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A few days ago, whilst speaking to Boston radio station Vem Viva, Acre Public Prosecutor Alessandra Marques dropped the bombshell that her office had been in contact with US regulators. Marques also revealed that a US investigation was underway involving the IRS.

TelexFree’s official response?

“Lolwut? Nobody told us about an investigation…’

Addressing concerned TelexFree affiliate investors who had been “contacting him since Saturday”, International Marketing Director Steve Labriola got straight to denying a TelexFree US regulatory investigation exists.

[1:50] There is no investigation started or presented to TelexFree in any shape or form.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t one coming eventually, who knows.

[2:30] As of right now there is nothing going on.

The alleged lack of contact by US regulators appears to form the basis of Labriola’s denial. Labriola continued on, laying out how he “suspect” US regulatory investigations take occur:

[2:50] There has been no initiation of an investigation. I would suspect that when an investigation starts on any company, they start the process and come to the company and say “we’ve started this process, this is what we’re doing”.

We haven’t heard of anything, so…

Much of the 32 minute call is dedicated to pushing “My Financial Advantage” onto TelexFree’s affiliates. My Financial Advantage is a third-party “financial solutions” platform, offering credit restoration, debt elimination and “financial advice on demand”.

Apparently TelexFree affiliates will be able to market My Financial Advantage through TelexFree, picking up a commission on any fees paid.

That’s not how the company’s affiliates make their money though, neither I imagine is it what the vast majority of affiliates on the call signed up for.

Given the heavy pushing of non-existent customers and “we are not an investment scheme” rhetoric, it was somewhat amusing to observe the following slide pop up as Labriola spoke:

addassure-lite-Ponzi-slide-labriola-january-14th-affiliate-call-telexfree

TelexFree’s latest affiliate call was first uploaded to YouTube by “AdAssure Lite” and what you’re looking at above, is the reason TelexFree affiliates are pumping thousands of dollars from all over the globe into the scheme.

In blue you have TelexFree’s “package cost”, or what it costs to invest. Then in red you have TelexFree’s guaranteed ROI over 52 weeks. As you can see, the more invested the higher the 52 week ROI.

In orange is where AdAssure Lite come in, for a fee they’ll automate the spam requirement TelexFree require their affiliates to participate in. No spam, no weekly ROI.

The final figures on the right of the chart are the “guaranteed” annual ROIs sans AdAssure Lite’s spam fees and TelexFree’s annual “end of contract” fee.

The AdAssure Lite website domain (“adassurelite.com”) is registered to a Garry Harrison using a Utah based address.

On their website, AdAssure Lite advise

When you purchase our services—we will Guarantee your TelexFREE earnings.

If our job is not done properly, and causes you to lose your TelexFREE earnings, liferevs llc will pay you the full amount. (This doesn’t apply if TelexFREE has issues that prohibit us from doing our job).

No other ad posting service can match our Revenue Guarantee!

Let me now contrast the core of TelexFree’s business model in the screenshot above, with how Steve Labriola ended the January 14th call:

[26:00] When you’re reading the blogger’s that are claiming investigations, disregard it. If there’s something going on we’ll let you know.

But to make sure that the bloggers understand that we’re doing the right stuff, always be building your business with belief, don’t try to hurt people, don’t look for investments, don’t try to tell them that they’re going to get into the business and get something for nothing. It’s a business and it will take work.

[29:40] We are not an investment company and I don’t want anyone to perceive us as an investment company.

Evidently Gary Harrison and TelexFree’s business model didn’t get that memo.

Since speaking to Vem Viva, Alessandra Marques hasn’t made any further public comment on US regulatory investigations into TelexFree. Meanwhile the lack of communication on the US side (which is typical of US regulators until their investigations are concluded), will no doubt fuel denial amongst TelexFree investors.

The fact remains however, that if anyone was in a position to confirm a US investigation, short of US regulators themselves (which will not happen), it’d be the Acre Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Acre’s PP Office were investigating TelexFree for money laundering (amongst other things). With funds obviously being transferred between TelexFree’s US and Brazilian operations, then funnelled who knows where else around the world, it makes sense that Brazil and US regulators would be in contact.

Labriola briefly touches on TelexFree’s ongoing banking problems in the call, advising affiliates that TelexFree “has some countries that (they’ve) got banks opened up in”.

Labriola does not state which banks TelexFree are using, nor does he name the countries said banks are located in.

Stay tuned…

 

Footnote: Typically when I cover an affiliate call of a company I embed the call at the bottom of the article. In this instance I do not wish to promote AdAssureLite and as such there’s no embedded call.

Readers can still listen to the call by either Google searching it or manually typing in the URL provided in the Ponzi slide screen capture above.