After reading the first report on Todd Walker of Nashville, Tennessee posted here:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/multi-level-marketing/strategicmasterminds/strategicmasterminds-com-todd-78d76.htm
A reader emailed his account of Todd Walker swindling $10,000 from his family and funneling the money through South Africa! Read the full account below. (The last names and personal contact information has been omitted to protect his identity. For those who have a real need to know, please call or email me directly.)
__________________________________________________
A mutual friend.
Hello,
My name is Richard Mxxxx. We don't know each other but the reason I'm contacting you is because of a mutual acquaintance we both have. It is my hope and goal to try to inform and protect as many innocent people as I can from this deceptive and heartless person.
This may be a little long but it is WELL worth your time to read it. In an effort to prove to you what I'm saying is true, I have included some actual Skype messages we had that I copied and pasted in here. You will learn the name of our mutual "friend" in these conversations.
I am not selling anything...I don't want to sign you up to anything...but I DO want to stop this person from doing any more harm.
Todd Walker presents himself as a very trustworthy and sincere person, when in reality, he is a predator...seeking out his next victim to scam.
Todd Walker initially contacted me about a proposal he had concerning TVI Express, a company we both were in but didn't know each other. I don't know if you have heard of TVI Express but it is a "private travel club" that has matrix boards you enter and cycle out of. To enter, you must buy a "voucher" from another member. When you cycle out of the first board, you are paid $500 in "virtual" money. When you cycle out of the second board, you are paid $10,000 in "virtual" money.
Supposedly, you can get your money through a direct deposit from TVI Express but no one has ever been able to do that. The only other way to get your money is to convert that virtual money into vouchers and sell your vouchers to people who need them. So, for the first board you can convert the $500 virtual money into 2 vouchers. For the second board you can convert the $10,000 virtual into 40 vouchers.
Well, our team was on a roll until there were some rumors of TVI Express not being the company that we all thought it was and momentum slowed dramatically over a couple of months. Because of that, I was stuck on the Express ($10,000) board with only 5 spots to fill, which would take 21 more signups. No matter what I did, I couldn't get others on the boards motivated to sign up people so...I was stuck there for months.
This is where this scum of a man (and I use the term "man" loosely because he really is a coward) came into my life. He contacted me by phone and email with his proposition. I spent an hour or so a couple of different times on the phone with him. Like I said in the beginning...he presents himself as a very honest, trustworthy, and caring individual. He laid out his plan to cycle me out of the Express board in exchange for me giving him 29 vouchers ($7,250 virtual) and he would sell my remaining 11 vouchers ($2,750 virtual) for me.
We talked it over and he kept stressing that we would have to "Completely trust one another." He said he was "doing me a favor". I was hesitant at first...my gut feeling was to not trust him but he laid out a plan where I would have total control over my remaining vouchers. I agreed and he cycled me off the Express board within an hour. As per our agreement, I immediately transferred $7,250 in virtual money to his TVI Express account and I kept the remaining $2,750.
He told me that it would be a while before he got to my vouchers because he had to sell vouchers for other TVI members he had helped cycle. We left it at that and he said he would contact me when my vouchers were coming up for sale.
Weeks went by and I heard nothing so I contacted him. He responded by saying it would be soon. Finally, he contacted me and said that my vouchers were next in line and that he had a lady in South Africa he had been using to broker the vouchers. He gave me her Skype info and suggested that I send her a message to introduce myself and say that I was a friend of his. I sent her a message and she accepted me as a friend on Skype but never answered my message. I tried a couple more times with no answer.
Now, I want you to pay close attention to what I'm going to tell you next. It will describe what a "manipulator" he really is and you'll understand why I put manipulator in parentheses later.
I contacted him saying that this lady hadn't responded to my intro. He said he wasn't sure why but that she would need the vouchers "on hand" to sell quickly. I told him that I wasn't comfortable turning over my vouchers to a complete stranger, since she hadn't answered me. Knowing that I work 10 hour days Monday-Thursday and have a 2 hour commute each day, he knew I wouldn't be readily available and he also knew I wasn't going to turn them over to her and let her pay me when she sold them.
Can you see the manipulation here? He knew my logical response was to ask him to handle the sales if I transferred the vouchers to him. So, I asked him and he responded with (and this is soooo slick on his part) "That is totally up to you".
Well, being the trusting soul that I am, I transferred the virtual money to him and he converted them into vouchers. He even sent me the voucher numbers and verification codes so I could track them in my back office through TVI Express...pretty convincing, huh? That was on July 15, 2010
Time went by and I heard nothing so I contacted him on July 23, 2010 and his response was that this lady had been in a terrible car accident and could possibly be paralyzed. He said he hoped he could find another buyer for the vouchers. The next day I Skyped him and he responded. This is the actual conversation copied from Skype and you will find out who this lowlife person is:
[7/24/2010 8:59:46 AM] Richard Mxxxx: I'm so sorry to hear that and I hope that she will be okay. Todd, this money is very important to both myself and my wife. We have put our trust in you...please don't betray that trust.
[7/24/2010 9:53:19 AM] Todd Walker: Betray u? I would never dream of it. We can only hope there will b a buyer
Yes...it's Todd Walker!
Notice he said, "Betray u? I would never dream of it?"
Well, I didn't hear anything from him for 2 weeks so I left voice mails and Skyped him on August 1, 2010 asking what was going on...no response. Did the same thing on August 9, 2010 and he finally responded. Here is the actual Skype conversation:
[8/9/2010 9:06:49 PM] Richard Mxxxx: Where have you been for the last week?
[8/9/2010 9:09:15 PM] Todd Walker: Working 18-20hrs a day. Just started a company with 2 partners. I see your message below. Bongekile is still in the hospital but doing better. Word has it that she is not paralyzed but has a long road ahead of her. We are attempting to make contact with the people she has been working with. I am leaving tomorrow for 6 days vacation.
[8/9/2010 9:12:42 PM] Todd Walker: On a conference call....sorry. Saw that you called
Notice he said, "We are attempting to make contact with the people she has been working with"? Remember, this conversation took place on August 9, 2010.
On August 13, 2010, I was on Skype and saw that Bongekile (the lady in S. Africa) came online so I immediately sent her a message asking about Todd and my vouchers. She replied that she thought the last ones she bought from Todd Walker were in July.
By now, I'm starting to get suspicious so I went into my back office in TVI Express and entered all the voucher numbers and codes one by one to see the status. To my surprise...one after the other came back as sold by Todd Walker to people in South Africa. All of them were sold on July 31, 2010 and August 1, 2010.
Remember he said that he would never betray me on July 24, 2010 and that he was attempting to contact the people she had been working with on August 9, 2010?? I'm no Einstein...but even I know this is a scam!
I immediately called him but just got voicemail so I left a very clear message that I knew he had sold my vouchers 2 weeks ago and wanted to know why he hadn't paid me. I also Skyped him with the same message.
No response at all. Since then I have persistently emailed and Skyped him indicating that ignoring me would not be a wise thing to do and that he had no idea what he was asking for by doing so. Well, that seemed to scare him a little because he responded with the excuse of having no idea what I was talking about.
Since then he has responded sporadically and on September 7, 2010, asked for proof of him selling the vouchers. I provided the proof and that's where we stand. He has not responded since so I'm taking action.
He has given up on his InvestNUrself and Strategic Masterminds company. He probably screwed as many people as he could before moving on. The only manipulating that will be going on is the manipulation of your (and any other person joining him) money from your pocket (and theirs) to his!
Stay as far away from Todd Walker as you can because no matter how sincere he seems, he will screw you the first chance he gets.
Todd Walker will adamantly deny this ever took place but think about it for a second...what other reason would I have to contact you and warn you about him. What leverage would I have? I don't want to sell you anything...I don't want to sign you up to anything...it serves me no purpose other than to expose him for the manipulator and fraud that he really is.
He can deny and make excuses all he wants but the proof is undeniable. Those vouchers are legally recorded as being sold by Todd Walker to people in South Africa on July 31st and August 1st, 2010 in TVI Express files.
I don't understand his reasoning at all. He may think he is being slick and smart and that cheating people will have no repercussions...but he is sadly mistaken. I have expressed this to him several times and he says that I am threatening him. I tell each time that it is not a threat but that I'm just telling him how it is...he can take it any way he wants.
Anyone who desires to make a living online for any amount of time must be an honest person. He is eventually going to destroy his reputation online no matter how many times he jumps from program to program and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure he hangs himself.
One of these days, someone he has crossed is going to knock on his front door and he will get the surprise of his life! That is not a threat but it is reality.
I know this has been extremely long. I truly hope that Todd has not deceived you yet or that he has not stolen any money from you, as well. IF Todd has wronged you...do something about it! Don't let him walk all over you and for God's sake...don't be fooled by his charm and fake sincerity.
Looking back, I wished I had gone with my gut feeling of not trusting him. Todd stole $10,000 from me and I will never forgive him for that, unless of course, he comes to his senses and pays me the $2,750 that he owes me. If that happens, I will not disparage his name anymore and he can go on with his life.
If you have any stories involving Todd Walker you want to share, please feel free to email me at rmxxxx@roadrunner.com or if you want to talk...call me at 207-598-XXXX.
Most sincerely,
RiXXX
To read the first Rip-Off Report that was filed against Todd Walker (strategicmasterminds.com), Lehman Hailey (lehmanhailey.com), JT Debolt (jtdebolt.com), click here:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/multi-level-marketing/strategicmasterminds/strategicmasterminds-com-todd-78d76.htm
2 Updates & Rebuttals
knowledgeispower86
nashville,Tennessee,
USA
Obvious Pyramid Scheme
#3General Comment
Wed, October 27, 2010
Most "multi-level-marketing" businesses are nothing but illegal pyramid schemes & this one sounds no different. I could see the obvious signs from the e-mail you said you'd received & posted.
"TVI Express but it is a "private travel club" that has matrix boards you enter and cycle out of. To enter, you must buy a "voucher" from another member. When you cycle out of the first board, you are paid $500 in "virtual" money. When you cycle out of the second board, you are paid $10,000 in "virtual" money. Supposedly, you can get your money through a direct deposit from TVI Express but no one has ever been able to do that. The only other way to get your money is to convert that virtual money into vouchers and sell your vouchers to people who need them. So, for the first board you can convert the $500 virtual money into 2 vouchers. For the second board you can convert the $10,000 virtual into 40 vouchers. Well, our team was on a roll until there were some rumors of TVI Express not being the company that we all thought it was and momentum slowed dramatically over a couple of months. Because of that, I was stuck on the Express ($10,000) board with only 5 spots to fill, which would take 21 more signups. No matter what I did, I couldn't get others on the boards motivated to sign up people so...I was stuck there for months."
It is against the law to participate in & entrap others into this practice.
You're probably going to have an impossible time getting money refunded from anyone, & I'm sorry you fell victim to such an old-school scam. Pyramid schemes have been around for decades, so with as blatant a scheme as this one is, it is really surprising you invested any time or funds into it at all.
If you're wanting success out of this, file a civil lawsuit, or find a reason to pursue criminal charges. More often than not, when money is given willingly into a pyramind scheme, there is nothing left to do but make sure you don't fall for one again.
obejason
Prestonsburg,Kentucky,
United States of America
Todd Walker Strikes AGAIN!
#3Author of original report
Mon, October 18, 2010
Todd Walker, the co-founder of Strategic Masterminds, strikes again. After illegally forming his first business and threatened with a $1.5 million dollar infringement lawsuit, a reader wrote in to report that Mr. Walker had stolen $10,000 from his family and funneled the money through South Africa.