CVC Funding provides no information on its website about who owns or runs the company.

CVC Funding’s website domain (“cvc-funding.io”) was privately registered on July 7th, 2021.

A corporate address in New York is provided on CVC Funding’s website. This suite address corresponds with CVC Credit Partners, dba CVC Funding LLC.

CVC Credit Partners is a FINRA registered broker and has been since 2016.

CVC Funding, the company we are reviewing, didn’t exist until a few months ago.

CVC Credit Partners has nothing to do with CVC Funding the MLM company.

Based on this deception, it’s safe to assume the bulk of information provided on CVC Funding’s website is bogus.

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…]

BehindMLM reviewed Lifestyle Marketing Group in June 2020.

The company was headed up by CEO Shain Hymon. It’s business model was that of a $50 a month pyramid scheme.

Later that same month BehindMLM reviewed Jaa Lifestyle, also fronted by Hymon.

Jaa Lifestyle’s initial business model combined securities fraud with pyramid recruitment.

A few weeks prior to BehindMLM’s review, Jaa Lifestyle announced it was “remodelling”.

Jaa Lifestyle as reviewed in late June 2020 was a magazine subscription pyramid scheme.

BehindMLM revisited Jaa Lifestyle in August 2021, finding the company had rebooted as a crypto Ponzi scheme.

Noticeably absent from Jaa Lifestyle’s reboot was Shain Hymon (right).

Whether he’s still involved in Jaa Lifestyle remains unclear.

Hymon’s marketing and social media channels have mostly been abandoned. His last personal Facebook page update was on September 8th.

A few weeks back a reader wrote in requesting an updated Lifestyle Marketing Group review.

This was based on LMG marketing videos that surfaced throughout early to mid 2021.

While Hymon’s status within Jaa Lifestyle is unclear, it appears he’s rebooted Lifestyle Marketing Group with a new business model.

Today we revisit Lifestyle Marketing Group for an updated review. [Continue reading…]

Baccarat Staking operates in the gambling MLM niche.

The company is headed up by Michael Sander, who for some reason is going by “Michi Sander”.

Believed to be a German national, on social media Sander represents he is currently based out of Las Vegas, Nevada.

This corresponds with Baccarat Staking claiming to be “coordinated in Las Vegas, United States.”

Back in the day Michael Sander ran the pro-scam publication Obtainer Online.

BehindMLM first came across Sander after Obtainer Online ran a puff-piece on ViziNova scammer Renato Rodriguez.

Prior to Vizinova’s launch in 2014, BehindMLM had been closely following Rodriguez’s participation in WCM777.

Both Vizinova and WCM777 were MLM Ponzi schemes.

ViziNova saw Sander migrate from just supporting scams in Obtainer Online, to assisting Rodriguez launch Vizinova.

Sander (right) signed on as Vizinova’s “Chief Consultant”.

ViziNova has engaged OBTAINER’s founder Michael Sander, who as chief consultant has developed the company structure and the set-ups.

In April 2014 Sander described Vizinova as

 a business concept that is coherent, transparent and profitable.

ViziNova isn’t a Ponzi scheme or a pyramid system because from the very outset Renato Rodriguez and Gutemberg dos Santos are demonstrating transparency.

As Vizinova began to collapse in early 2015, Sander distanced himself from the Ponzi scheme.

In March 2017 the SEC revealed it had charged Renato Rodriguez and Gutemberg Dos Santos with fraud, alleging Vizinova to be a $5 million dollar Ponzi scheme.

Rodriguez and Gutemberg settled the SEC’s charges.

They would continue to defraud consumers through AirBit Club, leading to their respective arrests and indictments last year.

Another Ponzi scheme Sander supported through Obtainer Online was Bonofa.

Bonofa’s owners were arrested in Germany in May 2016. A month later what was left of the Ponzi scheme was fed into OneCoin.

Prior to launching Baccarat Staking in early 2021, Sander was promoting B-Epic.

One last interesting thread is Baccarat Staking’s “staking agreement”.

The document is presented to potential affiliates to agree to when they sign up.

As above, the staking agreement reveals two new identities; Fu Leung Antonio Yu and The Baccarat Stacking [sic] Group Inc. Both supposedly based out of Macau.

The agreement is put together by “Baccarat Service”, operating from the defunct website domain “baccarat-tools.de”.

A search for “Fu Leung Antonio Yu” reveals multiple baccarat themed websites, including “baccarat.schule” and “baccaratbusiness.com”. These appear to be linked to Sander’s Baccarat Staking scheme.

On the “baccarat.schule” website, Yu is cited as Baccarat Staking’s General Manager:

In 2011 US authorities tied Yu, then identified as a Hong Kong resident, to the Winsome Investment Trust Ponzi scheme.

Winsome Investment Trust was a $72 million dollar Ponzi scheme, run by Texas resident Robert J. Andres.

Yu appears on page 17 of a 2011 filed Status Report by a court-appointed Receiver;

On June 14, 2007, Andres was appointed to serve as the “personal financial and investment trustee” for Fu Leung Antonio Yu, supposedly a Hong Kong resident.

Yu signed a “Trust Declaration” giving Andres control over $10,000,000,000.00 of Yu’s funds.

A copy of that declaration is provided as exhibit 2 further down the filing (note Yu incorrectly identifies himself as “Antionio” in the document).

To the best of my knowledge Yu was never held accountable for assisting Andres.

Andres was sentenced to 56 months in prison in 2016.

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

HyperFund is the subject of a Ponzi scam advisory issued by the Bermuda Police Department. [Continue reading…]

4QLife provides no information on its website about who owns or runs the company.

4QLife’s website domain (“4qlife.com”) was privately registered on June 23rd, 2021.

Further research reveals marketing videos on 4QLife’s website are hosted on Daniel Butt’s Vimeo channel:

The videos, at least one of which is embedded on 4QLife’s website, are narrated by Butts.

In the video Butts (right) identifies himself as being part of “the team” behind 4QLife.

Butts cites the other three 4QLife team members as “Bob Byrun, Joel Broughton and our programmer”.

The programmer’s name isn’t disclosed.

Daniel Butts is a serial scammer behind numerous Ponzi cyclers over the years.

Butts first appeared on BehindMLM as the co-founder of Rocket Cash Cycler, a Ponzi scheme launched in 2013.

Rocket Cash Cycler saw investors deposit $315 and get paid a $5300 ROI once enough subsequent positions had been invested in.

Prior to RocketCashCycler Butts launched EZ Wealth Formula, which saw affiliates charged $84 to join and paid to recruit new affiliates.

In 2018 Butts returns with The Travel Party, the third reboot of the twice failed iTravel Party scheme.

Up until about eight months ago Butts was promoting the “magic app” Limbic Arc scheme. In August Butts he signed up for SDK Meta.

Bob Byrum is also a former Limbic Arc affiliate.

Byrum’s MLM claim to fame is being a top US net-winner in the notorious OneCoin Ponzi scheme.

Joel Broughton appears to be be keeping a low profile. I wasn’t able to find anything concrete on him with respect to 4QLife.

Read on for a full review of 4QLife’s MLM opportunity. [Continue reading…]

The Dominican Republic’s Superintendent of Banks has labelled CashFX Group a “fraudulent scheme”.

In a series of tweets published on November 3rd, Superintendent Alejandro Fernandez W. acknowledged Dominican Republic authorities’ awareness of CashFX Group. [Continue reading…]

The Judge hearing Frank Ricketts’ OneCoin trial in Germany has suggested he plead guilty.

The recommendation was made after the Judge heard evidence against Ricketts, and on the basis

a confession in the early phase of a procedure could have a mitigating effect. If it comes later, it melts down to a very small part.

[Continue reading…]

The SEC has filed suit against Mindset 24 Global.

The regulator alleges the since collapsed company operated as a Ponzi scheme. [Continue reading…]

Trunited has informed its affiliates the company is shutting down.

The stated reason for the closure is the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. [Continue reading…]

The FTC has issued at least 379 MLM companies with deceptive and/or unfair conduct notices.

This was announced by the FTC on October 26th. If it slipped under your radar, you’re not alone.

I learned of the FTC’s announcement via a tip sent in by a reader.

At first I thought there was some funny business going on. But upon closer inspection, was able to verify the FTC did indeed make an announcement. [Continue reading…]