The pyramid may collapse at any time. This places the participant in the position of victimizing his or her own friends and family. Pyramid promoters are masters of group psychology. Recruitment meetings create a frenzied, enthusiastic atmosphere where group pressure and promises of easy money prey upon the potential victim's rational mind and fear of missing a good deal. Promoters also openly discourage thoughtful consideration and questioning of the scheme.
Victims often find themselves tricked into participating.
It is important to recognize that inherent in the scheme is a double problem for the participant. First the scheme may collapse as the new participant buys in, causing the participant's new recruits to look to him for refunds. Second, if law enforcement finds out about the scheme, prosecutors can file charges against the participant who has introduced others as well as against the promoter since both are considered violators of the law. Some pyramid promoters try to make their schemes look like multi-level marketing methods. Multi-level marketing can be a lawful and legitimate business which uses a network of independent distributors to sell consumer products.