The GIG-OS Ponzi scheme appears to have collapsed twice since BehindMLM reviewed the scam in 2020.

The first collapse appears to have happened circa 2022. GIG-OS’ original cycler Ponzi was run in euros. With the first collapse investor losses were transferred to GICO coin. [Continue reading…]

RT USDT fails to provide ownership or executive information on its website.

RT USDT’s website domain (“rt-usdt.vip”), was registered with bogus details on September 9th, 2024.

Of note is RT USDT’s website domain being registered through the Chinese registrar Alibaba (Singapore).

RT USDT has already attracted the attention of financial regulators. The Central Bank of Russia issued an RT USDT pyramid fraud warning on September 17th, 2024.

As always, if an MLM company is not openly upfront about who is running or owns it, think long and hard about joining and/or handing over any money. [Continue reading…]

WorldLink Team fails to provide ownership or executive information on its website.

At time of publication, WorldLink Team’s website pitches a $149.95 founders fee. This is asked for without disclosing any information about the company.

Further research reveals WorldLinkTeam marketing presentations hosted by “Coach Ken”, aka Ken Kimes.

Kimes is cited as WorldLink Team’s Field Leader. In Kimes’ presentations, Kirby Cochran is cited as WorldLink Team’s CEO.

WorldLink Team marketing also cites Roger Grosser as its CEO and, as of 2021, company owner.

Why this crucial due-diligence information is hidden from consumers on WorldLink Team’s website is unclear.

BehindMLM first came across Kirby Cochran in 2012, as then CEO of WakeUpNow.

While providing a clear distinction between retail and affiliate subscribers, WakeUpNow was otherwise a convoluted mess.

Typically membership orientated schemes throw up a red flag due to a lack of  distinction between retail members and company members however retail members are quite clearly defined here.

That said, the complexity and extremely poor manner in which the WakeUpNow compensation plan virtually overshadows this and drags the whole thing down as an income opportunity.

While retail was possible, it’s suspected that the majority of WakeUpNow member subscribers were affiliates. In other words, WakeUpNow operated as a pyramid scheme.

WakeUpNow collapsed in February 2015. By then Phil Polich had replaced Cochran as CEO.

In a public statement addressing the collapse, Polich blamed WakeUpNow’s demise on alleged executive abuse by Cochran.

By taking advantage of the office of Chief Executive Officer, Kirby Cochran had made decisions that put the company on an irreparable negative trajectory; and sadly, he went to great lengths to keep many of these decisions secret from the rest of the management team and board of directors.

As we made progress, we continued to discover that Kirby Cochran’s deceptive actions had put the company in a position from which it could not recover.

In the end, his decisions for a privileged few outweighed the incredible heart and dedication of the many.

The month before it officially collapsed, WakeUpNow filed a $70 million lawsuit against Cochran. The specifics of Cochran’s alleged executive abuse were laid out in detail in the filed January 27th suit (our article on the suit is far too long to even summarise here).

Nine days after WakeUpNow filed suit, Cochran filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

WakeUpNow’s lawsuit against Cochran was settled as part of his bankruptcy proceedings in July 2015.

In September 2015 Cochran, alongside brother Gary Cochran, resurfaced as CEO of Global Connection Network.

Global Connection Network’s business model heavily favored affiliate recruitment, lending itself to being another pyramid scheme.

Sometime after launch Global Connection Network started going by GCN Wireless.

In late 2021 Global Connection Network rebranded as Tetherbyte. This is from Tetherbyte’s website terms and conditions;

TetherByte, LLC and TetherByte, LLC name, logo, and all product names, company names, and other logos, unless otherwise noted, are trademarks and/or trade dress of Global Connection Network.

A visit to Tetherbyte’s website reveals the company seemingly never left prelaunch.

While still in prelaunch, Tetherbyte rebranded as WorldLink Team in February 2023.

Putting all of this together, we have Kirby Cochran –> Global Connection Network –> Tetherbyte –> WorldLink Team.

As always, if an MLM company is not openly upfront about who is running or owns it, think long and hard about joining and/or handing over any money.
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In his own lawsuit against Pruvit and CEO Brian Underwood, Michael Rutherford has been denied injunctive relief.

Two of Rutherford’s attorneys have also filed motions to withdraw, citing non-payment of accrued legal fees. [Continue reading…]

A September 13th scheduling order has set an SEC v. OnPassive trial date for April 6th, 2026.

Note this is not a typo, the trial is scheduled eighteen months out from September, 2024. [Continue reading…]

The SEC has filed securities fraud charges against two Apex promoters.

Anthony Lotito and Joseph Hagan stand accused of defrauding consumers through Apex, a collapsed passive returns investment scheme.

In addition to Lotito and Hagan, both New Jersey residents, the SEC also names their respective companies; Revolution Leasing and Scryptmob II LLC. [Continue reading…]

Samsung Link fails to provide ownership or executive information on its website.

Samsung Link’s website domain (“samsunglink.org”), was registered with bogus information on September 5th, 2024.

Samsung Link has already attracted the attention of financial regulators. The Central Bank of Russia issued a Samsung Link pyramid fraud warning on September 17th, 2024.

As always, if an MLM company is not openly upfront about who is running or owns it, think long and hard about joining and/or handing over any money. [Continue reading…]

Golden Grove fails to provide ownership or executive information on its website.

Golden Grove’s website domain (“goldengrove.world”), was privately registered on July 22nd, 2024.

A visit to Golden Grove’s official YouTube channel reveals multiple videos featuring “Golden Way” in the title:

Backdated blog posts on Golden Grove’s website also feature Golden Way:

Golden Way was an Eastern European Boris CEO Ponzi scheme. fronted by “Olesya Galusha”.

Following a pyramid fraud warning from the Central Bank of Russia in late 2022, Golden Way collapsed in January 2023.

It should be noted that despite it collapsing, the scammers behind Golden Way have kept the company’s website up.

Now, a year and a half later, it appears the same scammers behind Golden Way have launched Golden Grove.

Read on for a full review of Golden Grove’s MLM opportunity. [Continue reading…]

Scandal surrounding a halted hyrdoelectric plant has seen Croatian journalists link the project to Sasa Svalina and brother-in-law Josip Heit.

Heit is currently going through a refund settlement nightmare, following securities fraud allegations pertaining to a billion dollar “fraudulent investment scheme”.

The latest out of Croatia is a September 22nd report from Dusan Miljus of Jutarnji. Among other things, Miljus examines Heit’s life prior to his involvement in Karatbars International.

Notably, Miljus reports Heit was previously sentenced to prison in Luxembourg for financial fraud. [Continue reading…]

TeslaQuant fails to provide ownership or executive information on its website.

TeslaQuant’s website domain (“teslaquant.com”), was registered with bogus details on September 4th, 2024.

Of note is TeslaQuant’s website domain being registered through the Chinese registrar Alibaba (Singapore).

TeslaQuant has already attracted the attention of financial regulators. The Central Bank of Russia issued a TeslaQuant pyramid fraud warning on September 17th, 2024.

As always, if an MLM company is not openly upfront about who is running or owns it, think long and hard about joining and/or handing over any money. [Continue reading…]