Is this seriously happeningagain?
It was the third time a Tinder date pitched her an MLM scheme over the course of two years.
(That dreamalmost neverpans out.
But dating and social networking apps are populated with exactly the kinds of people MLM recruiters are looking for.
You want to be happier?
This is all about being around positive-thinking people.
What is a dating app but people searching for connection?
Here, these seven people discuss their run-ins with MLMs on dating and social networking apps.
I joined Bumble BFF in the last few years of college.
She sent me this digital flier, and at the bottom it said, health and wellness advice.
I would see the same brand, Arbonne, pop up in her posts.
I put two and two together:Thats what she means by brunch.
She wants to recruit people.
I never said anything back to her.
I was really upset when they told me that girls profile was still available.
I know Bumble can probably read our messages.
Its not hard to see what shes trying to do.
For now, Im going to take the app off my phone and focus on other things.
If a user ignores this warning, they risk losing their account.)
They didnt even talk to me during the gym session.
Ironically, after I rejected the offer, the person asked me to pay them back for lunch.
I did, and then I ghosted them.
When these recruiters began to talk to me, they were extremely warm and compassionate.
They were very interested in talking about me, my strengths, about how we dont judge you.
In retrospect, this is exactly what somebody whos vulnerable wants to hear.
Making friends is how most people recruit, and we don’t see any problem with that.
We don’t have to offer anyone a position, and were not obligated to.
Were just looking for people who would be good for our company.
That was quite disturbing to me because they were offering validation to everyone.
She was a single mother.
When we chatted, she talked about living at home, not going anywhere, and feeling alone.
I get how they got her.
First it was karaoke, then a house party, and then a futsal match.
When he told me he got it from Amway, I shut down.
I never spoke to him again.
The moment I walked in, I saw achievement award plaques from Amway on the wall.
Later I messaged the guy, I saw the Amway stuff.
Did you just meet me to make me join?
He replied, You dont have to join if you dont want to!
I said I wasnt interested, blocked him, and never met him again.
I was recruited a third time last year.
We got coffee and started talking about K-pop, and of course BTS was brought up.
I thought, Is this seriously happening again?
I was glad that he was at least upfront about it so I could stop wasting my time.
A little part of me felt like, Im not worth dating.
I backtracked later to realize thats not true, but it still sucked.
Im not here for your financial gain I want somebody to love me and vice versa.
She seemed nice and said she had a mentor and found it really valuable.
So I figured Id have a call with her.
The weirdest part was when she told me that the mentors prefer to take couples.
For an hour, the couple asked us more detailed questions about what we wanted from our careers.
Eventually, the couple asked if weve heard of companies like Mary Kay.
I finally realized what was happening this group was part of Amway.
I became very short with them after that to end the call quickly.
I really try not to villainize the people at the bottom of MLM organizations.
I think theyre victims of the organization itself and those at the top of it.
Farhana, 24, Northern Virginia
In 2018, I went through a really terrible breakup.
I eventually gave in.
I met him on a Saturday.
He took me to a place called UNO, Unlimited web link of Opportunities.
I was like, Oh no.
He said, our main product is coffee, which helps you get thin.
The event at UNO started with a presentation andlasted almost four hours.
Then they had an award ceremony for those who recruited the most.
I asked my date, So if I say yes, would I be placed under your mentorship?
What would you earn from me?
He said, Dont think about it that way.
I was disgusted and felt really sorry for the women he roped in.
Bianca, 27, Philippines
I had three total experiences of people trying to recruit me from Bumble BFF.
The first one happened in 2018 when I first tried the app.
They said upfront that they were with Primerica, and I told them I wasnt interested.
The second time, in the spring of 2021, it was a lot more sinister.
We went back and forth for a day or two, and the conversation stopped.
I answered and asked them the same.
Thats when they started to slide into a very vague description of their job.
They wanted me to meet up with them and their manager so we could discuss a business opportunity.
I did some googling, and it looks like that strategy is commonly used by Amway.
Thats where I ended the conversation.
A week later after this incident, a nearly identical one happened.
I deleted Bumble BFF and havent gone back to it since.
Im not going to waste any more time thinking Im making a friend, and then its this.
Afterward, you feel betrayed and used, dirty.
Id prefer to be ghosted than tricked into joining an MLM.
Adam Sneath, 27, Detroit
Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
