Hot Business News Today

Hot Business News Today

Avon $135 Million Fine For Bribing Chinese Officials

by  •  • 0 Comments

 
Avon Products Inc. (AVP)’s Chinese subsidiary bribed local officials with Gucci bags and foreign travel in order to sell products directly to the nation’s consumers, the U.S.A. said as the company ended a six-year federal investigation with a guilty plea and $135 million in fines.
Avon is also subject to a deferred prosecution agreement requiring it to adopt “rigorous” internal controls and avoid further violations for three years before the case will be dropped. The plea, which includes an outside monitor, was announced at a hearing today in Manhattan federal court.
The world’s largest door-to-door seller of cosmetics had said in May it would settle the probe. Its Chinese unit pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate U.S. anti-bribery law by falsifying records of a four-year scheme to pay off Chinese authorities, who ended a direct sales ban in 2006.

“For years in China it was ‘Avon calling,’ as Avon bestowed millions of dollars in gifts and other things on Chinese government officials,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Bharara today. “Avon China was in the door-to-door influence-peddling business and for years its corporate parent, rather than putting an end to the practice, conspired to cover it up.”

Avon China provided gifts and entertainment to Chinese officials, “and falsified these

Read more...

Hot Business News Today

Dutch Justice Closes Down Pyramid Game PlanB4You

by  •  • 0 Comments

 
Justitie legt voor miljoenen beslag op rekeningen PlanB4you uit Den Bosch om piramidespel

DEN BOSCH – Justitie heeft beslag gelegd op de bankrekeningen van PlanB4you en van de directeur. Dat bedrijf, dat voor kort een kantoor in Den Bosch had, zou zich voor 2,5 miljoen euro schuldig hebben gemaakt aan oplichting en witwassen.
De FIOD, de opsporingsdienst van de Belastingdienst, doet strafrechtelijk onderzoek naar het bedrijf. Het vermoeden bestaat dat PlanB4you zich schuldig maakt aan een piramidespel, dat ook wel ponzifraude heet. Hierbij betaalt het bedrijf deelnemers met de belegging van de inleg van nieuwe klanten. De oprichter eigent zich dan meestal een bijzonder hoog rendement toe.
‘Makkelijk geld verdienen’
Via YouTube en bijeenkomsten probeert PlanB4you nieuwe klanten te strikken. Het bedrijf houdt ze daarbij voor dat ze makkelijk geld kunnen verdienen door dagelijks tien keer op advertenties te klikken. Daarnaast zouden potentiële klanten makkelijk geld kunnen verdienen door anderen over te halen deel te nemen aan het project.
“Deze deelnemers komen dan als het ware onder de aanbrenger te hangen wat weer extra inkomen oplevert voor de aanbrenger. Naast het klikken op de banners heeft PlanB4you ook nog een webshop waar goederen tegen ‘hoge’ kortingen kunnen worden aangeschaft”, aldus justitie.
Invallen in Nederland en andere

Read more...

Hot Business News Today

ViSalus Honored With Highly-Acclaimed W3 Award For Creative Excellence In Web Content

by  •  • 0 Comments

 
ViSalus’ Content Marketing department received an esteemed 2014 W3 Silver Award in Copywriting for its Vi Blog and its blog extension program, the Vi Today’s Share.
The W3 Awards honor creative excellence on the web, and recognize the professionals behind the creative and marketing teams of the award-winning sites, marketing programs, social content and mobile sites. In its ninth year, W3 is the major web competition where companies submit content to be sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Artists (AIVA), an invitation-only, membership-based organization of leading web professionals.
More than 4,000 entries worldwide were submitted — many from Fortune 500 companies and international agencies and firms. Entries were judged by the AIVA in four categories with criteria upholding a high standard of excellence.     

“We are so proud of our outstanding, hard-working and innovative team of marketing professionals,” said Blake Mallen, ViSalus Co-Founder and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer. “From sharing exclusive interviews and company news, to industry tips and inspirational stories from within the Vi Community, our marketing team uses storytelling to show how we are transforming lives across the globe.”  

Vi’s Content Marketing team is responsible for the Vi Blog, which has generated more than 1 million impressions this year.

Read more...

Hot Business News Today

Avon Unit Gave Gucci Bags, N.Y. Trips As China Bribes, U.S. Says

by  •  • 0 Comments

 
Avon Products Inc. (AVP)’s Chinese subsidiary bribed local officials with Gucci bags and foreign travel in order to sell products directly to the nation’s consumers, the U.S. said as the company ended a six-year federal investigation with a guilty plea and $135 million in fines.
Avon is also subject to a deferred prosecution agreement requiring it to adopt “rigorous” internal controls and avoid further violations for three years before the case will be dropped. The plea, which includes an outside monitor, was announced at a hearing today in Manhattan federal court.
The world’s largest door-to-door seller of cosmetics had said in May it would settle the probe. Its Chinese unit pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate U.S. anti-bribery law by falsifying records of a four-year scheme to pay off Chinese authorities, who ended a direct sales ban in 2006.

“For years in China it was ‘Avon calling,’ as Avon bestowed millions of dollars in gifts and other things on Chinese government officials,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Bharara today. “Avon China was in the door-to-door influence-peddling business and for years its corporate parent, rather than putting an end to the practice, conspired to cover it up.”

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Avon China provided gifts and entertainment to Chinese officials, “and

Read more...