM was not debt free as they still claimed in their business presentations and up until mid 2010 - the entire company and all of its assets including inventory and receivables were pledged as collateral for a business loan; d) FHTM has not had a 3A1 Dunn & Bradstreet rating for many years but as recently as the summer of 2010 the NSM’s and top leaders in FHTM still used that in their recruiting presentations; and e) many Attorneys Generals had FHTM on their scope after the Montana issue arose in early 2010. Isaacs should not be blamed for the misrepresentations and deceit FHTM has perpetrated on too many people. FHTM should look within instead.
Recently rumors have circulated (as comments on various blog sites and articles posted throughout the internet) that Isaacs was terminated from FHTM for selling porn on "Fortune Social".

Fortune Social was developed by Isaacs and his team from India to be the first social network dedicated to the direct selling industry (which according to Isaacs he supports). As a former rep in FHTM he thought there was a need for such a FREE tool. FHTM has rumored that the tool made money, violated their rules and stole their intellectual property. What a delusional thought pattern they have. Others say, including verbiage in a Federal lawsuit filed by FHTM against Isaacs, it was for trademark violations for using the word "Fortune" in his website URL (even though FHTM has been issued a cease and desist from Time, Inc - the real owner of the word Fortune) and his logo for Fortune Social. This is about as far from reality as one could get.

FHTM knows it has no claim to the word “Fortune” especially since the rightful owners (Time, Inc.) demanded, as far back as 2009 and prior to Isaacs being a rep or being sued by FHTM, that Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing rebrand or risk legal actions. It was demanded that Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing become FHTM and stop using the “Fortune” name in their URLs, logos, materials, etc. No more association with Fortune magazine, no more Fortune Wireless or Fortune TV, etc. How arrogant is it for FHTM to then file a trademark infringement and cybersquatting lawsuit against Isaacs for using the word they have been told to cease using as they were violating someone else’s intellectual property. This is totally an abuse of process. Soon the truth will surface and they will once again have egg on their face. Recently in a brief to the Arbitrator in the trademark case, after one year of insane litigation and abuse of process, they admitted they have no right to the word “Fortune”, although FHTM has refused to drop the case. The lawsuit against Isaacs is not about winning, which is extremely obvious by the fact that they only claim a mere $208.00 in total damages, have zero proof that Isaacs ever used or intended to use their logos in commerce and have spent, in our estimate, upwards of ½ million in legal fees to date. Who in their right mind spends $500, 000 to maybe win $208.00? This is about the destruction of Isaacs and not justice.

Others, including FHTM corporate, rumor that he tried to extort millions from FHTM because he failed as an independent representative. The real fact was that after Montana shut FHTM down, Isaacs attempted to get into a financial transaction with FHTM to have them buy his software, system and programs which they could have resold to their reps. His webinar program was proprietary and would have been a great business building tool for any direct selling organization. FHTM declined his offer and then spun a story that Isaacs attempted to extort money from FHTM by trying to sell them their intellectual property. The truth of the matter is that FHTM didn’t have nor will they ever have an interest in the Isaacs webinar system. FHTM has no legal right to the word Fortune so selling them www.fortunewebinars.com or www.fortunesocial.com was something they never owned. Go to Meeting and WebEx were similar programs that are used by network marketers worldwide. This tool was one FHTM had no ability to develop, now or in the future - their loss.

Others say it wasn’t for following the FHTM rules (same rules the top leaders ignore and taught him to ignore). FHTM has a very selective enforcement team and is riddled with massive nepotism. If you make Paul Orberson millions of dollars annually you are exempt from any rules and never get punished for anything, even if you bring the heat onto FHTM – like Mike Misenheimer (Presidential Ambassador) did in Montana. If you are a peon representative at the bottom of the pyramid, you are subject to ridicule, termination and ridiculous legal actions.

FHTM has tried to convict Isaacs of running a smear campaign against them for repeating what other newspapers have written, Attorneys Generals have said and for merely telling the truth about their scam. Isn’t this the pot calling the kettle black? Clearly it appears to be insane that the company built on lies and deceit is suing the person who exposes them, claiming tortuous interference, slander and defamation. Doesn’t the US Constitution prevent such abuse of process?

They even attempted, in December 2010, to have a Federal Judge eliminate Isaacs’ right to freedom of speech by asking for an injunction. Obviously the federal court sided with Isaacs and denied such a request. They have tried over and over to destroy Isaacs financially by continuing to file frivolous and inappropriate motions in both federal court and arbitration. They have dug into Isaacs’ background in order to create stories and shed light on his integrity. It seems to be legal for FHTM, the gorilla, to do this but when Isaacs digs into the FHTM background and exposes the truth about them he gets dragged through the mud in court. When will a court or Federal regulatory authority get so deep into the FHTM lies that they are prevented from scamming so many hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting people just trying to get ahead in this world?

Current FHTM representatives have so many issues because of the loss of products, points and commissions that they need a scapegoat and an excuse for their woes. Nobody has had the balls to stand up to this MLM in a way Isaacs has. They have now used Isaacs as the poster child for what happens to those that speak out against them. If Isaacs was reporting government agency or public corporation lies in a similar fashion to his expose of FHTM he would be protected by the US Federal Whistleblower laws that prevent the type of retaliatory litigation and harassment he has had to endure for the past 14 months.

When will the crap cease and FHTM begin to tell the truth? Probably never since none of their plan is built on anything with substance and none of their lies have any proven facts attached to them. They have not won the case against Isaacs, the multiple class actions have not been decided in FHTM’s favor, as of the date of this article, and Isaacs continues to feel the wrath of the self proclaimed King of MLM, Paul Orberson. We feel sorry for Isaacs and applaud his morals and ethics in standing up for the little guy and telling the world what is right and how FHTM is wrong.