Can you really get paid to study at university? The VIP Team is said to be globally positioned as the first educational platform that pays students to learn, but where does the money come from? Keep reading to see the Devil in the details.
Name: The VIP Team
Website: thevipteam.org, the-vip-team.com & others.
Price: $1,000 – $50,000
Owner: Lieven Van Neste
Opinion: Not Recommended
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What Is the VIP Team?
If you do an online search for The VIP Team, you’ll find a lot of organizations using that name. However, this review is about The VIP Team that claims to be “The First Global University Where the Student Gets Paid to Learn” and is found at thevipteam.org.
The VIP Team presents itself as an education and profit sharing system. The creator, Lieven Van Neste, states that they are “first and foremost” an online university.
If you visit The VIP Team website, you are greeted with nothing more than a place to log in. In the menu bar at the top of the page, you can sign up, sign in, buy credits or learn how it works.
If you choose “How it Works,” you are greeted with a 20-minute video of Lieven Van Neste explaining how to make money with The VIP Team.
Throughout the video, Van Neste explains how the people at the bottom of the organization pay money to the people at the top of the organization. That money is then distributed among members of The VIP Team.
Here’s the thing to remember about the first video on The VIP Team website, it does not mention a word about education! Not a peep.
Van Neste does not mention his educational credentials or the credentials of any of the other teachers. Nothing is said about what you will learn or why you would want to learn it.
Beneath the intro video where Van Neste explains the money flow, there is a link to a sample classroom. If you click on that link, you arrive on a YouTube video of Van Neste droning on about the book, “The Science of Getting Rich,” by Wallace D. Wattles.
“The Science of Getting Rich,” was written in 1915 and is now out of copyright. You can get the book online for free in PDF form.
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The VIP Team is NOT a University.
When I think of universities, I think of organizations that use the word university in their name. Take the University of Southern California for example or the University of Phoenix.
Another thing about universities is they tend to use the domain EDU. The VIP Team does not use the EDU domain.
When you visit the website of a real university, you are not greeted with a video of the president explaining how you make money by giving him a pile of cash and persuading people to do the same thing. Instead, you’ll be told about the school’s credentials and educational programs.
Is The VIP Team a Scam?
Other reviews of The VIP Team have described it as a Ponzi Scheme and they make a convincing case that it could be.
In the initial video, Van Neste tries to dispel the notion that The VIP Team is a Ponzi scheme. Why would he mention that if there wasn’t evidence to suggest it was indeed a Ponzi scheme? He does admit that they “handle money in a very innovative and creative way.”
Do you want anybody handling your money in innovative and creative ways? I much prefer that my money is handled in legal ways that adhere to standard accounting practices. Wouldn’t you?
Is The VIP Team a Ponzi Scheme?
According to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, “A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud that involves the payment of purported returns to existing investors from funds contributed by new investors.”
When you watch the initial video on The VIP Team website with the SEC definition in mind, you can see why some reviewers describe it as a Ponzi scheme, and why Van Neste tries to dispel that idea.
However, whether The VIP Team is a Ponzi scheme does not matter.
The essential fact to remember is that The VIP Team is not what it pretends to be, and it is asking you for a lot of money under the pretense you will make money. That is NOT a university.
What is The VIP Team Really?
According to BehindMLM.com, The VIP Team is actually a feeder website that leads people to join Exitus Network, a very expensive MLM at best. Exitus Network has no retail products. All revenue is generated by recruiting and selling high-priced levels of membership, an indicator that it may be a pyramid scheme.
It appears that Lieven Van Neste is using The VIP Team to recruit people into the Exitus Network and earn high commissions.
A Suspicious Website.
ScamAdvisor.com, a website that analyzes the safety of websites across the internet, describes The VIP Team website as suspicious and has issued a yellow-coded warning regarding it.
A Dubious Reputation.
According to BehindMLM.com, Lieven Van Neste was the administrator of a Ponzi scheme called RevShares and the Ponzi scheme Hourly RevShare and was involved in the Ponzi scheme TelexFree which the SEC shut down in 2014.
The Last Word on The VIP Team.
Why would you trust Lieven Van Neste? In my opinion, he has done nothing but tell a story he hopes will convince you to give him money. If you give Van Neste your money, it is doubtful you will ever have anything to show for it.
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If you found this article helpful or have experience with what is the VIP Team, please leave a comment below. Thank you.
I am astounded that The VIP Team exist at all. Everything you have said points to this being nothing other than a pyramid or Ponzi scheme. I just don’t understand who would buy into that. Surely the fact that the ‘university’ doesn’t even offer any education would be a hint to most people that something is off. This type of organisation never ceases to amaze me. Well done for raising awareness on this one.
Hi, Melissa!
I know what you mean. Not only why would anyone believe the VIP Team sales pitch, but also, what kind of person creates such a business? I can only imagine that such a person gets more pleasure from scamming people than helping them.
At any rate, VIP Team is one to avoid.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
Hi there!
Thank you for bringing my attention to The VIP Team scheme. Not only do I now know to avoid them, but you’ve taught me how to spot scams like the VIP Team from a safe distance. I’ve learned a lot from your website and I’m grateful for you work to expose scams. We need more people like you in the world. Please keep up the good work.
Dave
Hi, Dave!
Thank you for your kind words. I’m pleased you have learned from my website and know to avoid scams like The VIP Team. It’s satisfying to know I’m may be making a difference.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
Gary, thanks for the article, a lot of good information here. It sure sounds like a Ponzi scheme to me. Anytime you are asked to send money for no discernible product and then recruit others to do the same, you are treading on very thin ice. At the very least, you will have friends and family irritated with you and at the worst, you could be prosecuted. It’s always good to get these warnings out there.
Hi, David!
I couldn’t find any redeeming qualities in the VIP Team. I suspect some people are falling for it simply because they think they will make money.
It’s ludicrous that Lieven Van Neste claims it’s an educational platform but names it something that sounds an office ping pong team. For a man with reputation for starting pyramid schemes, you’d think he’d try a little harder to make it convincing.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
Interesting. I have not heard of this group until I came across your article. With me being the curious cat, I signed up just to check what’s inside this organization. I am thinking of writing another article to debunk this business after learning more from it with the account I created.
The more I progress with their “Demo Training”, the more it gets interesting. Thanks!
Hi, Kimiko!
You’re a brave soul. Just be aware of Lieven Van Neste’s reputation. He’s built or participated in several dubious schemes.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary
I can’t believe how much The VIP Team costs, especially when it stands on such fragile ground.
I definitely have a lot of skepticism towards MLM business plans in general, let alone those with absurdly lofty promises and shaky reputations.
What are some of the best affiliate programs (or even MLM) that you’re familiar with? I’ve heard good things about Wealthy Affiliate.
Hi, Jordan!
I agree. The VIP Team has a very thin story. I suspect anyone willing to see the truth of their scheme can see it. Although the promise you can get paid to learn, there doesn’t seem to be any learning happening. And, before you can make money, you must first spend money, a lot of money.
Thanks for stopping by,
Gary