Vick Strizheus wants you to believe that his criminal history is just a tiny mistake he made as a young adult and that all he cares about is your success. Sure he was convicted of grand theft, thereby making him a literal ex-con (I’m not just saying that for dramatic effect; I’ll detail his past in this review) but he claims he’s turned over a new leaf and now he’s going to teach you how to make millions in internet marketing. In this Vick Strizheus review I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Vitaly “Vick” Strizheus, and why even science suggests that you should avoid him and everything he touches at all costs.
Let’s Jump Right In: Vick’s Grand Theft Felony Conviction
In 2009, Vick Strizheus was convicted of grand theft for commissions he collected on make-believe people he created and filed applications for. He was in his early twenties, and he didn’t want to drive all over North Dakota in the snow and be away from his family, so he just… made people up. The insurance company that he was selling life insurance for paid him one year’s worth of commissions in advance for every application he filed, so every fake person he created and “sold” life insurance to was worth a few hundred dollars. As a result, he ended up on his local news!
Ahh… there’s nothing quite like becoming a local celebrity. Vick finally addressed all of this in late 2013 with a video of his own, which spans about 30 minutes:
In case you don’t have 30 minutes to watch this video, here’s a summary:
- Vick Strizheus was a life insurance salesperson in 2003
- He claims he had “the stupidest idea” – his own words
- He started falsifying insurance applications and collecting commissions for people that he made up
- A couple of years later, police knocked on his door and said they had a warrant for his arrest. Apparently the insurance company had randomly audited one of the fake applications Vick had created and arrested him for grand theft for collecting approximately $30,000 in commissions using fake applications
- Strizheus claims he did a lot of thinking in jail, and that he’s grateful for the experience because what he has created today wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for that experience
- Finally, at 24:25 Vick claims that any of his “haters” trying to expose him are “jealous” but that he’s cool with it because he’s successful, and anyone bringing up his past will always fail and never be successful (I guess that’s really, really bad news for me)
Present Day Vick Strizheus – What He’s Up To Now
Let’s choose to ignore the coincidence that Strizheus was convicted in 2009 and put on five years’ probation where all of his actions and finances were monitored closely, and now it’s 2014 (exactly five years later) and Vick just so happens to be almost everywhere you look in the internet marketing industry. Here are the main places you’ll find Vick hanging out these days:
Vick Strizheus’ Big Idea Mastermind (BIM)
Vick’s flagship project is the “Big Idea Mastermind” (abbreviated BIM) in Empower Network. Vick promotes Big Idea Mastermind as its own brand/product, but in reality it’s just one of the many groups within Empower Network, where Vick Strizheus is currently the top affiliate. He makes hundreds of thousands of dollars a year referring people into Empower Network, which is a product that I have reviewed very, very negatively for multiple reasons.
Anyone promoting Empower Network doesn’t care about how well their referrals will be taken care of because almost 100% of the people they convince to join will fail. The internet marketing training in EN is extraordinarily thin and mostly out-of-date. People like Vick that are referring massive amounts of people into Empower Network care about one thing and one thing only – making as much money as possible.
Some people that joined the Big Idea Mastermind have publicly outed Vick Strizheus for stealing their Empower Network referrals. The videos are kind of long and drawn-out, but if you want to watch them yourself here are the links:
- A woman shows the exact system Vick used to steal her subscribers
- The same woman explains the video above further
- This guy also got screwed by Strizheus, and in my opinion is much more fun to listen to
Looks like Vick is up to his same ol’ scheming, and that’s the hard evidence to prove it. He stole from the insurance company he worked for, and now he’s promising people within the Big Idea Mastermind that he’ll help them close sales and be successful in Empower Network, when really he’s just scalping their referrals by swapping their links out for his whenever he gets the chance.
Vick Strizheus’ High Traffic Academy
High Traffic Academy is a product that Vick used to sell on his own before becoming an affiliate for Empower Network, but now it’s a series of four very long videos where he claims he’s going to teach you everything for free. In the end, it’s just another way to get you on his email list and ultimately funnel you Vick’s Big Idea Mastermind group. Everything Vick promises in the first video of High Traffic Academy sounds really great – claiming that you can virtually print money using these methods.
He tells you in the first video that you’ll be doing all of this using paid traffic. He doesn’t mention that most new internet marketers starting out with paid traffic lose hundreds, if not thousands of dollars before giving up. He just talks about how bad free traffic is (which, as the title implies, is free) and how great his paid traffic methods are (which you’ll likely lose hundreds or thousands of dollars experimenting with).
Which do you think sells better? Being honest with people up-front and telling them that free traffic is the best route for internet marketers to learn with, because everyone makes several mistakes and it’s best that you learn from those mistakes with free traffic? Or promising to show them how to turn every dime into a dollar, and explaining that all of this can be done virtually overnight? One is honest and doesn’t sell well, and one conceals most of the facts about the dangers of paid traffic but is a much, much better way to get people to sign up. Strizheus chooses the latter to sell you on High Traffic Academy.
Vick Strizheus’ Internet Traffic Formula
Again, this is very similar to High Traffic Academy. It’s a similar sales pitch – Vick is going to teach you how to get massive amounts of traffic which equates to lots and lots of money. This is yet another funnel into Empower Network, where you’ll be grouped in with the rest of the Big Idea Mastermind and potentially have your referrals stolen from you like the couple of stories I linked to earlier in this review.
A Scientific Explanation to Not Trust Vick
If all of this isn’t enough evidence for you, there’s a scientific, psychological explanation for why you shouldn’t trust Vick Strizheus. Vick mentions in that thirty minute video earlier in this post that he was in his early twenties when he committed grand theft, and he was arrested a couple of years later. There have been psychological studies concerning when the brain “solidifies” and we’re basically set in our ways for life (at least as far as behavior is concerned). For men, studies have found that this is around 25 years old.
As you can read on the page I’ve linked to above, the prefrontal cortex (which is the frontmost part of your brain) controls a lot having to do with behavior, emotion, how you strategize and solve problems, etc… Vick claims that he’s turned over a new leaf and that he would never behave that way again, but just five years after his conviction he’s promoting a product that makes him a ton of money and leaves most of his referrals with nothing to show for it but a hole in their bank accounts, he has stolen Empower Network signups from his Big Idea Mastermind members, and ultimately doesn’t care about anything else but making as much money as possible, just as he did in 2003 when he defrauded his employer out of $30,000.
Conclusion: Don’t Drink the Strizheus Kool-Aid
I know his sales videos are flashy and convincing, and it really seems like Vick Strizheus has your best interests at heart. It seems like you might join Big Idea Mastermind and be mentored by an internet millionaire, but as you’ve read over and over again throughout this review, you’re much more likely just to be the next “Vicktim”. Strizheus has demonstrated a pattern throughout the course of his professional career that reveals several red flags and warning signs, leaving an inescapable trail all across the internet. If you choose to trust Vick, you only have yourself to blame if he steals from you too.
In the words of the prosecutor that got him convicted for grand theft in 2009 regarding whether or not he’s a con-man: “That’s what he is. He’s got five years to walk the straight and narrow… we’ll see.”
Share Your Experiences with Vick Strizheus Below
Were you thinking about signing up with Vick Strizheus in Big Idea Mastermind? Do you have positive experiences with Vick that contradict what I’ve stated here? Do you have negative experiences that support all of the above? Chime in and let the rest of the community know what you’re thinking.
for a guy like Vick who apparently owns fantastic sportscars, he now has a gofundme page asking for donations for some woman, but not one of the photos shows Vick, so the photos are most likely fleeced from the internet (much like how he fleeces people of their money.
https://www.gofundme.com/y72scs-ninas-medical-fund
So what are your reviews on the four percent club? Because if I don’t know anything about Vic, it’s one thing I do know about Les Brown & that this… he does his homework on those takes allows into his circle. How is Vic hosting an event along side Les Brown?
I’m not familiar with Les Brown personally. It sounds like he’s promoting Vick’s program as an affiliate, similar to what Bob Proctor has started doing over the recent years for high-cost affiliate products that pay several thousand in commissions per customer they refer.
Les has a big list and it just sounds like he’s using it to promote Vick’s latest product.
Thank u for the heads up. I have not spent any money other than 49 dollars twice for clickbank. They promised me a refund within 60 days .I will be calling them today
A convicted felon not for me
Glad I found this before I went all in. What’s your findings if any on drop ship life styles. By Anton kurly. ??
You can read that review on the newer, updated website.
Hi Ian,
Serafija from Suriname. Thx to your research I unsubscribed immediately from High Traffic. I’m still curious to know about his so called partner Jason McClain. I can’t find anything online about him that is off bad review.
That seems to surreal. Like he is the bait to draw ore innocent people in.
Hey Serafija! I’m glad I was able to help. I’ve never heard of Jason McClain though – I don’t remember him being mentioned in the training or videos when I reviewed it.
I just watched the second video in his series and I got suspicious so I googled him and found this site. Thank you for the exposure, I do believe I’ll move along.
No problem at all, Vontice! Very glad that I could help. Let me know if there’s anything else I can help with down the road.
Hi,
Thanks again! But this time I’m a bit disappointed. I was really dragged into his presentations and all that he is talking about makes sense! Now, I have never tried his service, but according to this review of yours I’m glad I/you saved me $500.
I do believe in paid traffic but to my knowledge it is way more harder to master the paid traffic than the free one – meaning SEO, Social Media etc. I’m following the work of Dori Friend and her free traffic methods and service… Have you heard of her?
I’m begging to think that there are few honest people online that will help you and the rest is all about making money by stealing from people in a very sophisticated and intelligent way.
I see you are with WA – please do tell me they are worth trying it out, I really don’t have any more time to waste with liars and thieves…
Never the less, a great man ones told, other peoples lies can bring you to your own truth. I can’t agree more with this statement but I’m starting to lose my patience. I have few good ideas that I would really like to see realized but there are so many questiones unanswerd and it’s really hard to learn all on your own skin – if you know what I mean 🙂
Thanks again and I wish you all the luck in your business.
Hey Darko! Glad you found your way to the review.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that paid traffic is harder to master than free traffic, but the big advantage of free traffic is that you’re not bleeding money while you’re learning the ins and outs. Anyone looking to learn paid traffic should expect to spend at least a few hundred (a few thousand would be better) dollars learning the ropes before getting the hang of it and turning a profit. With free traffic, you’re not losing money while you’re learning so at least some of the pressure isn’t there.
I think WA is the best place for beginners to start. Is it the absolute best product in the world overall? Personally, I don’t think so. But it’s an incredible product for beginners and the best place to start, as the products I’ve encountered that ARE better are more advanced and don’t cover the necessary basics that WA covers. It’s not a perfect product, but I think it’s by far the best place a beginner can start in this industry.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Yeah Empower Network is still shady, I heard that vick is no longer with EN
I heard that Vick is no longer with them as well – he claims they kicked him out when he said that there was a possibility he might not be able to run a business in MLM anymore. How much truth there is to that story, who knows? But it goes to show how heavy-handed and quick to pull the trigger Empower Network leadership can be.
I keep getting emails from empower network and their followers, I hear that over a dozen complaints were filed with the FTC since 2011, I was a EN user and I pard enormous amount of money and was charged twice on 2 seperate occasions on their products, it was a glitch on their part and yes i did get a refund nor even a answer from the when i emailed or called the person i signed up under, this is the honest truth. I wish they would just leave us honest hardworking marketers alone, if theirs followers do not stop sending me email, I am going to sue
I’m really sorry you went through all of this, Ann. That’s a really horrible position to be in. If this was fairly recent, I would report them to the BBB until they contacted you and resolved the issue. That no refund policy shouldn’t apply to technical glitches, and I’m sorry the EN dogs are still hounding you even through their email lists even though you no longer want anything to do with their products or businesses. If I can help you with anything related to internet marketing down the road, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly. I’m happy to help any way that I can.
HI
Thanks for the review on Vick, his colleagues are now sending me emails, They are wanting me to sign up with empower network. When Empower Network started in 2011 they had a no refund policy but what about being charged twice because of a computer glitch on their part, gosh their server kept crashing and still on every new product these jerks put out: guess what their servers keep crashing, hum, bet they are charging people twice, and thrice for one product. The FTC needs to close down loser jerks like these, I find it weird that the head had to resign, his name is daved sharpe, Daved Wood is still at it, dave w does not control the refunds, at the time dave sharpe did, something fishy why he stepped down, There is nothing worse than paying for a business in the excess, being promised support and a system that works etc.. and it is just the opposite, my landing pages in the back office did not even work, oh i get it, they wanted the emails from my promotions, I am a seasoned marketer and know my stuff. They really do suck and so do their followers. Why is Vick no longer with Empower Network and The Big Idea Mastermind? Doesn’t matter to Him when He knows how to command traffic to his offers and earns mega dough
yes, I too bought ITF – april 4th I think was the date, today being May 22 and guess what? this product still is not done and probably never, ever will, think about it, Vick is long gone from BIM and EN why would there be incentive for him to finish it? I mean think about it, too many people out there running around with blinders on, and think he is the greatest thing since the slice of bread, ripped too many good hardworking honest folks off and out of much hard earned money which don’t grow on trees like he thinks, people please put your wallets away, hang on to your hard earned money, these products are way over-priced and he never finishes them that is the sad, sad reality, in my opinion, once a con artist – never do they change. sorry but the truth is the truth and I just revealed it, just like he never came close to completing his once famous Global Success Club aka GSC then he moves on to High Traffic Academy and then BIM and I hear rumors those never got finished either…..
I’m so sorry to hear about your experiences, Carmen. Thank you very much for taking the time to share them with the rest of the community for everyone else’s benefit though. If I can ever help you with anything at all in this industry, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
I would love to see Vick face to face he is a crook with no heart or love for people. He loves money I was one of the cofounders for GSC where he promised if you follow his steps you will make 100,000 in 90 days. When he got tired of that failure he made an excuse and started another program. He even stold everyones list of subscribers by making you give him permission
to to your aweber account in order to be an affiliate for his product. I had many sign ups in GMC that I was being paid for by clickbank every month and when he made that change they went to him. I sent messages to support and they got rid of the problem by kicking me out. This is 100% the truth.
Oh my gosh, Fernando! That’s absolutely HORRIBLE! I’m really sorry to hear that you’ve had these experiences, but I greatly appreciate you taking the time to stop by and share them. That’s very, very helpful to the community.
You are totally right gobai success club, BIM, never got finished and the amount of false promises Vick made was unbelievable, $1500 to get the 30 days to 10k in BIM and it was never finished either,
This HTA have been going for years, spent loads of $$ on the traffic Vicksaid to use and got no return, Stay away from him
What is your review on Purle-Leverage I would like to know?
Hello Sala – I’ve already reviewed Pure Leverage and you can find my review for it here. I hope that helps!
Hi Ian, Great post mate. I recently made the mistake of getting caught in the EN web but lucky it only cost me $144. I soon work out that the program is a con having to spend large amounts of money on the hope you will make large amounts of money. the concept of buy a $250,00 Porsche to sell a Porsche
Of course we all know you have to spend money on your business in order for it to grow but that should only be on the right tools for your business, tools and service that become a asset to your business.
Vic latest product ITF for $997 was about him telling you how to spend more money buying paid traffic. If there is something we have lean’t is you don’t need to buy traffic, Just write good content and build up a following and that takes time and hard work.
And of course watch all of the great videos on No More BS Reviews for free !!
Haha thanks for dropping by and leaving such encouraging words Russell! I’m very glad that I could help you in your journey, and you’re definitely on the right track with your current outlook regarding quality content and consistent efforts 🙂 If I can help you with anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve just spent $997 on his internet traffic formula which I’m calling immediately to get a refund on. I can’t believe it so shameful…but very clever. It seems like it’s the same ‘ol things that he’s been teaching in other traffic videos nothing really new. I was just about to go all in with EN & I’m so glad I got your vids… still in shock. Since I’m still within the 14 day cancel policy I will be calling them tomorrow to get my monies back. Thank you again!
Hey Kukui! I think that’s a very good idea – I hope they don’t give you much trouble when trying to get your money back. If so, contact your financial institution and they should be able to process the refund by charging it back to the merchant. I’m glad you found this information to be helpful and if you have any other questions down the road, don’t hesitate to reach out!
The video tools and his delivery have improved, that is obvious. Just finding about how he is swapping out ID’s to essentially sand bag his members is pretty shameful.
It is also incredibly clever. So this tells you that he has simply built a much-much-better mouse trap for the masses out there who are so hungry for that elusive golden cheese called MONEY ! Ouch !
Listen I also bought one of his products a few years back. I went through it A to Z. Results were poor to bad. It just gets repackaged. As they said in that cool movie about stock brokers. “put some lipstick on that pig”
Good articles. Good work guys. Lets hope it helps people avoid losing their money.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, John! If I can help with anything else down the road, don’t hesitate to reach out.