These are illegal and will get shut down. And you will lose any money you have put into the program. Even if the company offers you the tools to market the program, these schemes are still illegal. They must offer something of real and reasonable value. Here is where it is sometimes difficult to determine what truly is an illegal pyramid.
Many firms market their products exclusively through MLMs.
Take a close look at the program and the company. Remember first of all that you should not have to pay anything to work for someone. But if you are receiving a product or service from the company, it may be acceptable for them charge you a reasonable fee. An example is a recent company that was operating primarily in Michigan. They offered an online shopping mall for an initial fee of several hundred dollars.