I’ve been seeing UpCrowdMe pop up all over social media lately. People are asking if it’s a real way to make money or just another scheme. With so many conflicting opinions online, it’s hard to know what to believe.
UpCrowdMe is a crowdfunding platform founded by Tim Bentley in 2019 that claims to help members make money through Facebook software and peer-to-peer donations, but it relies heavily on recruiting others to earn income. The company offers a low entry point starting at free or $5, which sounds appealing at first glance.
In this Upcrowdme review, we’re going to break down exactly how UpCrowdMe operates and what you can really expect from this platform. We’ll look at what they offer, how people actually make money with it, and whether the business model holds up under scrutiny.
What Is Upcrowdme?
Upcrowdme is a crowdfunding platform that was created by Tim Bentley in 2019. The site operates at upcrowdme.com and is also known as UCM Social.
The platform works as a peer-to-peer donation system. Members send money to other people in the network and expect to receive donations back from new members who join after them.
How It Works:
- You pay a minimum $5 “lock-in” fee to join
- Optional upgrades are available for bigger earning potential
- You must recruit new members to make money
- The platform provides Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn software tools
We found that Upcrowdme requires active recruitment to earn any income. You donate money first, then wait for others to donate to you. This only works when new people keep joining the system.
The platform markets itself as a way to make money through crowdfunding. However, it differs from legitimate crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter or GoFundMe because those platforms fund specific projects or causes. Upcrowdme simply moves money between members based on recruitment.
Members get access to social media tools that help them recruit others. Without bringing in new people, you won’t receive any donations back. This makes the entire system dependent on constant growth and new member sign-ups to function.
How Upcrowdme Works
Upcrowdme operates as a peer-to-peer donation platform that launched in 2019. The system requires members to pay a $5 lock-in fee to access their Facebook software tools.
The Basic Process:
- Sign up and pay the initial $5 fee
- Get access to social media automation software
- Recruit others through Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn
- Receive donations from new members via PayPal
The platform functions primarily through recruiting. Members make money when they bring new people into the system. We found that without bringing in others, there’s no real way to earn.
Key Features:
- Social media sharing tools for Facebook and other platforms
- PayPal integration for receiving payments
- Tiered donation structure based on recruitment levels
The model works like a cash gifting scheme where participants donate to those above them. When someone joins through your link, they send you money directly. You then move up through different levels as you recruit more people.
This is essentially a pay to play setup. Members must invest money upfront and continuously recruit to see any returns. The affiliate program relies entirely on your ability to find new participants.
We noticed the platform markets itself as similar to crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter. However, traditional crowdfunding supports specific projects or causes. Upcrowdme’s main focus is recruiting new members to keep money flowing through the system.
The software they provide automates social media posts to help with recruitment efforts. Members use these tools to reach potential recruits across their social networks.
Product and Service Offerings
UpCrowdMe operates as a crowdfunding platform that focuses on peer-to-peer donations rather than traditional product sales. The platform requires a $5 minimum entry fee to access their tools and training materials.
The main offering centers around social media software designed for platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Members get access to tools that claim to help with promotion and recruitment activities. We found that the platform emphasizes using these social networks to recruit new members into the system.
Key Features Include:
- Social media automation tools for Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn
- Training materials on recruitment strategies
- Access to a members-only dashboard
- Email list building resources
The platform markets itself as an affiliate marketing opportunity. However, the primary way members earn money is through recruiting others to join and donate. There are upgrade options available beyond the initial $5 fee that promise higher commission rates.
We noticed that UpCrowdMe doesn’t provide traditional products or services that customers can purchase. Instead, it operates on a donation model where members send money to others in the network. The promised returns depend entirely on recruiting new participants who also make donations.
The platform includes some educational content about content creation and online marketing. Some members use these materials to promote UpCrowdMe through their own WordPress sites or YouTube channels. The effectiveness of these tools for legitimate business purposes remains questionable since the core business model relies on continuous recruitment.
Earning Potential and Income Streams
When I looked into UpCrowdMe’s income structure, I found that the earning potential depends entirely on your ability to recruit others. There’s no passive income here like you might find with traditional affiliate marketing programs.
Free members cannot earn money with UpCrowdMe. You must become a paid member to access any income opportunities. This is a critical detail that many people miss when they first sign up.
The platform operates as a crowdfunding system where your earnings come from recruiting new members. Here’s what this means for your income:
- You need to actively find and sign up new people
- Your income depends on how many people join under you
- There’s no product or service to market to customers
- You won’t earn commissions from traditional affiliate marketing activities
The recruitment model is the only income stream available. Unlike other make money online opportunities where you can sell products or services, UpCrowdMe focuses solely on getting others to join the platform.
I noticed that the program provides social media tools for Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn to help with recruitment. However, these tools are designed to bring in new members rather than market products to consumers.
The earning potential is uncertain and depends on your network size. If you can’t recruit consistently, you won’t generate income. This differs from passive income models where you might earn from content or products over time without constant recruiting.
Platform Analysis and Reputation
When we looked into UpCrowdMe’s reputation online, we found several red flags that caught our attention. The platform has a poor trust score of 25% according to independent review sites. This low rating suggests serious concerns about the legitimacy of the platform.
Key Reputation Findings:
- Multiple reviews label it as a recruitment-based scheme
- Trust scores indicate high risk for users
- Limited positive feedback from actual users
- Concerns raised about the donation-based model
We noticed that UpCrowdMe operates as a peer-to-peer donation platform rather than a traditional business opportunity. The platform requires members to recruit others through social media channels like Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn to earn any money. This recruitment-heavy model raises concerns about sustainability.
The cost to join starts at a minimum $5 donation. However, there are various “optional” upgrades that members can purchase to earn bigger commissions. This tiered structure is common in programs that rely heavily on recruitment.
What We Found About Reviews:
- Most independent reviews question the platform’s legitimacy
- User experiences shared online are generally negative
- Reddit discussions about UpCrowdMe raise similar concerns
- Few verified success stories from actual members
The platform was created by Tim Bentley as a crowdfunding platform. We found that making money requires constant recruitment of new members rather than selling actual products or services. This structure depends entirely on bringing in new people to sustain payments to existing members.
Is Upcrowdme a Scam?
We need to be honest about what Upcrowdme really is. The platform operates as a crowdfunding program where members donate money to receive donations from others. This is a peer-to-peer donation system that relies heavily on recruiting new members.
Here are the key concerns we found:
- Members must pay a $5 minimum lock-in fee to join
- The system requires constant recruitment to function
- Money comes from new members, not from selling actual products or services
- Multiple review sites give it poor trust scores
The business model raises red flags because it follows a recruitment-based structure. You only make money when you bring in new people who also pay to join. This is how pyramid schemes typically work.
Upcrowdme was created in 2019 by Tim Bentley. The platform offers optional upgrades that promise bigger earnings potential. However, these upgrades just mean you need to recruit more people at higher donation levels.
We found that the program uses social media software for Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn to help members recruit others. Without recruiting, you won’t earn anything.
Important warning signs:
- No real product or service being sold
- Income depends entirely on recruiting
- Low trust scores from review sites
- Requires upfront payment with promises of returns
The platform shares similarities with Ponzi schemes because early members can only profit if enough new members join later. We recommend avoiding Upcrowdme and similar crowdfunding programs that require recruitment to earn money.
Upcrowdme in the Context of Online Programs
When we look at Upcrowdme, we need to understand where it fits in the world of online money-making opportunities. The platform operates as a crowdfunding program that requires members to recruit others to earn money.
The domain creation date shows Upcrowdme launched in 2019. This gives us some history to work with when checking its track record.
Most legitimate crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter or GoFundMe work differently. They help people raise money for specific projects or causes. Upcrowdme takes a different approach by focusing on recruitment as the main way to make money.
Here’s what sets Upcrowdme apart from typical online programs:
- Requires a $5 lock-in fee to join
- Provides Facebook and social media software tools
- Operates on a peer-to-peer donation model
- Depends heavily on recruiting new members
We found that the program shares features with crowdfunding platforms but adds a recruitment element. This makes it function more like a peer-to-peer donation system than traditional crowdfunding.
The trust score of 25% we discovered raises concerns about its reliability. Most established online programs have higher trust ratings from review sites.
When we compare Upcrowdme to other online income opportunities, the recruitment requirement stands out. Many standard affiliate programs or online jobs don’t require you to bring in new members to earn money. This recruitment-based model changes how the program works and what you need to do to see any returns.