The perils of being lured into pyramid selling schemes have been highlighted again as more young victims seek help from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions.
It has prompted calls from federation lawmaker Ip Wai-ming for the government to ban such schemes. He also warned young people to stay vigilant when looking for work.
In a recent case, a 19-year-old accounting student, took a job with a telemarketing company but soon found himself facing bills of tens of thousands of dollars.
The student said he was approached by a friend to join the firm. After working for several days, the friend and a manager persuaded him to enrol in a language course and buy a beauty package which cost a total of HK$42,000.
'They said I could be a better salesman if I had tried the services myself,' he said. The two accompanied him to three loan companies and a bank to raise the money.
'They said I would be paid HK$1,000 to HK$2,400 for each person who signed up for the pyramid scheme. I thought then that I could easily repay the loan.'
However, he failed to recruit a single member and quit after two weeks.