Rodney Burton Arrested in Florida on HyperFund Charges
Rodney Burton, aka “Bitcoin Rodney”, was arrested in Florida on January 4th, 2024.Burton has been indicted on HyperFund fraud charges, filed as part of a wider criminal case in Maryland. Following Burton’s arrest, he made his initial appearance in the Southern District of Florida.Burton (below👇🏾) was ordered moved to the District of Maryland, where multiple HyperFund related indictments are believed to have been filed under seal.An IRS agent affidavit filed in support of Burton’s Complaint cites a “network of HyperFund promoters”, but at this stage it’s unclear who else has been charged.Presumably the broader HyperFund criminal case extends to co-founders Ryan Xu (aka Zijing Xu) and Sam Lee (aka Xue Lee).Getting back to Burton, on January 5th he invoked his right to remain silent. Then on January 8th the DOJ moved to reseal the original docket filing (details of the case).This was approved later the same day. Thankfully Sarah Martin at the Guardianwas able to access the filing between Burton’s arrest and the resealing. She was kind enough to provide BehindMLM a copy.As per the IRS supporting affidavit, Burton, as a promoter of HyperFund, has been charged with:operating an unlicensed money transmitting business andconspiracy to commit operating an unlicensed money transmitting businessThe joint IRS-DOJ investigation into HyperFund is part of a broader investigation into the HyperTech Ponzi schemes.These Ponzi schemes include:HyperCapital – launched in 2020 following the collapse of HyperCash;HyperFund – launched later in 2020 following the collapse of HyperCapital;Hyperverse – launched in 2021 following the collapse of HyperFund; andHyperNation – launched in 2022 following the collapse of HyperverseHyperNation itself collapsed in May 2023. In July 2023 Sam Lee claimed he was “rebuilding Hyperverse” but, as far as I know, nothing came of it.Cited as part of a “network of HyperFund promoters, the IRS affidavit states Burton and his co-conspiratorsmade fraudulent promotional presentations to investors and potential investors.In those presentations, promoters touted HyperFund’s investment programs, including the purported returns that prospective investors could earn from investing with HyperFund.Among other representations, HyperFund falsely claimed that investors who purchased “memberships” would receive between 0.5% to 1% daily in passive rewards until HyperFund doubled or tripled the investor’s initial investment.HyperFund did not have any such operations.To the extent investors saw the accrual of any rewards, those investors were paid with funds collected from more recent investors.Beginning in or about July 2020—shortly after HyperFund was established—and through in or about January 2022, BURTON accepted U.S. dollars from investors in HyperFund, in the form of checks or wire transfers.In exchange for those payments and a three percent fee, BURTON transferred a purportedly equivalent amount of Tether cryptocurrency and/or HU from his HyperFund account to the investors’ HyperFund accounts.BURTON communicated with other HyperFund promoters regarding accepting U.S. dollars in exchange for Tether and/or HU.He advised Individual 1, a resident of Anne Arundel County and another HyperFund promoter, to instruct investors to send U.S. dollars (via wire or check) with the memo line “Consultation/Training,” even though no consulting services were rendered.BURTON told Individual 1 that the reason for so instructing investors was to avoid drawing scrutiny from banks, as the banks might shut down their accounts.On April 14, 2021, at 8:52 a.m., Individual 2 texted BURTON “to make sure nothing is going on with Hyperfund” because, among other reasons “[y]ou said don’t send anymore money up let you catch up.”Two minutes later, at 8:54 a.m., BURTON responded saying “Lol, no nothing is wrong. I said let me catch up causeI got so many checks that ppl are sending me. I’m adding to my portfolio. I still haven’t finished funding the ones I got.”From this we can surmise that these co-conspirators are cooperating with authorities (as per the original motion to seal Burton’s Florida docket, Burton was unaware of the case prior to his arrest). Whether the cited individuals have also been arrested remains unclear.In March 2021, one Maryland victim cited in the affidavit lost $40,000 via wire transfer to Burton Holdings Co. An additional $10,000 was then wired to The Bit Group LLC.In April 2021, the victim’s wife would go on to wire an additional $20,500 to Burton Holdings Co.While this is unlikely to be the total amount Burton stole through the HyperTech Ponzi schemes, the IRS affidavit pegs initial ill-gotten gains at $7.8 million.I have reviewed bank records associated with BURTON’s personal bank accounts and the accounts for the companies over which he has control.Analysis of these records show that from June 2020 through January 2022, BURTON received 562 wire transfers or cashier’s checks, totaling $7,851,711, from individuals who wished to invest in HyperFund.An analysis of these payments shows that they originated from investors in the District of Maryland and at least twenty-six other states, one U.S. territory, and Canada.The majority of funds Burton stole through HyperFund were laundered through Burton Holdings Co., a shell company registered in Maryland.If convicted, Burton faces up to five years on both criminal counts.Beyond there most certainly being other HyperTech related indictments still under seal, that’s all we know for now. I have a number for Burton’s Maryland case but the docket and filings are still under seal.It’s assumed we’ll get more details pending further HypterTech related arrests.#HyperFund #Hyperverse #HyperCash #CryptoScamAlert #Ponzi
Kari Wahlroos Tells OneCoin Victims To “kiss my ass”
Some top earners at least pretend to be remorseful about the millions they stole through OneCoin.Then there’s Kari Wahlroos, who in an upcoming documentary tells OneCoin victims to “kiss my ass”.Wahlroos, a Finnish national who describes himself as “one of the grandmaster orchestrators” of OneCoin, is set to feature in “OneCoin – The inside man”.Wahlroos was appointed an “ambassador” of OneCoin in 2015. He was demoted in December 2017, eleven months after OneCoin collapsed.Wahlroos didn’t disclose why he was demoted. OneCoin however put out an official statement, claiming Wahlroos had made consistent miscommunication and misrepresentation(s)”.Due to consistent miscommunication and misrepresentation of the OneLife Network operations and strategy, the management team of OneLife has taken the unfortunate decision to demote Mr. Wahlroos from all his activities and responsibilities for the Network.The company has experienced serious legal consequences, following Mr. Wahlroos’ behavior on and off stage, indirectly damaging its credibility and reputation.In a January 15th OneCoin – The Insider Man trailer, Wahlroos provides insight into his time at OneCoin.Personally I recall rumors of Wahlroos’ substance abuse dating back to as long as he’d been with OneCoin. For the first time Wahlroos himself publicly confirms the rumors.Did I drink alcohol? Yes, every day.Did I use coke? Tons of it.On the money side of things, Wahlroos claims he received 2% of OneCoin investment throughout Europe.Finland was making €5 million a month, I get two percent. Germany was making €10 million a month, I get two percent. Russia was making €2 million a month, I get my two percent.And after a few months we were in €200 million a month. Kiss my ass.Wahlroos claims that, in OneCoin’s best year, he generated €1.4 billion in stolen funds. 2% of this amount comes to €28 million.While acknowledging that only “very few people” made money, Wahlroos states anyone who “wasn’t making €100 thousand a month” in OneCoin was a “fucking idiot”.Wahlroos’ depiction of OneCoin’s top earners is a sad group of middle-aged men preying on young women in Thailand.(OneCoin’s) top 20 leaders were invited to a special gentlemen’s club. With these Thai girls, with these sex parties.Sebastian (Greenwood) takes a girl and goes fuck her. (He) comes back and takes another one. He was using his money and power to seduce girls.Greenwood (in the grey suit), co-founder of OneCoin with Ruja Ignatova (pink dress), was sentenced to twenty years in prison in September 2023.Circumstances are unclear but Wahlroos goes on to claim whoever is left running OneCoin, at some point tried to assassinate him.I felt the numbness and dizziness coming into my face. They tried to fucking kill me.OneCoin has noted ties to organized crime interests in Bulgaria, Russia and Dubai.Laundering money stolen through OneCoin was a large coordinated effort spanning multiple countries. According to Wahlroos, OneCoin’s operations in China resulted in “a lot” of deaths.China began cracking down on OneCoin in 2016. As of May 2018, around 160 OneCoin related arrests had been made. As part of their investigations, Chinese authorities also managed to seize $7.1 million belonging to Greenwood.US authorities have pegged OneCoin losses at around €4 billion euros. Wahlroos pegs total OneCoin losses closer to €14 to €15 billion.That Wahlroos and other OneCoin top earners have faced no repercussions, is an ongoing indictment of Europe’s inability and/or unwillingness to hold those responsible for OneCoin accountable.Today Wahlroos is promoting Global NFT Group, a Ponzi scheme built around PNGVN tokens and an NFT grift.OneCoin – The inside man is being produced by Orlando John, a film production company based out of Sweden. No release date has been set.#onecoin #onecoinmultiplechains #CryptoScamExposed #Ponzi #CryptoScamAwareness
The Austrian Supreme Court has ruled that Lyoness’ affiliate contract and compensation plan are illegal.The decision follows legal action taken by the Austrian Association for Consumer Information (VKI). In Austria’s lower courts, VKI argued47 contractual clauses that were part of Lyconet agreements and so-called Lyconet compensation plans … (lacked) transparent regulations and … clarity.VKI’s lawsuit was decided in its favor. The Supreme Court’s ruling reaffirms earlier rulings and is final.As per a January 11th press-release from VKI, specific Lyoness agreement clauses they took issue with were 3-2019, 9-2019 and 1-2021. Compensation clauses include 3-2019, 9-2019 and 1-2021.A large number of the contested clauses were found by the courts to be non-transparent. For example, terms such as “Bonus Units”, “Customer Units”, “Follow-up Units”, “Transfer Units”, “Lifeline”, “Upline”, “Balance Program”, “Career Program”, “Balance Category”, and “Balance Commission” were used, but their specific meaning remained unclear.The first court already stated that these are not terms of general language use and that they are in themselves incomprehensible without further context.They are also not explained sufficiently clearly throughout Lyconet’s rules and regulations.The appeal court added that even after intensive study of the entire set of regulations, it remains completely unclear for average consumers when and to what extent they acquire rights to which remuneration.The Supreme Court has now confirmed this view.As per the Supreme Court’s decision;Affected Lyconet contracts are invalid and consumers can demand a full refund of the payments they have made.Lyoness, aka Lyconet, Cashback World and myWorld, is owned and operated by Austrian national Hubert Freidl (below).Austrian courts previously finding Lyoness to be a pyramid scheme. A related January 11th article from ORF, the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, cited “over 400 court cases” in Austria alone.Despite this, Freidl is still a free man.Freidl had Lyoness declare bankruptcy in Europe last November. According to filings Lyoness is $110 million in debt. Whether this was a ploy to avoid paying out victims and/or evading criminal proceedings is unclear. Freidl abandoned his FaceBook profile in July 2023. November 2023 posts on Freidl’s Instagram page reveal attempts at marketing Lyoness across Asia, specifically Malaysia.#CryptoScamAwareness #Lyoness #Lyconet #ponzischeme #CryptoScamExposed
EvoRich’s Andrey Khovratov Sentenced to 5years In Prison
Evorich Ponzi founder Andrey Khovratov has been sentenced to five years in prison. Prosecutors had asked the court for a six year sentence.Following his arrest attempting to flee Russia in early 2022, Khovratov was charged with five counts of participating in fraud via organized crime.As per a January 23rd press-release from the Presnesnky Prosecutor’s Office, the Moscow court based Khovratov’s guilty verdict on EvoRich being a Ponzi scheme. Khovratov, being the general director of Academy of Private Investor LLC, together with an accomplice who is on the wanted list and other unidentified persons, created a website accessible to an unlimited number of people, informing that anyone can become a co-owner, shareholder, shareholder, shareholder of the global an investment fund operating in all segments and sectors of the investment market.The accomplices misled users of the Internet resource by providing deliberately false information that the investments would make it possible to implement the program of the New Economic Evolution of the World, created by Khovratov, and to receive high investment income.In order to make a profit, the misled victims purchased cryptocurrency from the defendants, transferring funds to accounts controlled by them.The members of the organized group distributed the funds received from the victims among themselves, evading their obligations to pay dividend income from investing in cryptocurrency, as well as to return the funds.An unnamed accomplice of Khovratov’s remains wanted by Russian authorities.#Evorich #ponzischeme #mlm #pyramidscheme #CryptoScamExposed
OmegaPro.IN Review: Same Name, Different Ponzi Scheme;
OmegaPro.IN, not to be confused with the notorious Dubai-based OmegaPro Ponzi, fails to provide ownership or executive information on its website.
OmegaPro.IN’s website domain (“omegapro. in”), was privately registered on May 11th, 2023.
In the footer of its website, OmegaPro.IN provides a PO Box address in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. For what should be obvious reasons, this is meaningless.
Further attempts to appear legitimate by OmegaPro.IN include: a Polish shell company certificate (this is backdated to 2020 and appears to be doctored). an insurance document provided by Renaissance Insurance (this is backdated to 2015 and is obviously doctored) and a UK shell company certificate for Omega-Pro LTD. Due to the ease with which scammers are able to incorporate shell companies with bogus details, for the purpose of MLM due-diligence these certificates are meaningless.
Furthermore, OmegaPro.IN markets itself as an MLM cryptocurrency investment scheme. The UK’s FCA outright banned MLM cryptocurrency investment schemes on October 8th, 2023.
Further to OmegaPro.IN’s regulatory problems, France’s AMF added OmegaPro.IN to its investment blacklist on December 5th, 2023.
OmegaPro.IN Conclusion: OmegaPro.IN appears to be an attempt to cash in the collapsed OmegaPro Ponzi scheme. With OmegaPro suspected of being a multi-billion dollar Ponzi and its owners in hiding pending arrest, it’s unlikely they have anything to do with OmegaPro.IN.
This is opportunistic scammers at work, hoping to make a quick buck.
As with all MLM Ponzi schemes, once affiliate recruitment dries up so too will new investment.