Auratus Review: Fake gold investment fraud
Auratus fails to provide ownership or executive information on its website.
Auratus’ website domain (“auratus.gold”), was privately registered on November 29th, 2023.
Auratus came about following the collapse of the GSPartners fraudulent investment scheme.
GSPartners was an MLM crypto Ponzi scheme run through GSB Gold Standard Corporation. Both companies are owned by German national Josip Heit (right).
GSPartners offered investors, primarily in the US and Canada, weekly passive returns through “metacertificates“.
Regulators in Canada began cracking down on GSParners and Josip Heit in early 2023.
- Quebec’s Autorite des Marches Financiers cited GSPartners and fifty-two associated websites in a March 9th, 2023 securities fraud warning
- the Alberta Securities Commission added GSPartners’ GSTrade platform and G999 Ponzi coin to its Investment Caution List on March 15th, 2023
- the Alberta Securities Commission added GSPartners to its Investment Caution List on May 19th, 2023
- the British Columbia Securities Commission issued a GSPartners securities fraud warning on May 30th, 2023
- Saskatchewan’s Financial and Consumers Affairs Authority issued a GSPartners investor alert on June 1st, 2023
- the Ontario Securities Commission issued a GSPartners and Swiss Valorem Bank securities fraud warning on July 25th, 2023
In response to the initial Canadian regulatory fraud warnings, GSPartners attempted to rebrand as Swiss Valorem Bank in May 2023.
Swiss Valorem Bank flopped and was quickly abandoned. GSPartners continued to defraud consumers under its original name.
By October 2023 the strain of regulatory fraud investigations into GSPartners began to emerge. On October 3rd, 2023 GSPartners disabled weekly ROI payments.
In November 2023, news broke of multiple US regulatory fraud investigations into GSPartners and Heit.
- BehindMLM confirmed ongoing CFTC and SEC investigations into GSPartners and Heit on November 2nd, 2023
- the Texas State Securities Board issued a GSPartners and Josip Heit securities fraud cease and desist on November 16th, 2023
- Washington’s Department of Financial Institutions issued a GSPartners and Josip Heit fraud warning on November 16th, 2023
- the Alabama Securities Commission issued a GSPartners securities fraud cease and desist on November 16th, 2023
- California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation issued a GSPartners securities fraud desist and refrain order on November 16th, 2023
- Kentucky’s Department of Financial Institutions sued GSPartners and Josip Heit for securities fraud on November 16th, 2023
- Wisconsin’s Department of Financial Institutions issued a GSPartners “global fraud scheme” warning on November 16th, 2023
- New Hampshire issued a GSPartners “fraud and deception” cease and desist order on November 16th, 2023
- the Arizona Corporation Commission issued a GSPartners and Josip Heit securities fraud cease and desist order on November 16th, 2023
- Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation issued a GSPartners and Josip Heit “unlawful activities” cease and desist order on November 17th, 2023
- the Arkansas Securities Department issued a GSPartners securities fraud cease and desist order on November 22nd, 2023
- Mississippi’s Secretary of State issued a GSPartners securities fraud cease and desist order on December 6th, 2023
- Georgia’s Commissioner of Securities fined GSPartners and Josip Heit $500,000 for securities fraud violations on January 22nd, 2024
- Massachusetts’ Attorney General’s Office issued a GSPartners “crypto scam” warning in early March 2024
Outside of the US
- the Australian Securities and Investments Commission issued a GSPartners securities fraud warning on November 15th, 2023
- South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority issued a GSPartners securities fraud warning on November 22nd, 2023
- New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority issued a GSPartners securities fraud warning on February 7th, 2024
- the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority issued GSPartners related securities fraud warnings on March 21st, 2024
Amidst the avalanche of regulatory fraud warnings, fines and cease and desist notices, GSPartners collapsed on December 16th, 2023.
Heit attempted to continue to run GSPartners and GSPro, however that was short lived and didn’t go anywhere.
US and Canadian GSPartners investor accounts were terminated on December 20th, 2023 and February 12th, 2024 respectively.
In March 2024 Billionico emerged as a potential backdoor reboot for US and Canadian GSPartners investors.
The Texas State Securities Board issued a Billionico securities fraud warning on April 22nd, 2024. Billionico is believed to have been quietly abandoned shortly after.
Auratus emerged in or around mid April 2024. New shell companies associated with Auratus’ launch include:
- Helvetic Digital Finance AG (Switzerland)
- TAS Helvetic Gold Trading LLC (Dubai)
- DX and One Trust LTD (Bulgaria)
- MTX Finance LLC (Montana, US) and
- Link Genius Portal LLC (Dubai)
Auratus and representative Terry Lee were named in TSSB’s Billionico securities fraud order;
On April 19, 2024, Billionico Academy began offering investments in a digital gold vault issued by Respondent Auratus, represented by Terry Lee, that purportedly secures physical gold and generates passive income using fintech and blockchain technology.
The investments in the digital gold vault are being illegally, deceptively and fraudulently offered in Texas and the Securities Commissioner is entering this Emergency Cease and Desist Order to stop the scheme and protect the public from immediate and irreparable harm.
Both Billionico and Auratus have since blocked Texas residents from visiting their website:
Additionally, Auratus states on its website;
Auratus.gold affiliates (including those of commercial nature) are NOT AUTHORIZED and are prohibited by Auratus.gold To claim that Auratus.gold is recommended by any financial regulator body is strictly forbidden.
This website, and any products within, are not intended to be accessed by USA or Canadian based persons.
On its website Auratus provides a “legal imprint” section. This is a legal requirement in German-speaking countries.
Although he’s based out of Dubai, through known and unknown shell companies Josip Heit is believed to be behind Auratus.
Auratus is currently being promoted in secret by mostly Australian and New Zealand former GSPartners investors.
Auratus is not registered to offer securities in Australia or New Zealand.
Since GSPartners’ collapse last year, Heit has not made any public appearances. Heit’s known travel has been restricted to countries and jurisdictions that do not have extradition treaties with the US (Dubai, the Maldives and international waters).
Due to the proliferation of scams, sheltering of wanted fugitives and failure to enforce securities fraud regulation, BehindMLM ranks Dubai as the MLM crime capital of the world.
BehindMLM’s guidelines for Dubai are:
- If someone lives in Dubai and approaches you about an MLM opportunity, they’re trying to scam you.
- If an MLM company is based out of or represents it has ties to Dubai, it’s a scam.
If you want to know specifically how this applies to Auratus, read on for a full review.
Auratus’ Products
Auratus has no retailable products or services.
Affiliates are only able to market Auratus affiliate membership itself.
Auratus’ Compensation Plan
Auratus refers to its passive returns investment scheme as “TAS Vault”.
Auratus affiliates invest €150, €500, €2500, €7500 and €10,000 euro equivalents in cryptocurrency into TAS Vault.
This is done on the promise of seventy-five periodic passive ROI payments, referred to as a “vault cycles”.
Auratus pays its “vault cycle” returns in TAS Gold, an internal token for which no technical details have been made public.
The MLM side of Auratus pays on recruitment of affiliate investors.
Referral Commissions
Auratus affiliates receive a 15% referral commission on investment by personally recruited affiliates.
Referral Commission Bonus
If an Auratus affiliate recruits four affiliates who each invest €500 EUR or more, they qualify for a 5% referral commission bonus for the next 28 days.
Residual Commissions
Auratus pays referral commissions via a unilevel compensation structure.
A unilevel compensation structure places an affiliate at the top of a unilevel team, with every personally recruited affiliate placed directly under them (level 1):
If any level 1 affiliates recruit new affiliates, they are placed on level 2 of the original affiliate’s unilevel team.
If any level 2 affiliates recruit new affiliates, they are placed on level 3 and so on and so forth down a theoretical infinite number of levels.
Auratus caps payable unilevel team levels at nine. Referral commissions are paid as a percentage of invested cryptocurrency across these nine levels as follows:
- level 1 (personally recruited affiliates) – 15% (paid as a referral commission)
- level 2 – 5%
- levels 3 to 8 – 4%
- level 9 – 3%
Bonus Pools
Auratus offers affiliates participation in two bonus pools, each made up of 10% of company-wide invested cryptocurrency.
Top Performers Pool
There are ten affiliate ranks within Auratus’ Top Performers Pool:
- 1 Star – generate one €500 EUR or more investment across your first three unilevel team levels and generate €30,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- 2 Stars – generate two €500 EUR or more investments across your first three unilevel team levels and generate €60,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- 3 Stars – generate three €500 EUR or more investments across your first three unilevel team levels and generate €120,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- 4 Stars – generate four €500 EUR or more investments across your first three unilevel team levels and generate €250,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- 5 Stars – generate five €500 EUR or more investments across your first three unilevel team levels and generate €500,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- 6 Stars – generate six €500 EUR or more investments across your first three unilevel team levels and generate €1,000,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- 7 Stars – generate seven €500 EUR or more investments across your first three unilevel team levels and generate €3,000,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- 8 Stars – generate eight €500 EUR or more investments across your first three unilevel team levels and generate €6,000,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- 9 Stars – generate nine €500 EUR or more investments across your first three unilevel team levels and generate €12,000,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- 10 Stars – generate eleven €500 EUR or more investments across your first three unilevel team levels and generate €24,000,000 EUR in downline investment volume
If qualified for, the Top Performers Pool is split into ten smaller pools and paid out as follows:
- 1 Stars receive a share in 20% of the Top Performers Pool
- 2 Stars receive a share in 15% of the Top Performers Pool and the 1 Star pool
- 3 Stars receive a share in 10% of the Top Performers Pool and the 1 Star and 2 Star pools
- 4 Stars receive a share in 10% of the Top Performers Pool and the 1 Star, 2 Star and 3 Star pools
- 5 Stars receive a share in 10% of the Top Performers Pool and the 2 Star, 3 Star and 4 Star pools
- 6 Stars receive a share in 10% of the Top Performers Pool and the 3 Star, 4 Star and 5 Star pools
- 7 Stars receive a share in 10% of the Top Performers Pool and the 4 Star, 5 Star and 6 Star pools
- 8 Stars receive a share in 5% of the Top Performers Pool and the 5 Star, 6 Star and 7 Star pools
- 9 Stars receive a share in 5% of the Top Performers Pool and the 6 Star, 7 Star and 8 Star pools
- 10 Stars receive a share in 5% of the Top Performers Pool and 7 Star, 8 Star and 9 Star pools
Top Leaders Pool
There are eleven affiliate ranks within Auratus’ Top Leaders Pool
- Blue Opal – recruit two affiliates and generate €30,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- Red Opal – maintain two personally recruited affiliates and generate €60,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- Green Sapphire – recruit four affiliates and generate €120,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- White Sapphire – maintain four personally recruited affiliates and generate €250,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- Blue Ruby – recruit six affiliates and generate €500,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- Red Ruby – maintain six personally recruited affiliates and generate €1,000,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- Green Emerald – recruit eight affiliates and generate €3,000,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- White Emerald – maintain eight personally recruited affiliates and generate €6,000,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- Blue Diamond – recruit ten affiliates and generate €12,000,000 EUR in downline investment volume
- White Diamond – maintain ten personally recruited affiliates and generate €24,000,000 in downline investment volume
- Crown Jewel – generate three White Diamond or higher ranked affiliates in three recruitment legs
If qualified for, the Top Leaders Pool is split into eleven smaller pools and paid out as follows:
- Blue Opals receive a share in 20% of the Top Leaders Pool
- Red Opals receive a share in 15% of the Top Leaders Pool and the Blue Opal pool
- Green Sapphires receive a share in 10% of the Top Leaders Pool and the Red Opal and Blue Opal pools
- White Sapphires receive a share in 10% of the Top Leaders Pool and the Green Sapphire, Red Opal and Blue Opal pools
- Blue Rubys receive a share in 10% of the Top Leaders Pool and the White Sapphire, Green Sapphire and Red Opal pools
- Red Rubys receive a share in 10% of the Top Leaders Pool and the Blue Ruby, White Sapphire and Green Sapphire pools
- Green Emeralds receive a share in 10% of the Top Leaders Pool and the Red Ruby, Blue Ruby and White Sapphire pools
- White Emeralds receive a share in 5% of the Top Leaders Pool and the Green Emerald, Red Ruby and Blue Ruby pools
- Blue Diamonds receive a share in 5% of the Top Leaders Pool and the White Emerald, Green Emerald and Red Ruby pools
- White Diamonds receive a share in 5% of the Top Leaders Pool and the Blue Diamond, White Emerald and Green Emerald pools
- Crown Jewels receive a share in 1% of the Top Leaders Pool and the White Diamond, Blue Diamond and White Emerald pools
It should be noted that Auratus’ Top Leaders Pool ranks adds up to a 101% payout of the 10% company-wide investment funding the Top Leaders Pool.
This mathematical discrepancy is not explained.
Joining Auratus
Auratus affiliate membership costs are not disclosed on its website.
Full participation in the attached income opportunity requires a minimum €150 EUR investment in cryptocurrency.
Auratus Conclusion
The TSSB including Auratus in its Billionico securities fraud cease and desist sums up Auratus with respect to regulatory compliance.
Simply put, Auratus is illegally soliciting investment from consumers on the promise of a passive return, funded by subsequent investment.
Auratus’ marketing ruse sees it represent TAS Gold tokens, which it generates out of thin air on demand, are backed by physical gold.
In order to verify this and, more importantly operate legally, Auratus needs to register with financial regulators in every jurisdiction it solicits investment in.
Then, and this is the only way to verify Auratus is backing up its generated-on-demand TAS Gold tokens with gold, Auratus needs to file periodic audited financial reports with said regulators.
For what should be obvious reasons, Auratus hasn’t registered with financial regulators and thus doesn’t operate legally in any jurisdiction.
Instead of operating legally, Auratus has opted to block US and Canadian residents. This is owing to US and Canadian regulators being most likely to pile additional securities fraud charges onto Heit and GSB Gold Standard Corporation.
Auratus’ business plan essentially relies on regulators outside of the US and Canada being slow to act.
Fraud aside, this isn’t exactly the foundation of a legitimate long-term MLM company. In that sense Auratus presents itself as more of a cash-grab, aimed at what’s left of GSPartners’ more gullible investors.
Whereas Heit found fall guys in Dirc Zahlmann and Daniel von Lison to front GSPartners and Billionico respectively, this time around nobody has raised their hand to front Auratus.
From a due-diligence perspective Auratus presenting as a faceless MLM company is telling.
As it stands the only verifiable source of revenue entering Auratus is new investment.
Using new investment to pay TAS Gold withdrawals would make Auratus a Ponzi scheme. With nothing marketed or sold to retail customers, the MLM side of Auratus additionally operates as a pyramid scheme.
As with all MLM Ponzi schemes, once affiliate recruitment dries up so too will new investment.
This will starve Auratus of ROI revenue, eventually prompting a collapse.
The math behind Ponzi schemes guarantees that when they collapse, the majority of participants lose money.
Update 25th June 2024 – Auratus Gold has collapsed.
Press release by Josip Heit dated April 26, 2024. 😀
ibb.co/gDWjCny
computerworld.ch/business/pressemeldungen/neue-zuercher-nachrichten-sprechen-josip-heit-medienkonzern-2917360.html
Press release by Josip Heit dated April 3, 2024. 😀
ibb.co/bXRJG11
computerworld.ch/business/pressemeldungen/vision-gsb-gold-standard-corporation-ag-2914343.html
Journal de Bruxelles hmmm, at Rue des Colonies 11, hmmm, quick Google street view shows… Regus again.
These jokers must have a worldwide subscription with Regus for all their “newspapers” to get some rented office space.
Website “imprint”: empty, same for the data protection declaration… Obvious template to look like a news site on first visit, probably just copying articles to make believe that it is real.
Yet again an old newspaper that stopped print (this time 1926) and that now miraculously is available online when there is an “interview” or “article” to be pushed.
Quick search on POC name and title of the newspaper shows… nothing. so really new at this important publication, or… That POC is so ashamed for the work that not even LinkedIn or any other social media is to reflect the relationship.
Then the domain: via GoDaddy, by Liudmyla Starosud and created 2024-02-11
Yeah, all “very legit” once again… which was of course also directly clear from the text being so critical and clear on the subject, providing such insight from the “visionary leader” (aka clown) Josip Heit, the “chairman of the board” of the “newspapers” that just went online and are located in Regus rented office spaces.
Another by Liudmyla – bombaydurpun.in/
Then we have another motherload of fake new websites registered to Heit:
trademarkelite.com/europe/trademark/trademark-owner/Josip%20Heit/1209122
And another bucketload linked to Irle Moser:
trademarkelite.com/europe/trademark/correspondent/IRLE%20MOSER%20RECHTSANW%c3%84LTE%20PARTG/33097
Additionally – given that there have been recent trademarks issued for “booom” and “LUXURY HOMES REAL ESTATE ACADEMY” are we going to see the next chapter of Josip Heit’s ponzi career?
Maybe crypto isn’t the golden goose egg he hoped it would be and maybe his time in Dubai has convinced him that convincing people to buy non existent luxury houses is the way forward
Real-estate and luxury cars are used to launder money through the UAE.
Oz wrote:
I’m not sure whether Josip Heit is really German. When he founds numerous companies in the United Kingdom, Croatian is always mentioned as his nationality. An example.
On November 29, 2019, Josip Heit founded GSB PREMIER EXCHANGE CORPORATION LTD in London with GBP 1 in equity. This company was dissolved on May 7, 2024. The director was Josip Heit from Croatia.
ibb.co/KbmLyxb
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12341123/officers
German national = German passport. Heit is Croatian by birth.
Who knows what passport(s) Heit actually travels on.
Important message! I am no longer willing to write comments for the criminal organization BehindMLM.
Press release by Josip Heit dated March 12, 2024.
ibb.co/DpVFjPw
computerworld.ch/business/pressemeldungen/behindmlm-erpressung-mittels-anonymer-verleumdung-im-internet-2911916.html
I ask Oz to delete all my comments that I have written on this criminal portal over the last few years. In future I will publish my comments in Josip Heit’s 42 dailies. Also, Josip Heit pays significantly higher fees! 😀
Heit has changed Oz’s label from “gangster” to “internet terrorist”! That’s an amusing twist.
Heit’s handle is destined to be prison bitch.
And that’s if he’s lucky. If he’s unlucky his victims get him first.
Either way: karma is a real thing Josip. Whether you believe in it or not. Even if you get the short luxury of thinking you got away with it, in the next dimension one of the first things you’re going to think is “oh fuck”.
You are worried, how about me. I am one of the few who uses their real name to post here. I am shocked that Josip hasn’t sued me. I have saved his legal team thousands of hours trying to figure out who I am and my real name. ROFLOL
Now you don’t suppose that all those Cease and Desist orders by US States, Provinces of Canada and from other countries worldwide might have something to do with it? Nah, his companies are all legit. Just ask him.
Just goes to show you he has more money than brains.
On November 9, 2020, Josip Heit (birth name Josip Curcic) registered the domain josipheit.com and updated it on November 17, 2023. The website contains the usual lies and massive exaggerations about the alleged successes of this infamous serial fraudster. Partial quote.
ibb.co/vzxBxgx
The website recently had 1.2K visitors per month, 100% of them from the United States. His name was searched for specifically.
ibb.co/93yzW2f
I read with great enthusiasm another, extensive website that used his name and unfortunately no longer exists today:
josipheit.com/start.html
web.archive.org/web/20210429010829/https://josipheit.com/start.html
A list of articles or topics on this website.
archive.org/web/20210429010829/https://josipheit.com/start.html
web.archive.org/web/20210523121210/https://josipheit.com/start.html
Let’s not forget people like Nitsa Nakos and Naomi Sweet along with a lot of other phony healers pushed this ponzi on people without end. While also trying to do a bunch of SEO work to push their names off Google to avoid being connected to this.
Video from May 24, 2024.
This review is shown in the video and is also quoted in part.
ibb.co/12hwccV
youtube.com/watch?v=FoOxNqC4NsA
How can it be explained that the new fraud portal auratus.gold only has visitors from Spain (61.75%) and Bulgaria (38.25%)? There are currently ~388 visitors a day.
ibb.co/qdYR6Sv
Video from May 20, 2024.
youtube.com/watch?v=s08TgZ-ZXMU
hey guys. I’m based in Melbourne and a friend of mine got me on to Auratus.
obvious I did my own research first and found my way here. I haven’t invested or signed up to the site as I’m very sceptical.
he tells me there is a meet-up/seminar in South Melbourne this Thursday. I’d love it if you guys could give me a list of questions to hit them with? I’d love to catch these guys out.
also, should I be contacting an authorities to report this meet-up?
cheers
You could ask them why Auratus isn’t available in the US and Canada. Then follow up with ASIC’s GSPartners fraud warning and ask how changing the name to Auratus legalizes securities fraud.
Might be worth bringing up the recent South African GSPartners arrest too.
Details of Neil De Waal’s GSPartners fraud arrest
If they try and hit you with “bUt It’S a DiFfErEnT cOmPaNy” rubbish ask for a full list of Auratus executives.
Couldn’t hurt to report to ASIC and VicPol. You never know how far gone any existing internal investigations might be (in South Africa there are now three known criminal investigations).
@Robert
I saw the people advertising on their own social media pages last week. They are touring Australia and New Zealand
11 June Tuaranga NZ,
12 June Traralgon VIC
13 June Melb VIC
14 June Hervey Bay Qld
14 June Broadbeach Qld
15 June Sunshine Coast
15 June Hobart Tasmania
16 June Scarborough Perth
Do contact the authorities and report them to AUSTRAC, ASIC and VicPol. The best outcome would be that they’re shut down quickly.
If they’re targeting New Zealand the FMA is also worth a shot. They tend to be more active than AUS authorities.
Video from May 27, 2024 in Spanish.
The uploader shows and links to this review.
ibb.co/wdHH458
youtube.com/watch?v=m55_uniPMZA
There’s a website update for the TAS vault – “This product is no longer for sale (as of 22/06/2024)”.
The Australian/NZ Auratus promotors have changed their Instagram/Facebook marketing. The focus now seems to be selling the benefits of using digital currency like Bitcoin to buy goods, the example being, eggs in Costa Rica.
Wait what? Auratus Gold has already collapsed?
Aint nobody coming over from GSPartners give a crap about buying eggs in Costa Rica with bitcoin. If this isn’t some Josip Heit “hide the evidence” weasley shit, that would appear to be a wrap.
edit: TAS Vault is still marketed on Auratus Gold’s website.
edit2: It’s in the Auratus Gold website T&C.
edit3: Now there’s “Zai Card”:
So they just renamed TAS Vault to Zai Card and it’s the same unregistered securities scheme.
edit4: ZAI Card *might* just be an exit ramp for TAS tokens (undisclosed new shell companies etc.). In the middle of a complicated review but will look at this later today.
Since April 2024, there has been an Instagram account with 11 followers but no content.
ibb.co/MBxVSM4
instagram.com/auratusgold/
Purchases can be made at Auratus using Australian credit cards so let’s see how long it takes the banks to freeze the accounts of network marketers.
Doing buisness with money laundering criminals is a fast track to becoming debanked.
Hugo Figueiredo from Portugal (who was into GSPartners from early on and reached the stage a few times with his wife and way too young children) considers The Auratus Standard (TAS) as “work” on 2024-06-25 according to his self-posted video:
ibb.co/qxJLQ4y
fb.com/reel/778733857788833
With his description:
“Enquanto eles se divertem eu tenho que trabalhar…” (pt)
translated “While they have fun I have to work…”