One of our readers asked our opinion about "The Humanitarian Enterprise", whether it is a scam.

We are not saying that it is a scam, but that is what we were asked. Since the email did not provide any links, we assumed that it is referring to the efranchise system (go to google.com and type "the humanitarian enterprise", including the double quotes).

All we can say is that it is selling online educational products for kids, and they are using MLM system to market their products. Frankly speaking, there is nothing wrong with that because there are millions of affiliate programs already online. Downline marketing system isn't a fresh marketing idea, but it often works very well.

The email mentioned that a friend earned something like $30,000 in 4 months. As with most MLM and affiliate marketing we know, it is not how much they earn, but how much effort they have put in. Most people often hear testimonies, either real or fake, like " I made $4,234 within a month", while those long long "get rich" pages talk about their current lifestyle with large houses by the sea, etc.

Some are real, but we know that many are probably fake. But one thing true about rock solid MLM or affiliate marketing is that you need good products and a stable system provided by the MLM business, and lots of hardwork and networking by the people who joined.

The question is whether it was easy to earn that $30,000?

If it is too simple - i.e. they say that you can just sit back, sleep all day, and money will roll into your bank without you selling a single thing, bingo - personally I think that is crap. They don't print money.  Anyway, there is not such promise from the site, which is a good point.

So to answer that question, it is unlikely a scam because we can find similar systems everywhere else. Whether the $30,000-in-4-mths is real, your guess is as good as mine.

However, we don't really like the talk about "beneficiaries" on the site, sort of like promising end-of-year donation etc. It probably is not illegal but some people like me dislike businesses who talks about charity before they do it.

"Hey! I am selling a fantastic software, buy from me and I will donate 20% to some charity at the end of the year?" Is there a carrot in the sales statement, in the name of some hidden charity organisations? This is just our opinion for sharing, so please do not take our words. No harm trying, that is how we all learn sometimes, and I still do (but I am not one of those who fall for 419 scams).

Thanks.