Investment Education Packages:

Some unlicensed companies appear to be selling investment advice in the guise of an "educational package". The companies advertise "educational packages", which include video and audio tapes with titles sure to attract the attention of people trying to make money, including "Minimizing Tax" and "Offshore Investment Strategies".  After you buy the package, you are invited to attend an offshore seminar. The bonus is you receive a discount on the cost of the seminar if you introduce six of your friends to the group. Then you're off to Vanuatu, Mexico, or the Caribbean, where you get to discuss the evils of bureaucracy, government, politics, and legal, financial and banking systems. Of course, you are also persuaded to part with more of your money. The catch is the investments which appear to be discussed at the offshore seminars are illegal in Australia, because they are not registered and do not provide investors with the necessary information to make an informed investment decision.   This scheme is also operating in the U.S. at a cost of anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000 a pop, which price sometimes includes travel expenses to the Bahamas or St. Croix.