EXW’s Ben Herzog arrested on PrivaFund charges
EXW Ponzi founder Benjamin Herzog was sentenced to five years in prison in October 2024.
Counting time served, Herzog only spent a few months in prison. In April 2025 Herzog was released under monitoring supervision.
Under this arrangement Herzog was able to work again, and reportedly had been at a warehouse up until a few weeks ago.
Earlier this month Herzog was arrested and presented before Klagenfurt Court.
Public Prosecutors allege that Herzog and several unnamed accomplices were behind the collapsed PrivaFund Ponzi scheme.
Through EXW, Herzog defrauded ~40,000 investors out of 25 million euros. Through PrivaFund, Herzog now stands accused of defrauding ~7500 investors out of 12 million euros.
PrivaFund was an MLM crypto Ponzi launched in 2021. The scam was a typical “trading ruse” Ponzi.
Instead of fronting PrivaFund himself, Herzog hid behind an actor playing fictional CEO Stephen H. Rowe.
News of the Austrian investigation into PrivaFund broke in November 2023. Herzog’s attorney has already filed an appeal against his PrivaFund criminal case.
Thus far, the only judicial update we have is the Graz Higher Regional Court ruling the PrivaFund case will not take place in Klagenfurt.
Separately, on September 18th, Kleine Zeitung reported Herzog’s supervised release was revoked for suspected recovery scamming.
The prison’s reasons for revoking his electronically monitored house arrest fit the image of the man he presented during the fraud trial: The Carinthian had set up his own website and offered his knowledge of cryptocurrencies, ostensibly to help victims of fraud. He also gave an interview to a magazine.
Pending further updates on proceedings, stay tuned.
The following individuals were mentioned and shown on Instagram on March 2, 2021.
postimg.cc/R3G2YJ7q
instagram.com/p/CL7LuHjjVSn/
The Instagram account privafund.io, with 58 posts and 3,552 followers, only existed from January 10, 2021, to July 5, 2021.
postimg.cc/nswsvfRt
instagram.com/privafund.io/
Stephen H. Rowe auf LinkedIn.
postimg.cc/SXDwx9bG
linkedin.com/in/stephen-h-rowe-2a87a7203/
Maurice Malherbe from Zurich (Switzerland) on LinkedIn.
postimg.cc/xJdqXLkw
linkedin.com/in/maurice-malherbe/
Martin Laur from Tallinn (Estonia) on LinkedIn.
postimg.cc/7Gm4Tcv9
linkedin.com/in/martin-laur/
Google cannot find any lawyers with the names mentioned on Instagram. Apparently, they never existed.
On July 14, 2021, this video of alleged PrivaFund CEO Stephen H. Rowe was published on a German YouTube channel with 51,000 subscribers, but was not listed.
postimg.cc/fksnwM96
youtube.com/watch?v=rcr-OsCvilc
The operator of this channel, Stefan Olschewski from Hamburg, pointed out in his latest video yesterday that he has received three warnings from YouTube and may not be able to continue his channel.
youtube.com/watch?v=PCQqV9pGk48
A German video dated October 5, 2021 on another YT channel confirmed that PrivaFund investors had been massively deceived. Stephen H. Rowe also claimed to have been deceived by Benjamin Herzog.
youtu.be/rJIBb5XvSTQ?t=415
Does anyone by any chance know anything about the other co-founder of exw, Mr. Manuel Batista, because according to the latest reports he was a fugitive, or has he been acquitted or is in custody?
Manuel Batista was still a fugitive hiding in Dubai as of October 2024. I haven’t seen any further updates.
Manuel Batista is by far and large out in Dubai. He has been seen at Nikki Beach last Sunday as it is a location very much visited by his clique.
He is planning a scam recovery through this new Pinocchio scam that can be seen available on OKX. He is very much seen around his ex wife Daria Salomatova and Fabio Fiocco with support from other people from his old circle of friends and trustees.
This week he was seen again at Nikki beach in company of his ally and left wing Fabio Fiocco. The latter was seen in various times in the company of famous shady trader @nabil_trader_realfx.
It’s not farfetched the idea to believe that nabil gave funds to Batista in order for him to remove his multiple local arrest warrants to be able to move freely around the UAE.
Yesterday, the trio composed by Fiocco, Batista and Batista’s ex wife & girlfriend Daria Salomatova have been spotted at Verde Beach for the entire day.
According to various sources Manuel Batista is still under arrest warrants for various cases locally in the UAE. He is still roaming around thanks to his accomplices – Fiocco and Salomatova.
Also, he is active on Instagram under the pseudonym batmancrypto777.
Strangely, he comments on his “accomplice’s” page Pinocchio – another scam that the gang operated to help them source their debts, payments and unlawful legal fees.
There are sources that show Manuel Batista with influencer Khaby Lame in Dubai, with whom Batista posed as a manager and used Khaby as a brand in various shops and restaurants in Dubai to promote products and services.
It’s possible that influencer Khaby Lame, the world’s first TikTok user, was helping Batista recover debts, payments, and legal fees.
Manuel Batista was Khaby Lame’s manager but they ended terms when Lame saw that Batista was misusing his finances. Presently they are no longer linked. He is mainly linked to Fabio Fiocco and Daria Salomatova.
Both have been the only people as well as his legal rep Rashid/Rashed, who know his whereabouts despite multiple local cases and warrants opened against him.
The former has been also linked to a shady trader names Nabil in the UAE, from whom Fiocco and Batista have had financial help/support from.
The decision to split was forced because there were many sources that portrayed Khaby with Batista, who was also a fake manager and with whom Khaby, having a popularity, could no longer be with Batista who was then a fugitive.
And even today I don’t know what position Khaby would also be in for having helped a fugitive.
In most countries he could be charged with aiding and abetting. If Khaby is in UAE, then probably nothing as Batista is walking around free as a bird.
The thing is this. Batista has several cases opened against him in Dubai. He has been seen not in Deira or hiding around but spending all god-forsaken money gotten unlawfully in high prolific places like Verde Beach, Nikki Beach, One and Only Royal Mirage, High Society at the Lana, 3fils.
Added to this, he is always around with his new left winger – Fabio Fiocco ( who was also linked to Khaby in the past. Moreover, the one wife but ever there partner Daria Salomatova has been always around Batista ever since he has been seen out again.
It is unimaginable that with the high record profile of Batista, with the known friends and partner, he wouldn’t be caught by local police as yet.
Pretending law and order* exists in the crime capital of the world is pretty silly.
*trying to get your passport back from an employer, walking down the street with a beer, holding hands or kissing someone = straight to jail for 69420 years.
To get an Economic zone visa with (almost) no questions asked is about 100k per year. Same thing the GSB fuckwits are using.
100k is peanuts for these people. Batista spent millions to keep him safe and out of prison in the last few years.
Helping Batista outside of Dubai there is also Dirk Wemhoener. Also, the amount of profiles Batista created on social media is unbelievable. @profofcrypto3, @batman7771989, @batmancrypto777, @batman777889.
One can see the list of people who has been aiding him to hide ( fabio fiocco, daria salomatova, andre zeigert, dirk wemhoener, k2, franz erlacher, nabil trader real fx) avoid the bars and at the same time benefiting from the illecit money scammed from EXW and beyond.
I wonder with Benjamin Herzog back in Dubai, what would be the result of them both again in Dubai.
Khaby is always traveling around the world doing promotions and advertising companies and many other things.
As for the question of having aided Batista’s fugitive status in the sense of helping him by monetizing in Dubai and in various places in the world, it can attract an accurate view to those who investigate, being a famous character to then get to the crafty Mr. Batista.
I disagree on the above. Khaby and Batista are no longer on good terms. The only support Batista had was from the likes of the above and from what he kept hidden and aside from the EXW scam while BH and PT were having their trial in Austria. In the meantime he was still working with Fiocco, Zeigert And the rest mentioned in previous posts. Batista tried to get more funds from Khaby but all was in vain.
Khaby and Batista were, and that doesn’t mean that now that they’re no longer on good terms, it can justify aiding and abetting.
If there really was aiding and abetting, it won’t be easy for Khaby to get away with it. Khaby is a global figure and he’s not like the other people you mentioned.
Khaby is on top of the world on TikTok. Having done something like that isn’t a good thing, and if it’s proven, Batista’s escape could also be over.
I’m sorry to disappoint you Josef but if you speak like this then you fell exactly in Manuel Batista’s trap.
It’s not with what shouts the most that you will be having any answers, it’s what happens behind that apartment that only Fabio Fiocco, Manuel Batista, Andre Zeigert, Dirk and Daria Salomatovs have access to that everything is build.
And i’m pretty sure, you might have lost some because of Batista and Khaby, from how you are talking. Me, on the other hand, I know how narcissists and manipulators like Batista manoeuvre.
Batista has already lost a wingman with the likes of Mohannad Azrak after he got questioned last May to reveal to local authorities the hiding place of Batista.
Similarly, Salomatova was questioned after she was photographed helping Batista move apartments upon a hint from local authorities that a search was going to be done in the area where Batista has been hiding.
On the contrary of Azrak, Salomatova is still moving around with Batista, the only thing that is stopping the authorities is not knowing Batista’s location, they already know it.
They are waiting… Of course, Batista knows he cannot allow himself anyone else to be taken in by police as it would mean his downfall, however I assure you, that after all this work, police won’t be taking in just Batista – it will be all those who have been secretly helping him live and act in the shadows.
Andrea, maybe I didn’t explain myself well. You’re absolutely right and I think the same way you do.
You’ve certainly misunderstood me, but what I also want to say is that in addition to all these people Batista has had, that you also mentioned, there’s also Khaby because he knew, in addition to his brother who was engaged to Batista’s stepsister, that they had to help Batista for some money that he had to pay back to some people he had defrauded, otherwise he risked looking bad.
Look at the extent these manipulators work – Manuel Batista is in prison in Dubai and Fabio Fiocco takes ownership of Batista’s accounts in his absence including the instagram pages @batmancrypto777 and @profofcrypto.
All done to hide the truth from the people they have been manipulating all along.
Currently, there is no news or confirmation that Manuel Batista has been arrested in Dubai. According to report, Manuel Batista, co-founder of the EXW cryptocurrency wallet, is a fugitive (in hiding).
His two co-founders, Benjamin Herzog and Pirmin Troger, pleaded guilty to fraud in Austria and were each sentenced to five years in prison.
Therefore, available information indicates that he is still wanted by authorities, but there is no public news that he has been located and arrested, particularly in Dubai.
Josef, from very reliable sources I am telling you that he was arrested on the night between the 1st and 2nd of December. And this is 100% correct.
The other 2 co-founders pleaded guilty, that doesn’t mean he was not sentenced. Austria had 0 support from the UAE and Dubai on the matter.
However, if Austria acts now, this could definitely be a significant milestone in the EXW case.
Andrea, of course, Manuel Batista was convicted. I didn’t say otherwise. In fact, I said he was a fugitive, so I assumed, and it was understood, that he and the others had already been convicted by the court.
I just told you that I hadn’t yet seen any sources that he had been arrested. So, if you say the sources are 100% accurate, then at least the Dubai justice system will know how to act on the people who facilitated his escape, with the collaboration of Austria. Hopefully, he will also be extradited.
Yes, exactly Josef. This is 100% true. He was not released on bail despite various tries from his gang as he has multiple cases in Dubai (not only Austria). It’s now a matter of government communication where Batista will eventually serve his sentences.
Usually in the UAE they prefer to have their cases finalised before sending anyone to any third party but you never know.
What is known is that, for sure the UAE, after trying to catch Batista for years, they won’t be duped by a mere bail coming from other unlawful activities.
The multiple instagram accounts Batista had created along the years to try and hide his identity is exhaustive, but then if someone really observes closely, they all have the same group of people following or followed. – adding to the list @negroniplease7; @profofcrypto3; @batmancrypto777 and the list goes on and on.
So it’s just a matter of time that the likes of Fabio Fiocco, Daria Salomatova, Andre Zeigert, Dirk Wemhoener, Mohannad Azraq, Rashed will be questioned of all that has been happening.
What is certain, that similarly to what has been said during the EXW trial, even Batista was obsessed with the idea of getting himself rich out of unlawful activity, to bluff, to show off and to try and attract the people who are just fooled by the idea of easy luxury.
Well, finally, someone will have some time to reflect and think. And that, somehow, karma will always find its way, sooner or later. So now, all it’s left is to chill (as a dear old friend always used to tell me).
And Josef, you wanted the proof, let me then now tell you, I am the proof.
And should you or anyone else require proof I invite you to check with Dubai Prosecution so you may hear what you are asking from legal authorities.
Let’s continue adding to the list of all the accounts created by Batista to hide his identity and activity online.
@batman7771989
There are surely more accounts around. He has been getting funds and resources to pay his debts and “problems” through Fiocco’s activity revolving around the black selling of high end luxury watches especially to shady crypto people who would place payment either in cash or via Crypto Transfer.
Also, he would use the wide network of shady people around to impersonate a high end luxury concierge through the selling of services – luxury transfers, flights, services, lab-grown diamonds, all linked to Dubai with phone numbers based in UK, Thailand, India, Italy etc….
Added to this there are links to company Voltyra and another of his links – Franz Erlacher and the founding manager Steffan (from whom he used to also get heavy financial assistance.
At this stage – no amount of money, criminality or scam will allow Batista to get out. Journalists, Police, Public Prosecutions, Governments are already on it to secure this.
You forgot to put in the list of those who should be interrogated, certainly also Mr. Khaby Lame (the influencer and first in the world on Tik Tok) where he would have helped Manuel Batista a lot when he was a fugitive
Yes sure, definitely. At this point, let’s leave it in the hands of both Public Prosecutions – UAE and Austria.
i’m sure there is enough evidence from both ends to finally put an end to all this chaos that people like Batista deliberately and consciously created, as I’m pretty sure Batista used his manipulative skills to sell his story to different people, while at the same time cheat in all senses behind their backs bearing in mind only 1 objective – his own benefit and making sure he still has the trust of everyone around him while cheating as he deems fit, most probably even his own family.
And talking about evidence – Batista’s lawyer Rashid and friend Fabio Fiocco have already tempered with the evidence incriminating Batista and Fiocco of also added illecit activity that they have been doing, besides of course all the numbers, contacts and history stored in Batista’s phones linking back to all people from EXW, all documents, all transactions, all passwords and access, all history and this is as well recorded and will be used against all of Batista’s cases.
Tempering with evidence constitutes a criminal obstruction to the law and can lead to more severe sentences than the actual case itself.
The only barrier between UAE and Austria prosecution is that UAE will never release a detainee until all cases are done and sentences completed.
The prosecutors will now be able to do their job. Once they’ve examined cell phones, computers, and money transactions, they’ll also see the surprises that Mr. Khaby Lame was also a Batista collaborator, allegedly engaging in illicit activities.
Khaby was the one who made money and then invested it in the new crypto platforms Batista created while he was a fugitive. They’ll all be questioned because each of them has a role in aiding and abetting.
Another person linked to Batista is Theo Strattman.
Updated list:
Manuel Batista
Fabio Fiocco (pinocchio – pinocchio3universe – scam)
Daria Salomatova ( exwife – divorced in july 2023 just before the case started to avoid freezing of assets and still be able to receive funding from Batista- current girlfriend & including all her russian friends and escorts that were always around the gang )
Khaby Lame
Mohannad Azrak
Andre Zeigert
Franz Erlacher (blackfort – voltyra)
Dirk Wemhoener (lawyer)
Theo Strattman
Rashid/Rashed (lawyer – corrupted )
kleinezeitung.at/kaernten/klagenfurt/20406972/gefluechteter-mutmasslicher-millionenbetrueger-in-dubai-festgenommen#
And the crimes keep adding up.
As previously reported Batista’s allies had all access to his accounts on the various social media platforms – including whatsapp, botim, instagram, twitter etc…
Despite Batista’s detention on the 2nd December, with the confiscation of his phones, his circle ( Fiocco, Salomatova, Zeigert, Rashid and family links) gained access to all his platforms, tampered with evidence, were active on various platforms and had the opportunity to tamper with all the incriminating evidence in Batista’s accounts.
Now, the latest, until last week Batista’s whatsapp number was showing as last accessed on the 3rd December, whereas, now since this morning the last access moved backwards to the 2nd December.
You tell me, who would try to rewind the last access backward to the 2nd December if not because they know they are really afraid that some truth will be out?! Rewinding the system to the 2nd December now again?!
Let them keep on tampering, they think they are solving and instead they are just making all more incriminating to them. They are unaware that authorities already had proof of all the last access from the moment Batista got detained.