Qnet office at Ameerpet closed

T. Vishwa Teja, 24, joined the Qnet scheme in 2014 with an investment of `1 lakh after a former bank employee named Ramesh Kurmeti promised him a fortune if he did the ‘business’. He was told he would get trained and then earn a lot of money by way of adding more people to the scheme.

Teja zealously added his friends and relatives. Senior agents convinced him that he could get a job in Malaysia as he was performing well.

“When I fell for their promises, they asked me to pay more money as investment to get the job. I sold our farm in my native place and paid them over `10 lakh. They neither gave me a job in Malaysia nor repaid the money,” Teja said.

A large number of victims had taken bank loans and small loans to invest in Qnet schemes. None of them got the commission or the salary promised. “I sold 80 grams of my mother’s gold. I wanted a job but lost my money,” said a 25year-old victim from Khammam, who had completed diploma in engineering. There are many who borrowed from private financiers to invest in the scheme. They are now being harassed by the moneylenders.

Most people paid `2 lakh or more while many paid between `1 lakh and `2 lakh.

Though the first ones to join the scheme got a few thousand rupees as commission, it stopped by the end of 2015 and the office opened at Ameerpet by the senior agents was closed down.

Qnet sells products related to energy, nutrition and personal care. The products claim to have special effects but are bogus.

Company officials claim that their products focus on enhancing the lives of customers and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Globally, Qnet sells products ranging from wellness and skincare products to nutrition items, while in India they focus on ' life enhancement' products.