MANNATECH: A Multi-Level Marketing Company Disguised as a Wellness Brand
And what happens when you ask questions or speak out? The threats roll in. During one of my own livestreams, a MANNATECH supporter warned me: “The lawyers are going to have a field day with you.”
If you’ve ever found yourself drawn into a MANNATECH Zoom meeting, you’ll recognise the script almost immediately — heart-wrenching hard-luck stories, grand promises of health, and subtle emotional pitches that quickly shift into full-blown recruitment spiels.
These aren’t wellness seminars. They’re carefully choreographed MLM performances, designed to bypass your critical thinking and hook you emotionally. And after watching enough of them, I can say with confidence: this isn’t about health — it’s about building someone else’s downline.
And what happens when you ask questions or speak out? The threats roll in. During one of my own livestreams, a MANNATECH supporter warned me: “The lawyers are going to have a field day with you.” This kind of legal intimidation is textbook MLM strategy — it’s not about truth, it’s about silencing critics through fear.
The host of the meeting I attended was Rika Stander, who holds regular Zoom calls using this same Link. If you tune in, you might just witness The Crypto Ponzi Scheme Avenger and his Avengers calling out the deception live.
This was the same Zoom link where Steph Sullivan once gave her glowing “life-changing” testimony — but there’s no guarantee she’ll be on the next call. What you can count on is more emotional storytelling, strategically delivered to draw you in, and convince you this supplement-fueled fantasy will change your life.
A Company Built on Recruitment, Not Products
MANNATECH is not just another supplements company. It is a decades-old multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme that sells overpriced products with grand health claims, while incentivising people not to sell, but to recruit. Behind the glitzy branding and polished website lies a troubling history of deception, lawsuits, and regulatory red flags.
A History Tainted by Legal Trouble
In 2009, MANNATECH and its founder Samuel Caster reached a $6 million settlement with the Texas Attorney General for deceptive marketing. The company was accused of falsely claiming its supplements could cure or treat conditions like Down syndrome, cancer, and cystic fibrosis—despite having zero FDA approval. These claims were reported by Courthouse News and other media outlets, not created by me. Caster was fined $1 million and barred from serving as an officer for five years. That alone should’ve sunk the company’s reputation. Instead, it rebranded and kept going.
False Medical Hype Disguised as Nutrition
MANNATECH continues to sell products with lofty descriptions like “the most powerful supplement you can take for your health” and “ignite your immune system”. Products like Ambrotose and Manapol® are marketed with vague, pseudo-medical jargon that plays on people’s fears about aging, illness, and wellness. It’s a clever tactic: stop just short of making a medical claim, but say enough to plant the idea in your head.
Science or Sugar?
Many critics—including scientists—have slammed MANNATECH’s flagship product, Ambrotose, as little more than expensive sugar. The idea that their so-called “glyconutrients” are revolutionary health boosters isn’t backed by solid evidence. In fact, some reviewers claim they experienced no health improvements at all. Others reported feeling worse, with side effects ranging from nausea to illness.
The Trustpilot Mirage
MANNATECH boasts a Trustpilot score of 4.5, but dig deeper and you’ll find a common theme among negative reviews: the products don’t work, the claims are exaggerated, and the marketing feels misleading. One reviewer wrote, “Not worth the money, no noticeable benefits.” Another noted, “I got sick from Ambrotose. Waste of money.”
The Recruitment Engine: Not a Business, a Pipeline
Let’s be honest: very few people sign up with MANNATECH just to buy supplements. They’re recruited into a business opportunity. MANNATECH’s real pitch is that you can make money by building a team, not selling product. That’s the hallmark of an MLM. And it’s why they plaster “Build a Business” buttons on every page of their online store. They don’t care if you use the product—they care if you recruit others.
They’ve Ticked the Ethical Boxes—But That Doesn’t Make Them Ethical
MANNATECH claims to operate under a strict Code of Ethics and is a member of the Direct Selling Association of Australia. That sounds good on paper, but I’ve seen companies with long rap sheets hide behind these same badges. Checking compliance boxes doesn’t mean your model is ethical. MLMs are, by design, exploitative: a tiny few at the top profit from the perpetual signups of the many at the bottom.
Hard-Luck Stories or Hardened Recruiters?
Every MLM Zoom meeting I’ve observed starts with emotion. Stories of divorce, trauma, poverty—anything to lower your guard. But I’ve come to believe many of these stories are scripted, rehearsed, or exaggerated. These individuals aren’t sharing to heal—they’re sharing to sell. When commission depends on recruitment, compassion becomes a marketing weapon.
And after watching dozens of these MANNATECH Zoom calls, I’ve noticed a disturbing pattern: every so-called leader has a heartbreaking backstory they use to connect with the audience. I’ve even seen some of them in other MLM training calls being coached on how to deliver these stories for maximum emotional impact. Then they pivot to describing their new lifestyle—usually framed as some kind of paradise, funded by their supplement “business.” It’s manipulative, it’s rehearsed, and it absolutely disgusts me.
The Compensation Plan: Pay to Play Disguised as Opportunity
According to BehindMLM’s 2017 review, MANNATECH’s compensation plan is complex, full of jargon, and designed to benefit only those who recruit aggressively and self-purchase product regularly. The 19-rank system rewards people based on group volume (GV), personal volume (PV), and a convoluted structure that includes bonuses for autoship compliance, team building, and rank matching.
The deeper you dig, the more obvious it becomes: this is not a business built on customer sales. It’s a recruitment engine masked with health claims and topped off with a pile of confusing acronyms. The compensation plan requires regular purchases to remain eligible for commissions—a classic pay-to-play model. That’s not ethical business. That’s a pyramid with supplements taped to the sides.
Final Warning: MANNATECH Is an MLM First, Supplement Company Second
MLM, not your health, is the real product here. Behind every glossy label and emotional Zoom testimony lies a system built on recruitment, autoship, and downline chasing. Be clear: MANNATECH’s model is multi-level marketing first, and wellness marketing second.
Despite the polished website, product bundling, and loyalty programs, MANNATECH is fundamentally an MLM scheme. Its priority isn’t your health—it’s your recruitment potential. They’ll dazzle you with supplement science and wellness buzzwords, but their true business is multi-level marketing. That’s why I do not recommend signing up for this so-called opportunity. Not because I dislike the people involved—but because the model itself is broken.
People rarely earn the money they’re promised, and they often end up with garages full of overpriced supplements and a downline that never materialises. MANNATECH may be NASDAQ-listed and 30 years old, but age and status don’t wash away the truth: MLM is a flawed and predatory model, and MANNATECH is no exception.
Stay vigilant. Don’t be swayed by emotional stories or shiny supplements. And don’t confuse marketing hype with medical truth.
Sources & References:
Courthouse News: courthousenews.com/mannatech-ceo-fined-for-deceptive-trade/
FDA Warning Letter (2017): fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/mannatech-inc-520141-02242017
ABC 20/20 Exposé on Mannatech: abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=1239974&page=1
Politifact on Ben Carson’s Mannatech Denial: politifact.com/factchecks/2015/oct/28/ben-carson/ben-carson-denies-links-mannatech-theres-video/
BehindMLM Compensation Plan Review: behindmlm.com/mlm-reviews/mannatech-compensation-plan-review-3-0-2017/
Trustpilot Mannatech Reviews: trustpilot.com/review/mannatech.com
Class Action Settlement (Jonathan Crowell v. Mannatech): casetext.com/case/jonathan-crowell-v-mannatech-inc
About the Author
Danny de Hek, also known as The Crypto Ponzi Scheme Avenger, is a New Zealand-based investigative journalist specializing in exposing crypto fraud, Ponzi schemes, and MLM scams. His work has been featured by Bloomberg, The New York Times, The Guardian Australia, ABC News Australia, and other international outlets.
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My work exposing crypto fraud has been featured in:
Bloomberg Documentary (2025): A 20-minute exposé on Ponzi schemes and crypto card fraud
News.com.au (2025): Profiled as one of the leading scam-busters in Australasia
OpIndia (2025): Cited for uncovering Pakistani software houses linked to drug trafficking, visa scams, and global financial fraud
The Press / Stuff.co.nz (2023): Successfully defeated $3.85M gag lawsuit; court ruled it was a vexatious attempt to silence whistleblowing
The Guardian Australia (2023): National warning on crypto MLMs affecting Aussie families
ABC News Australia (2023): Investigation into Blockchain Global and its collapse
The New York Times (2022): A full two-page feature on dismantling HyperVerse and its global network
Radio New Zealand (2022): “The Kiwi YouTuber Taking Down Crypto Scammers From His Christchurch Home”
Otago Daily Times (2022): A profile on my investigative work and the impact of crypto fraud in New Zealand