Tiago Fontoura arrested in Tunisia?
Following the collapse of the GetEasy Ponzi scheme, insider Tiago Fontoura went on to launch the reload scheme Go2Up.
Go2Up’s business model continued where GetEasy left off, seeing affiliates invest up to €3000 on the promise of ROIs paid out subsequently invested funds.
As with most reload schemes, Go2Up failed to grow as large as its predecessor.
Some six months after its launch however the scheme persisted, with Founder Tiago Fontoura recently touching down in Tunisia to spruik the scheme.
If reports out of Tunisia are to be believed, upon landing in Tunisia Fontoura was arrested on criminal charges.
When exactly Fontoura was arrested is unclear, with affiliates first noticing something was up when the Go2Up website was abruptly parked on a maintenance page on or around June 23rd. Go2Up backoffice access was also reportedly shut down the same day.
A few days later, multiple Go2Up affiliate Facebook pages were reporting that Fontoura had been arrested by Tunisian authorities:
Further research reveals that in early June, an announcement of a Go2Up office opening up in Tunisia by the end of the month was made. Presumably this is why Fontoura was in Tunisia.
Putting to together what has happened since Fontoura’s arrest in late June is sketchy, with only a handful of Arabic-language news sources having published anything on it.
On the 2nd of July the website Tunisien reported that Fontoura had been charged with defrauding some 40,000 Tunisians through GetEasy.
According to the report, Fontoura was arrested at the hotel he was staying at. Money laundering is a part of the case, with charges filed last Thursday. A billion dollar figure in losses is quoted, but I’m not sure what currency that is in.
Tunisia’s official currency is the Tunisian Dinar, with 1 billion TND equal to $508 million USD. If the Tunisian Dinar is indeed the currency being cited by Tunisien, then holy crap!
The same day the website Assabah reported another arrest, with a blurred out photo of a GetEasy “general manager”.
I might be wrong, but I believe that’s Go2Up’s Edgar Fontoura:
The report claims Fontoura has dual Brazilian-Portuguese nationality, and again charges of fraud and money laundering are mentioned.
Citing the number of Tunisian victims of GetEasy, Assabah conclude:
(It) is expected to see major developments in the case due to its size and the large number of affected (victims).
Nordouest News also carried the story on the 2nd of July, citing a photo of Tiago Fontoura in their report.
A followup article by Assabah on July 3rd mentions ongoing investigations into alleged money laundering and fraud by three additional suspects. Assabah reports they are also up for “use of a banking business without a license”.
Apparently investigations in Tunisia began on June 11th, with authorities seizing the moment when Fontoura entered Tunisia later in the month.
That’s where we’re currently at, with Fontoura and whoever else might have been arrested since remaining in custody.
Following Fontoura’s arrest, the official Go2Up Tunisia Facebook group was shut down. At the time of publication, the Go2Up website remains parked on a maintenance page, with those running presumably unsure of what to do following Fontoura’s arrest.
For those curious, Tunisia apparently use a mixture of French civil law with certain aspects of Islamic law blended in. Typically Islamic law takes precedence over civil law when there’s an overlap.
Tracking this case is going to be difficult due to the lack of English coverage, but we’ll try to keep on top of it. Stay tuned…
“He who cheats us is not one of us.” — Prophet Mohammed
He really thinks he can just waltz into the country to push his latest scam, eh? Authorities use the Internet too, and scam victims have long memories.
I vote for him to be judged by the Islamic Law !!! 3:o)
guys like tiago fontoura and sann rodriques [telexfree] come across as slow minded dunces.
they cannot keep their activities hidden, technology knows where they are, and what they’re up to, and what they ate for breakfast.
still, they gallop in and out of countries raiding the public, like ancient horsemen or something.
then they get arrested like idiots. it’s just funny.
They’re always 2nd tier scammers… They do it because it feeds their ego, not because they’re smart to make money. They are not smart enough to realize they’re just the bush beaters, the dogs that runs into the bushes to scare up the pheasants for the hunters to shoot.
The real money is made by people in the background, whom these guys are feeding. They’re remora getting the scraps, and they think they’re in the big leagues.
The real masterminds have escape plans mapped out and stays in the background and is rarely liable or caught. “Roman Novak” of Profitable Sunrise was never found.
And justice is DONE! At least so far. As you can say “Islamic law blended in” I nearly can imagine “this guys are really F*****, gone, arrested!”
They are doing their things like idiots since they started in that infamous Get(your money)easy.
They are simply in the wrong country do continue doing the pyramid forever. Possibly Europol, Haiti Police, French Police, Canada Authorities, England Authorities and Portuguese Policia judiciaria, could join their “never ending investigations” and do a serious work here. An example for others…….
I Hope Islamic Law sentences MLM Scammers to Death Penalty!
reply from the Brazilian embassy in Tunisia
in portuguese:
I wonder if Portugal are as diligent with assisting Ponzi perpertators as they are investigating them.
If so, Fontoura’s f-ed.
Most likely he will not get any help. There are those on top who may wish for him to be the scapegoat as they run away with the money.
Would be really great if everyone involved would start giving all the other names on top. Because there are plenty of people out there with all their money. Even killing Fontoura will not bring anyone´s money back.
Indeed. If there is a criminal action running atm in Tunisia. The only support Tiago will have is “embassy services” and possibly a laywer (when requester don’t have money to affoard a laywer “yeah thats is a joke”).
result. If yes, he’s pretty f-ed.
how can i get my money from them?
WTF!!! no money honey. 1 year latter? lol I wonder when you people WAKE UP and smell the coffee.
news july 2016