Star News v/s Speak Asia - The Inside Story

The war has begun between a media giant and an online giant.  Both are stalwarts in their own field and have created a niche for them in their respective field. So, why the spat?  Why they are after each other?  I do smell a rat, but would like to gather a lot of opinions before coming out to a conclusion.  So, please feel free to participate in the survey and give your honest opinion and be ready for the most sensational exposure.

Star News Behind Speak Asia, Why?

© 2011 Ranjan Kumar

Speak Asia Speaks Out

This may bring a few smiles to the lakhs of proud Speak Asians after a soothing clarification came from Speak Asian CEO that all is not that bad with them.  After the reported news about United Overseas Bank (UOB) of Singapore freezing the bank accounts of Speak Asia, the Website official clarified on Friday that their account in Singapore has not been frozen but that it is only moving its company account to another bank.  "We are approaching and evaluating various other Banks in Singapore from where we will soon be able to disburse the payments to all panelists," Speak Asia's India CEO Manoj Kumar said.  He also emphasized that, "Also, we would like to reassure that the panelists’ money is safe! Towards this, we are trying to open an escrow account in order to further protect their interests."

So, what's next now?  Well, the panelists have no other options but to wait with bated breaths when their next  payment comes.  It might be too soon or never.  But, still will give them a glimmer of hope that all is not gone and Speak Asia is not dying.  They are hoping that it will come out stronger and bigger, and I give them my best wishes that they get their money back.

The only thing that bemuses me is that if there was nothing right with their operational method and they have publicly apologized for that as well as accepted that they are not a survey company but rather one of the Ponzi company which works on the same age-old method, get money from the member, ask the member to bring more members and thus more money, then pay back the old member a fraction of money from the new members, and let it go as long as the money is there or the pyramid is not completed, why they chose to stay afloat after all the media revelations.

I am sure that they had earned already enough money from the 20 lakh panelists and they had all the time in the world after the first telecast of Star News regarding Speak Asia supposed scam to go away and hide in any part of the globe, but instead they chose to fight back and clarify their sides.  So, that seems a good thing from the panelists' point of view that Speak Asia still wants to go on and I think as long as they can manage to go on, I think they will give their member some money back so at least one can still get their investment back if not profit for some time.

Keep your fingers crossed.

© 2011 Ranjan Kumar

Star News Behind Survey Companies - Genuine or TRP Building Measures

Two of the largest survey companies targeted together in less than two weeks.  One of course a high-profile survey company with offices in Singapore, ads during prime time of IPL matches, and projecting themselves as the biggest saviors of Indian youth; the other projecting themselves as a very low-profile but still considered to be one of the biggest survey companies with office in little known Mirzapur.  According to Star News, the owners are trying to run away, their head office is closed, and they are not paying their panelists any money.

Well, frankly speaking, though I heard about Speak Asia before, but I had never head of this Ram Survey which also became so famous after Star News concerted effort to expose themselves.  Well, it helped both.  The TRP ratings of Star News suddenly started to sore up after a series of survey-exposing news and of course now each individual knows about Speak Asia and Ram Survey.

For me, it seems like Star News is working with hand in gloves with these little known Internet players to bring out sensational news about these survey companies and thus popularize them among public and in the process boosting up their TRP rating as well, and this has definitely seemed to have worked wonders for both of them.

I picked up the declaration by Ram Survey about Star News' reported news exposure.  Though the denial is there but still in a very mild tone.  "Dear Associates, Another story by Star News on online fraud. You all know this is just a story, a fake one. You all need to understand that why only Star News is coming with such reports. Stop for a minute and think, they are coming with similar concept. This is just an effort by them to tarnish our image and so they can get the benefit out of it. Kindly do not pay attention to such news, videos and news coverage. We ensure you that whatever is being shown has no element of truth in it. We are very well and strongly placed which is evident by growing number of associates day by day. Long live you and Ramsurvey."

Now, if one look at denial, you will see that they are not vehemently rejecting Star News claim but just encouraging their panelists in a very mild manner.  This is what has made me suspicious about Star News real intentions behind this investigative journalism.  Because, even in Speak Asia case, they just blurted out their income profile that they are making about Rs. 15 crores, but they never could point out a finger if they are doing it illegally.

The other thing worth noting here is the Star News has also started their own survey portal called Star Panel.  Now, that really is something that needs to be taken into consideration as well.

So, guys give this a serious thinking and come out with what you think about it.

© 2011 Ranjan Kumar

What Is Speak Asia Scam???

For the last one week, the little known survey-driven company is hogging limelight thanks to Star News investigative journalism targeted on this so-called survey-driven MLM company whose only intention is to make money and disappear in the darkness of midnight.  Though the company was begun in 2006 according to their ACRA certificate issued by the Government of Singapore, they started becoming big in the last couple of months thanks to a spurt in their online membership by virtue of a very smart advertising campaign done in the middle of IPL Season IV where they projected themselves as a company designed to bring all the Indian families on the path of happiness.

But, the leading news media Star News suddenly came up with something that really spoiled the party of the Proud Speak Asians.  They started investigating the modus operandi of the company and came up with such startling facts that put even the government agencies like RBI, SEBI, Ministry of Corporate Affairs on great alert to tighten their grip on the website portal which is supposedly earning around Rs. 15 crores per day in pure profit (astounding figures!!!) which might even give a reason to the online giants like Google and Facebook to blink their eyes.


A membership of Rs. 11,000 and still around 35,000 new membership per day that by no means is a small feet to achieve, but Speak Asia has been doing this continuously for the last couple of months and that too without any great corporate team.  One must appreciate the brain behind this website (though no one for sure knows the real person behind this).  One Mr. Manoj Kumar has done some press conferences projecting himself as the CEO of Speak Asia, but we are not still sure if he is the one behind all this great online tamasha.

In fact, the company has targeted solely the Indian customers through some franchisee network to sell their membership, they have smartly kept themselves out completely from Indian legal purview by setting up a small 2-room office in Singapore with 4-5 employees doing desk work who really have no authority about the modus operandi of Speak Asia.  So, no one even knows where all these crores of rupees is being stacked up.

I think it's high time the proud Speak Asians come up and try to take the dust off this strange website so at least one should know who is the one person who is getting all those crores of rupees.


© 2011 Ranjan Kumar

Why Only Star News is Behind Speak Asia?

According to the latest salvo from Star News, the daily profit earned by Speak Asia is Rs. 15 Crores!!!  Now, that's bound to sweep you off your feet.  I don't think even the biggest corporate houses in India can claim of such whooping profit per day.

How this figures out???

Well, let's do some calculations.

Speak Asia membership fee per member =  Rs. 11,000.
Daily Number of Membership = 35,000
Per Day Income = 11,000 x 35,000 = Rs. 38 crores 50 lakhs.
Per Day Spending plus Return to Members (Rs. 4000 per month) = Rs. 23 crores 50 lakhs.

Per Day Profit = Rs. 15 crores

Now, that is some figure to talk about.  Well, I think there is nothing wrong with Speak Asia as long as they are paying out to the members, which I think they can continue to afford to give back for another year or two and by that time one would have got around 1 lakh rupees back by the end of two years for an investment of Rs. 11,000.  So, for the short term (two years), I think there is nothing wrong with the company modus operandi and also from the investors' point of view.

Things might start taking a downturn when the membership values start trending down and the payback trends start going up, but that is a story after maybe 2 years.

So, the company is not doing anything bad for the investors at least for the next two years and in fact Star News is also saying that what will happen after two years.  But, why to bother for after two years when you when gets back his investment back in less than three months and then starts getting profit for the next 21 months. I think, if we think from that angle, there is nothing wrong with the Speak Asia modus operandi.  It works on the same Ponzi model that we have seen for the last 30 years if it is earning crores but still giving back the consumers their return, let them do.  What's wrong with it???



© 2011 Ranjan Kumar

Speak Asia Scam on YouTube

Just thought of collecting the YouTube's videos on Speak Asia.  Well here are the three clips related to Speak Asia and the supposed scam.












Well, it's for people to decide what they want to do with their money...

© 2011 Ranjan Kumar

Proud to be Speak Asian - Are They Really Proud?

Invest 11,000 rupess for a year and get back 52,000 rupees that means about 500% return in one year...now that sounds grea.......t!!! Isn't it?

But, how???  The big question is how???

Their answer do survey and take home a fortune.

Now, that's easier said than done.  I can tell you by my own experience.  I have spent years trying to make a forturne by doing surveys and clicking ads and doing referral schemes.  But, in return, I have not been able to make even a couple of thousand bucks.

Then how come those Speak Asians are so proud of this great Singaporean company which has come from nowhere and now has become the household name thanks to an investigative exposure by the leading daily news channe Star News.

I would like to invite all those Proud Speak Asians to come in front and share their fortune-making stories so that would give me some idea how to make money doing suveys but first investin 11,000 rupees first.  If they are really proud being Speak Asian, we all are eagerly waiting to hear their stories.

So, come on friends, tell me how proud you are.

© 2011 Ranjan Kumar

Speak Asia - The Real Truth

Yesterday, one of the leading Indian news channel Star News broke out the story the about Speak Asia Online, a relatively new survey-driven company that promises you a nice weekly income by just doing their surveys.  Now, that's not certainly a new concept to million of Internet users who have been doing this for years, but why Star News only chose to investigate Speak Asia Online.  There are thousands of survey companies which pay you either in terms of real money or points which one can be redeemed for some gift items like Survey Scout and other leading companies.

So, what's so special about Speak Asia that a leading news channel felt the need to investigate the real truth behind the upcoming survey company whose sole target is to make as much inroads into Indian Internet users as they can and in fact they have.  In the last couple of months, since they started showing their ads during IPL prime team, they have really come strong on the Internet, so their India-centric target might have lured Star News to go behind them.

What the Star News has revealed that ICICI Bank top brass has declined giving any assignments to Speak Asia to do any surveys on their part, which Speak Asia has claimed to be one of their clients.  Another thing ING Vysya Bank has also declined any relationship with Speak Asia, while they claimed the ING Vysya to be their official bank for Indian customers.  The third thing they have specifically pointed out is that despite their largest consumer base in India, Speak Asia does not have a single office in India where you can approach them in case of any grivance redressal.  The only contact point for Indian customer is two Delhi phone numbers as mentioned on the company website:

Sales Support Hotline For India
Phone No.: 91-11-46488000 / 91-11-46170511
Open from 10 am - 6 pm (IST) on all days
Except National & Public holidays

Now, if you are the lucky one, then maybe you can get your phone call received once in a blue moon, otherwise, most of the time, you will be just keep trying your luck for days to weeks.

In fact, the whole concept of Speak Asia is one of the MLM companies where you have to pay them a hefty sum initially to register before you will start getting paid.  Just take a look at their registration plan below:

Apply for a test and interview for selection as a panelist to test.support@speakasiaonline.com . You will be called for a two hour written test on English language, comprehension and general knowledge followed by a personal interview. If selected, you will be given a subscription code for registration, without any cost. The current test centers are in Mumbai (India) and Singapore.The examination fee is $60.

To register as a Standard Panelist you may purchase subscription for 26 issues of Online Surveys Today E-bulletin for $120.

To register as a Premium Panelist you may purchase subscription for 52 issues of Online Surveys Today E-bulletin for $220.

So, you need to invest a minimum of $180 before being able to earn a single penny.

Most of the so-called Work From Home comapanies work on the same funda that is first collect money from the innocent customers, then increase your customer base to a million, and in return the company accumulates more than $100 million, then in return send back the customers a few penny each like $5 to 10 for some time, so that you can get more customers for them in the coming months and thus further increasing their capital base to even $500 million.

Now is the time to run away from market and what better time than this when Star News has exposed themselves, SEBI has tightened its grip on the company, and so Speak Asia has got the best time to disappear from the Internet in the next couple of months citing legal proceedings and other genuine reasons.

Now, that is one smart work to earn millions in a couple of months and then wait for some investigative media agency to go after you so that you get a genuine reason to disappear from the Internet.  What say guys!!!






© 2011 Ranjan Kumar