Crowdfunding International: 215 EUR a pop cash gifting
There is no information on the Crowdfunding International website indicating who owns or runs the business.
The Crowdfunding International website domain (“crowdfundinginternational.eu”) was registered on September 25th, 2015. “Crowdfunding International Exploitatie BV” is listed as the owner, with an address in Obbicht, Netherlands also provided.
The same residential address is provided on the Crowdfunding International website, suggesting the company is run from within the Netherlands itself.
Several Crowdfunding International website lists several Facebook groups belonging to the company, spanning the languages English, French, Croatian, Turkish, Portuguese, Hungarian and Dutch.
Each group has various admins, with Eliza Leclerc an admin in all seven Crowdfunding International Facebook groups.
On her Facebook profile, Eliza Leclerc (right) lists her location as Rotterdam, Netherlands. This ties into Crowdfunding International’s corporate address, with Leclerc likely involved in the running of the scheme.
Prior to promotion of Crowdfunding International beginning in February, 2016, Leclerc was promoting the Crypto 888 Club (2015) and GetEasy (2014) Ponzi schemes.
Update 3rd May 2016 – A “Team CFI” page on the Crowdfunding International website (not linked off the website homepage), lists several additional Netherlands-based admins (credited as “General Managers”):
- Ivo Coenen
- Twan van der Kort
- Pascal Nieling
- Mick Baggen and
- Koen Lienaerts (IT Department)
Generic bios are provided for each, however nothing specific to MLM. /end update
Read on for a full review of the Crowdfunding International MLM opportunity.
The Crowdfunding International Product Line
Crowdfunding International has no retailable products or services, with affiliates only able to market Crowdfunding International affiliate membership itself.
The Crowdfunding International Compensation Plan
The only pre-requisite to earn commissions in Crowdfunding International is the recruitment of two affiliates, who each pay €215 EUR into the scheme.
Commissions in Crowdfunding International are paid out via a 2×7 matrix.
A 2×7 matrix places an affiliate at the top of a matrix, with two positions directly under them:
These initial two positions form the first level of the matrix, with the second level generated by splitting each of the first two positions into another two positions each (four positions).
The third level of the matrix is generated in the same manner (eight positions), and so on and so forth down a total of seven matrix levels.
In total there are 254 positions in a 2×7 matrix.
Commissions are paid out as new affiliates are recruited, with their €200 EUR payment used to pay off existing affiliates as follows:
- level 1 (positions cost 200 EUR) – receive €200 EUR from two affiliates, keep €80 EUR and cycle into level 2
- level 2 – receive €640 EUR from four affiliates, all funds are passed up and cycle into level 3
- level 3 – receive €3200 EUR from eight affiliates, keep €1920 EUR and cycle into level 4
- level 4 – receive €14,000 EUR from sixteen affiliates, keep €11,440 EUR and cycle into level 5
- level 5 – receive €56,320 EUR from thirty-two affiliates, keep €51,200 EUR and cycle into level 6
- level 6 – receive €225,280 EUR from sixty-four affiliates, keep €215,040 EUR and cycle into level 7
The Crowdfunding International compensation plan documentation this review is based on does not disclose payment amounts beyond level 6.
Although billed as a 2×7 matrix, the documentation suggested payments beyond level 7 (running into millions of EUR) were possible.
As per screenshots of Crowdfunding International affiliate backoffices, two positions at each matrix level must be filled before the next level is unlocked.
I’ve provided the total payouts on each level above, however the unlock fees are paid out of the first two gifted payments at each matrix level.
Joining Crowdfunding International
Affiliate membership with Crowdfunding International is €15 EUR.
At least one €200 EUR gifting payment must also be made in order to qualify to receive payments from other Crowdfunding International affiliates.
Conclusion
As per a marketing video on the Crowdfunding International website;
[0:15] A new Dutch company uses a unique way to crowdfund any project you’d like. Even if you just want to fund a new car for yourself.
[0:28] The principle is simple, yet strong. Give a donation, get a donation.
Legitimate crowdfunding sees participants donate funds with no financial incentive to do so.
Under the ruse of pretending to be a legitimate crowdfunding scheme, what Crowdfunding International offer is the complete opposite.
You gift 200 EUR into the scheme, which is shared between the affiliate who recruited you and their upline.
This qualifies you to receive payments from affiliates you recruit, with enough payments pushing you into the upper tiers of the gifting matrix.
This isn’t crowdfunding, it’s cash gifting.
In a somewhat depressing trend, modern MLM cash gifting schemes have increasingly fronted themselves with a crowdfunding ruse.
The mechanics of these schemes sees Eliza Leclerc and early adopters placed at the top of the company-wide matrix. This ensures they receive the majority of funds gifted into the scheme, by virtue of their individual matrices having the most filled positions.
Everbody else (that includes you) gets whatever funds are left over.
If you examine the math behind Crowdfunding International, it becomes readily apparent that in order for thousands of EUR to be generated at the upper gifting tiers, a large portion of 200 EUR payments at the bottom of the company-wide matrix will be mostly passed up.
Thus, in order for the Crowdfunding International admin(s) and early adopters to be paid out, the majority of participants must lose money.
I am so sick of these ponzi scams that use “crowdfunding” in their names as a way to cover their true scamming nature.
There’s already a spin off. An ex recruiter (Martijn Persoon) thought he could make more if he started his own fake crowdfunding site: crowdfundingunlimited.com which is in prelaunch.
It’s no secret who’s behind crowdfundinginternational though, crowdfundinginternational.eu/team-cfi
Despicable what some people will do for money.
Basically a bunch of Euro Ponzi pimps? Guys, even if you call it crowdfunding you’re still just stealing funds from those who join after you.
how do you gather information. I live in holland and the platform is looking really nice?? Who is the owner??
And what i heared the affiliate only gets the donation of the first 2 people. After that donation he doesn’t get any more donations from them???? I hope you can help me.
I made a note of this in the review. Getting paid on just the first two of each matrix level is a possibility, but wasn’t presented as such in the compensation plan documentation I reviewed.
Either way you’re still gifting your upline to receive gifting payments from subsequently recruited participants, with is a cash gifting scam.
I guess you have never been cheated out of your money or know of anyone that has. Yet the idea here it seems great to do so.
You might want to consider how you earn your income rather than get excited that you can get paid a few times showing others how to steal from others. You should fear being caught up in a scam and telling others to do the same.
The messenger is not to blame for how and when you join these illegal business schemes. Its not like you know the owners of these scams either yet you would truth them with your reputation as a marketer.
Being informed doesn’t have to be taken as being negative. Its not about the owner but the business model you need to examine first.
Learn all you can then make an informed decision to join or not. The money you save might just be your own.
It’s not very brilliant to base your pyramid scheme in the Netherlands if the way the last one fared about a year ago is any indication.
Ponzi scheme PlanB4you was raided about half a year in to it’s existence and forced in to bankruptcy. Owner Johny got locked up for a few months. He’s now facing trial and is looking at a couple years of jail time and a hefty fine.
Looking at the site it made me wonder if these people themselves realize what they have set up.?
Let alone the charities etc. that have attached themselves to CFI.
CFI is already discussed end of Dec. 2015 and labelled as a pyramid scheme and modern version of a chain letter on a well known consumer platform.
I made some telefon calls and what i heared is that the owners set it up in holland so that it all can be transparant. I think that they have good intents.
the owners only exploit the platform. They do not have own projects. I will see if i can get more info in holland.
The people i asked also said that this platform generates income through traffic.. Maybe thats why they post all this discussions.??
They collect an admin fee on each gifted payment sure, but you can bet they’ve also got corporate gifting positions too. It’s the same in any MLM gifting scheme.
Setting up a cash gifting scheme to enrich yourself and simultaneously mathematically guarantee the majority of participants lose money is not a good intention.
The owners most definitely have top positions in the pyramid. In fact there was a row a few months back when members discovered empty ghost accounts in the top ranks.
The organisation then admitted that these existed, claiming they were reserved for future top recruiters. Riiight.
I think someone wants this to work so badly as being legit yet can not prove it at all.
Sort of like it is not so transparent at all.
So I am Partner from this Platform and I can say that they pay and I had been in the Office in the Netherland and yes it exist i talk with the owner and I dont think it is a Ponzi.
Whether they pay or not and what you think is irrelevant.
Affiliates paying affiliates in MLM = cash gifting. If you’ve been paid in a cash gifting scheme, that makes you a scammer.
You are allways on the top of the Matrix so this could not be a snowball or ponzi or a gifting scheme!
Yes that makes it totally legit to join.
I guess thats a wrap for this one not being a ponzi folks.
Meanwhile its off to the next scam for him.
Where did that come from?
Right its not a snowball!
So members are paying members directly = not a ponzi or gifting? What do you call it again in your world?
1. There’s a company wide matrix that you’re not on the top off.
2. Being on top of the matrix or not doesn’t make Crowdfunding International a Ponzi scheme, using newly invested funds to pay off existing investors does.
3. Being on top of the matrix or not doesn’t make Crowdfunding Inernational a cash gifting scheme, affiliates paying affiliates does.
Oh, it is legal and up line and downline is helping each other.
If you have the money you need for your project you can start again and then you can help people who signed up after you!
I think it is an honest system and everyone helps everyone. Maybe you can look for information before you posts comments like that ! Oh, and it isn’t mlm!
Changing the name of financial fraud doesn’t make it any less of a scam.
Cash gifting is cash gifting. Calling it “helping eachother” is pseudo-compliance and doesn’t change anything.
It’s financial fraud and you are stealing funds from an ever-growing base of investors at the bottom of the scheme who are going to lose their money.
And what “information” would that be? This review is based on Crowdfunding International’s compensation plan. That’s the only “information” that is relevant here.
MLM compensation plan = MLM opportunity.
The base investors are just “helping” the top few percent earn tens of thousands of euros. What could possibly be wrong with that.
By the way, the spin off of this scam (ran by an ex-recruiter) changed it’s name and it’s now called “Crowdfunders United”. It is supposed to start up in about 25 days.
Who can demonstrate, if th CFI-Netherland is serious or not?
Elisa Leclerc, who is this person? Where is her cirriculum?
Who had success with CFI and get how many money for his project in which time?
Is it right: We must pay 200 Euro and get back 3 millions and more for our project, when we finding two further persons, and the downline is doing the same?
You’re too late, Bobby. If you had wanted to potentially earn a lot of money from this scam, you had to be there a few months ago.
Now you’ll just end up being one of the stupid base investors who’ll put money in so the top people can cash out. Where else do you think the 3 million comes from? In order for someone to cash out 3 million, 15.000 people lose the 200 they put in.
Some of you are talking about stealing from people. no one is taking anyone’s money by force and no one lies, whoever wants to donate money can do it also without joining the program, whoever wants to join in is welcome.
I am not interested whether the managers are making lots of money because I see the opportunity to do it myself and help my friends to do the same.
The money of a new member is not going to the top few people and then given out like in a pyramid. All of it is devided for projects between the upper lines you are aware of.
All of us join the project on the same terms and have the same opportunity. Those that will work can make money, those who are lazy and think money will fall on them from the sky will not, like in every business. stop shaming.
Nobody lies? You’re claiming an illegal cash gifting scheme has something to do with donations.
There’s your lie right there. And make no mistake, you are stealing funds from those who join after you.
Of course, scam is “no force”.
As for “nobody lies”, it doesn’t have to be a direct lie. There are lots of ways to lie, including lie by omission, repeating a lie without knowing it’s a lie, and more.
Furthermore, let’s face it, if you have to “donate” first, it’s so OBVIOUSLY a pyramid scheme you’re basically lying to yourself.
NOLINK://ec.europa.eu/justice/consumer-marketing/unfair-trade/unfair-practices/is-it-fair/blacklist/blacklist-items/blacklist_item11_en.htm
Selective attention, how interesting, you are choosing to answer only to the first paragraph.
“donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause” – the 200$ are used to fund my upper lines projects, I know it is going to happen and it is my intention, looks the same to me. As I said you can also fund someone without joining the project. here is the crowdfunding.
Dear Oz, I am not stealing anything. I don’t have any unique terms. everybody join on the same terms and know exactly what they are getting or not getting by joining, whoever joins after me knows that I am one of those who will get a part of his funding, like I knew when I joined.
As far as I remember netherlands is part of the UN, so if the firm made the program is not banned I guess there is more to it than you think.
It is starting to get a little bit boring when all you do is shouting: “it’s a pyramid, a lie, stealing”.
As someone with an experience in the marketing and mlm world I would finish by saying that there will always be people who would say bad things about a great opportunity, without even looking into it, it is just their personality. They will definately not succeed.
On the other hand, people who will try to see the positive sides and will be ready to work hard, will have results, and will be much closer to the success. True for every business.
Paying a fee to qualify to receive cash from subsequently recruited affiliates is not a donation.
You are stealing from those who join after you in a fraudulent cash gifting scheme.
Your upline’s wallet is not a “project”.
Your lack of interest in your own moral compass is not my problem.
you should know better than to be involved in cash gifting schemes. For shame.
Selective redefinition, i.e. newspeak, how interesting. Donation is giving something away with NO expectation of ANY returns. Done, over and out.
Furthermore, crowdfunding is NOT donation (though you can crowdfund a donation). So insisting that it is donation suggests you are already perpetuating a lie or misunderstanding.
Which suggests that you have selective attention… the same thing you are accusing others of having.
“Nobody is lying”. HAH
Even the name of the company is a lie, as this is NOT crowdfunding. If they were honest, this would be called Cash Gifting International.
Of course money flows to the top people, don’t be daft. At the moment the whole site stole about 4 to 5 million EUR of funds, that’s not even enough to pay out the first few spots.
This is illegal in The Netherlands and just because the website wasn’t shut down yet in the few month’s it’s run, doesn’t mean anything.
The last Dutch pyramid scheme (PlanB4you) was only shut down well after a year it launched. You bet people are going to jail for this as well.
hello!
first of all… do a good research before you write something about things what you cant understand! why is an MLM webpage talking about crowdfunding?
i do not understand the sense behind!? this would be the same when a minigolfer would talk about fishing…makes no sense at all!
the next thing is… you talking about admins on facebookpages!? put on facebook any company in the mlm… and you will see that the most of the admins are just distributors and usw a company logo! SOOOOOOOO!?
the next thing is…why that crowdfunding international is certificated from the dutch goverment!? the legal infos you can find on their webpage!
and you also talk about complains? ITS NOT A MLM…REALLY GUYS…TO A BETTER RESEARCH and dont write stupid things… just because you have nothing else to do!
The spin off (by ex recruiter of CFI Martijn Persoon) is launching. It’s called Crowdfunders United.
Basically another copy of WeShareCrowdfunding/CFI, but with some tweaks here and there.
Because
1. MLM compensation plan = MLM opportunity.
2. Crowdfunding International has nothing to do with crowdfunding.
So what exactly? There’s a difference between affiliate Facebook pages and a corporate presence. One you seem to have failed to understand.
MLM compensation plan = MLM opportunity. But don’t let that get in the way of your denial.
Hi you writting not true about it.
You dont know anythong about this platform -there is 9 levels to earn, this lady is one of 29 0000 people in this platform and each one can open CFI group even me 🙂
there is a lot mistakes and untrue information sooo if you write something check it first!!!!!!!!
No matter how many levels might have been added after this review was written, Crowdfunding International is still a cash gifting scheme. And by promoting it you area scammer.
Which is why you failed to point out even one.
Hello
just to tell you i recording my typing on this particular post. I am asking that you can send prove of the above text and they way you got your false info.
Cfi is offering you the possibility to send a meil to compliance to discuss the text written above. You can also visit the office if you would like.
We are not making a discussion here. Remove the aricle if you can no prove what you are writing.
If you do not reply within 3 days we are obliged to take further steps and we will ask our lawyer to handle the case. with kind regards and hoping on a positive answer.
If Crowdfunding International’s own business model and compensation plan is false, that’s news to me.
Yeah, good luck with that.
Thanks for proving you can’t even bother to Google definition of crowdfunding.
And after the threatening letter from your “lawyer” then what ???
Are you or he prepared to stand up in open court before an experienced judge and prove Crowd Funding International isn’t an illegal cash gifting scheme ???
Didn’t think so
@littleroundman
will you have the time to come in person to our office and explain why you think that cfi is cash gifting.
After that conversation then please tell your opinion but at least you took the time to try to understand. Please send a mail and we make an appointment.
Why does anyone need to travel to an office? Why Crowdfunding International is a cash gifting scheme is spelled out for you in the review.
TLDR? Affiliates paying affiliates = cash gifting.
Oh, go away you silly little scammer, you’re making yourself look sillier than you already have.
Why do you need it repeated in your face? Do you have a reading disability?
No wonder CFI is threatening legal action now even though they knew of this article for months. Their traffic is flatlining and going down as new “investment” is drying up: alexa.com/siteinfo/crowdfundinginternational.eu
It’ll all come crashing down soon enough and anyone who puts in money now is extremely unlikely to ever see any of it back.
They are not “threatening legal action” they are blowing smoke.
The best possible outcome of their bluff and blustering would be if they “DID” institute legal proceedings.
By “legal proceedings” I don’t mean a threatening letter from a pet lawyer, I mean in a real court where they and their lawyer can explain the legality of their business in front of an experienced judge.
Now THAT would be worth paying to see.
“psacal” or any other ponzi / pyramid promoter explaining the finer points of his business to a judge and the assembled media.
Never gonna happen.
Some member posts from their blog site:
Looks like they already ran out of money and with new investment drying up, it’ll be game over soon.
I’m coming somewhat a bit late after these long exchanges. I did attend a CFI recruitment meeting, and all i saw and heard, is quite well explained by this post.
I was knowing nothing AT ALL about CFI when i attended the meeting. Just listening and puting the right questions for a safe undestanding, made quite clear to me : ponzi scheme or the like.
Obviously I rejected the offer.
I saw right above “investment is drying up” (in Europe ?), but don’t worry the CFI promoters are still progressing in other parts of the world. A French Territory (New Caledonia – Pacific) is currently an exploding market for CFI (they got 2.5k subscribers over 270K inhabitants in a few months).
Finally the question I have is the following: How to demonstrate the scheme is illegal (an expert question to financial guys?) and then put a final stop to it.
Affiliates paying affiliates = cash gifting. This should be illegal wherever you are, either outright or as part of pyramid scheme recruiting.
My name is Jean d’Amour Ntibitura, from Rwanda. I really thank you all of you who have shared what you know and think about this model of crowd finding.
I knew this pseudo-ponzi scheme from a friend, I was looking for information about testimonies of people who may have received funding from CFI, and I found no resources on internet.
You can see some feedback on their Facebook, Jean. Apparently people have been waiting for their payments for months.
This scam seems to be rebooting as community-collect.com
The Dutch government seized Crowdfunding International’s money. It’s in a newsletter on their website.
crowdfundinginternational.eu/static/frontend/docs/news_letter_from_our_lawyer_20180830_en.pdf
Thanks for the heads up!
Is it the same scam known as Dreams Community or Crowdfunding International Dreams?
If that is the case, it was actively promoted in Peru and Paraguay. Even the Peruvian SBS issued a warning (along with Zoe and Kripto Future) a year ago
elcomercio.pe/economia/peru/sbs-advierte-sobre-cuatro-esquemas-que-captan-dinero-del-publico-sin-autorizacion-nndc-noticia/
Not that I’m aware of. They were likely separate scams.