Young Tradies Targeted by Get-Rich Schemes

A few months of study could lead to big earnings, according to the videos.

In a cost-of-living crisis, hundreds are signing up to online courses.

Some say it's the best decision they've made, while others feel 'trapped' and 'brainwashed'.

This article contains language that may offend some readers.

Billy dreamed of having money as a kid.

By 18, he was an apprentice carpenter with simple dreams.

He wanted to retire his mum and provide for his future family.

Influencers and salesmen appeared on his social media, promising a quicker way to get rich.

They said he could do it if he put in the work.

It didn't work out as he had hoped.

He felt like a fish in a shark's mouth.

Triple j hack investigated what happens when young people sign up to courses promising 'location freedom' and financial independence.

A consumer rights advocate said the models used had parallels to pyramid or multi-level marketing schemes.

Complicated company structures could leave young people beyond the protections of Australian law.

Hack spoke to 15 young men involved in ABC Sales Agency.

Their experiences raise allegations of predatory sales tactics and a toxic culture.

A social media expert said the group was just a drop in the ocean.

Influencers claimed to have had tens of thousands of people subscribe to their courses, earning millions.

A hack investigation looked into how one group is being targeted by these schemes: young tradies.

How it works

Billy signed up for a $10,000 course with a payment plan.

It brought access to learning modules teaching content creation and online sales.

The hustle culture took a massive toll on Billy.

He worked until 1am and was up by 6am for his apprenticeship.

There was an aspect of brainwashing, sacrificing sleep and free time.

Billy noticed something that didn't feel right.

The courses taught skills to sell a digital product.

Many members sold the very course they had been sold.

It didn't feel like a pyramid scheme, but it could look like it.

ABC doesn't push reselling their course, but many people do.

Step 1: the content

It all starts with social media content.

Who would buy a $10,000 course?

Tom is a carpenter who was looking for a side hustle.

Tom's feed was full of content like a video by an affiliate marketer.

Marcel Stam is one of the young Australians marketing the course.

Creators like Marcel get a commission for sales generated through their accounts.

Many creators say they were former tradies and fly-in fly-out workers.

It's not obvious what they're selling.

Other than a good lifestyle.

It sounded like something anyone could do.

Step 2: the appointment setters

This is what happens when young men reach out in social media comment sections.

A real exchange provided to triple j hack.

Exactly what I was after, man!

I'm a 17-year-old junior apprentice.

The person messaging is an appointment setter.

They convince people to agree to a video call.

Step 3 — the remote closers

Sam is another apprentice carpenter who joined ABC Academy.

He remembers the adrenaline rush when he agreed to a video call.

The people on the call are remote closers who have done ABC Academy's training.

They get you amped up and build the urgency.

Sam froze when they told him the price: $12,500.

He couldn't afford it, so they set him up with a loan.

The loan was for dental work, but Sam didn't realize until the paperwork was done.

A spokesperson for Latitude Financial Services said it terminated the relationship with a third-party broker.

Step 4 — Inside

Triple j hack spoke to two young Australians who worked as remote closers for ABC Academy.

They explained that once you're inside ABC, you can join live training calls and work through the online modules.

One former closer said he was working hard and was noticed by the mentors.

He was offered a role with the company as a salesperson.

The remote closers told triple j hack that for every course sold, the affiliate, remote closer, and appointment setter made a commission.

Both credited the online training with helping them secure 9-5 sales jobs.

They took issue with the marketing and manipulative tactics used to draw people in.

The top

It's not clear who profits the most from the course sales.

ABC Sales Agency is not a registered business in Australia.

Tremayne Turner appeared on a podcast as the founder and CEO of ABC Sales Agency.

Mr. Turner described ABC Sales Agency as a 'done for you' sales agency.

The vision of ABC is to take a huge chunk of the e-learning market.

Mr. Turner launched his first clothing business a decade ago.

Prospective members are told they'll be certified by ABC Sales Agency.

But is that worth anything?

Experts call out red flags

Sunshine Coast University professor Deanna Grant-Smith said there were several red flags with ABC Academy.

The brightest red flag is the one that says no skills, no experience.

Professor Grant-Smith warned about the promise of a certification.

Australian consumer law prohibits businesses from engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct.

While pyramid schemes are illegal in Australia, multi-level marketing is not.

One former remote closer said ABC Sales Agency was not a pyramid or MLM.

Professor Grant-Smith said it was comparable to multi-level marketing schemes that target women.

ABC Sales Agency does not have a public website, which is likely deliberate.

Success in these schemes is possible, but the chances diminish over time.

They give you information about potential sales, not actual sales.

Stephanie Tonkin from the Consumer Action Law Centre said ABC Academy had all the hallmarks of a multi-level marketing scheme.

Unless you're at the top, you will lose money.

You've got to sell inhuman amounts of goods or services to make a living.

Insiders told triple j hack the company is now run out of Dubai.

Bank statements show payments for the course going to Abu Dhabi.

If a business leans into areas of your life where you're feeling vulnerable, it's being predatory.

It should be illegal, but it's hard to get a result when businesses operate from overseas.

So what about regulation?

A spokesperson for the national training regulator said it does not regulate ABC Sales Agency.

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority said it could not consider complaints about ABC Sales Agency.

Australian Consumer Law prohibits businesses from engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct.

Professor Abidin said it's difficult to pinpoint what counts as a 'digital product'.

It's hard to regulate because it's an e-book or a downloadable tip sheet.

But she believes that will change sooner or later.

Professor Abidin said people should find out who owns the content and if there's a free option available.

People need to check if providers are credible before buying anything.

Are they an expert in this area? Do they have an education in this area?

People should look at online forums with people who have had good and bad experiences.

You won't see them in the comments section of the Instagrammer's account because they moderate them.

Hack made multiple attempts to contact ABC Sales Agency and its affiliates.

Calls, emails, and social media messages were ignored.

One former affiliate said he was not the right person to respond to questions.

Another affiliate responded with an offensive message.

*Names have been changed

Credits

Reporting: Alice Angeloni

Digital production: April McLennan

Subeditor: Angel Parsons

Executive producer: Jackson Worthington