They won't get their money back or earn their promised fortune because no one is beneath them in the pyramid adding new money to the pot. Pyramid promoters are masters of group psychology. At recruiting meetings they create a frenzied, enthusiastic atmosphere where group pressure and promises of easy money play upon people's greed and fear of missing a good deal. It is difficult to resist this kind of appeal unless you recognize that the scheme is rigged against you. Pyramid schemes may be disguised as games, chain letters, buying clubs, motivational companies, mail order operations, or investment organizations.
Some pyramid promoters try to make their schemes look like multi-level marketing operations.
The sale of legitimate products may distinguish multi-level operations from pyramids. When the emphasis is on recruiting new members rather than selling something of value the organization is probably an illegal pyramid. A pyramid scheme takes on a line of products and claims to be in the business of selling them to consumers. However, little or no effort is made to actually market the products. Instead, money is made in typical pyramid fashion, from recruiting.