MLM Detective POSTS

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MLM Reviews

March 8, 2018

OneCoin Italian ban & fine suspended, AGCM investigation continues

Following an ongoing investigation into OneCoin by the Antitrust and Consumer Protection Authority, promotion of OneCoin across Italy was banned in late 2016.OneCoin’s response to the injunction saw the company claim one OneCoin shell company was not related to another, despite being owned and operated in tandem by the same people.The AGCM concluded their investigation into OneCoin in mid 2017.The regulator formally banned OneCoin, declared it a “deceitful Ponzi scheme” and issued a 2.5 million EUR fine.Once again OneCoin tried to get out of it by again asserting its use of shell companies protected it from regulation.While OneCoin’s public response to…

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MLM Reviews

March 7, 2018

Todd Hirsch on the run from terrorist charges, arrested in Panama

Serial scammer Todd Hirsch has been arrested in Panama.According to a local news report, Hirsch was charged and found guilty of fleeing/attempting to elude, DUI, reckless driving and six counts of terroristic threats.The terroristic threats charges stemmed from Hirsch threatening to harm or kill law enforcement officers during his pursuit and subsequent arrest.After being charged, Hirsch was sentenced to rehabilitation.He “left the facility” last November but failed to “return to jail”.After going on the run,Hirsch in believed to have flown to the Dominican Republic, but he returned Feb. 22 to Panama City, Panama. From there, he planned to travel to Medellin,…

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MLM Reviews

March 7, 2018

Coins of Change Review: Two-tier 3×5 matrix bitcoin gifting scheme

Coins of Change provide no information on their website about who owns or runs the business.The Coins of Change website domain (“coinsofchange.org”) was privately registered on July 20th, 2017.Of note is the Coins of Change website domain uses the name-servers of “bitcoinsetupsite.com”.If you visit that site you’ll see it’s a clone of the Coins of Change website.The owner of the Bitcoin Setup Site is Mike Hollen, through an address in the US state of Iowa.The registration details of the email address domain Hollen used to register the Bitcoin Setup Site suggest he works for “Pronto Web Services”, who seem to be…

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MLM Reviews

March 7, 2018

HitStake Review: HITS points ICO lending Ponzi scheme

HitStake provide no information on their website about who owns or runs the business.The HitStake website domain (“hitstake.com”) was privately registered on February 13th, 2018.As always, if an MLM company is not openly upfront about who is running or owns it, think long and hard about joining and/or handing over any money.HitStake ProductsHitStake has no retailable products or services, with affiliates only able to market HitStake affiliate membership itself.The HitStake Compensation PlanHitStake affiliates acquire pre-generated HITS points from the company’s anonymous owners.HITS are sold to HitStake affiliates for 60 cents to $1.20 each.Once acquired, HITS points are “lent” back to HitStake…

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MLM Reviews

March 6, 2018

Ariix acquires NuCerity in March 5th merger

Although they’ve framed it as a merger, by all appearances Ariix looks to have acquired NuCerity on March 5th.As per an announcement on Ariix’s website;On March 5, 2018, ARIIX, an international opportunity company that promotes healthy, toxin-free living announced its merger with NuCerity, a Houston, Texas-based network marketing company.This partnership formed due to different market strengths and the opportunity those strengths presented for the representatives, along with strong projected sales figures.Of the two companies Ariix definitely appears stronger, as reflected in sales revenue ($178% million vs. $35 million in 2017) and website traffic.NuCerity had a brief spike in interest in early…

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MLM Reviews

March 6, 2018

Traffic Monsoon victim claims portal on the horizon (clawbacks too)

The latest Traffic Monsoon Receiver’s quarterly report suggests that a victim claims portal might not be too far off.As with most Ponzi schemes, Traffic Monsoon failed to keep detailed records of transactions occurring within the platform.Since being appointed, the Traffic Monsoon Receivership has had to sift through ‘literally hundreds of millions of records and transactions approximating a billion dollars‘.Using the recreated records, BRG has been able to determine on a preliminary basis that there are 101,840 persons with claims against the Receivership Estate, and that the amount of total claims is in excess of $114,286,000.00.The good news is that as of the…

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MLM Reviews

March 6, 2018

Power Mining Pool securities cease and desist issued in North Carolina

Texas might have some competition as the top cryptocurrency securities fraud regulator in the US, following a Power Mining Pool cease and desist issued in North Carolina.BehindMLM reviewed Power Mining Pool last September and, based on its business model and lack of disclosures surround its purported “cryptocurrency trading and mining”, concluded it was a 50 EUR in, 70 EUR out Ponzi scheme.Having investigated Power Mining Pool itself, the North Carolina Securities Division seems to agree.As noted in our own review, the Securities Division confirms they haven’t been able to establish whether Power Mining Pool’s purported owners, Andrew and Mike Conti, “are real…

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MLM Reviews

March 6, 2018

FTC deconstruct all aspects of Digital Altitude’s “fraudulent operation”

As of yet I don’t have any news on the outcome of the scheduled preliminary injunction hearing today.As per the FTC vs. Digital Altitude case docket over the past week or so though, here’s what we do know.Defendants Alan Moore, Sean Brown and Morgan Johnson have consented to the entry of a preliminary injunction against them.The consented preliminary injunctions stipulate the permanent appointment of the Digital Altitude Receiver and maintaining the current asset freeze.Digital Altitude, Michael Force and Mary Dee are fighting the injunction and filed a Memorandum in Opposition on February 27th.In response to the memorandum the FTC maintainDigital Altitude…

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MLM Reviews

March 5, 2018

Hourlyer Review: Bitcoin mining = 52,000% annual ROI?

Hourlyer provide no information on their website about who owns or runs the company.The Hourlyer website domain (“hourlyer.com”) was privately registered on January 24th, 2018.Hourlyer claim to be incorporated in the UK and provide an incorporation certificate for “Hourly Limited”.Hourly Limited was incorporated in the UK on March 14th, 2017. Whether the company actually has anything to do with Hourlyer though is unclear.In any event UK incorporation is dirt cheap and for the most part unregulated. It is a favorite for scammers looking to incorporate dodgy companies.As always, if an MLM company is not openly upfront about who is running or owns…

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MLM Reviews

March 5, 2018

Hour Grows Review: 52,000% annual ROI through forex trading?

Hour Grows provide no information on their website about who owns or runs the business.The Hour Grows website domain (“hourgrows.com”) was privately registered on January 12th, 2018.On their website Hour Grows claims to be incorporated in the UK;In 2016 we were incorporated in London under the name Hour Grows LTD.A search of the UK Companies House database however reveals no such incorporation exists.Based on this, the London corporate address is provided on the Hour Grows website is assumed to have nothing to do with the company.At the time of publication Alexa estimate that 75% of traffic to the Hour Grows website…