Foreword: Due to Russia’s war on Ukraine, accessing Russian websites from outside of Russia is currently problematic.

This article cites the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs and Izvestia. Although links to both sources are provided, they are unlikely to work when accessed from outside of Russia. /end foreword

Antares Trade Ponzi scammer Alexey Zhirovkin (aka Aleksey and Alexander Zhirovkin), has been arrested in Turkey.

Although the Central Bank of Russia issued an Antares Trade fraud warning in July 2021, unfortunately Zhirovkin’s arrest has nothing to do with Ponzi scamming.

In late May the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), announced “a Russian citizen” was arrested on an Interpol warrant in Turkey. Turkey then extradited the suspect to Russia (alternative Rambler archive article). [Continue reading…]

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

AO Smith USDT operates from two known website domains:

1. aosmith.asia – privately registered on May 21st, 2025
2. aosmith.app – privately registered on May 20th, 2025

AO Smith USDT has already attracted the attention of financial regulators. The Central Bank of Russia issued an AO Smith USDT pyramid fraud warning on June 3rd, 2025.

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…]

Romeo Nation fails to provide ownership or executive information on its website.

Instead, Romeo Nation’s website is populated with what appears to be stock photos. Romeo Nation’s official marketing videos feature AI-generated avatars.

This is typical of scammers hiding their involvement in a company.

Romeo Nation’s website domain (“romeonation.com”), was privately registered on December 4th, 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…]

Brilliant Movement fails to provide complete ownership and executive information on its website.

Graham Cooke is presented as Brilliant Movement’s owner but this isn’t the whole picture. Brilliant Movement popped up on my radar courtesy of Ray Higdon, who claims to be co-owner of the company.

In Brilliant Movement marketing videos Higdon suggests Brilliant Movement might also be co-owned by Dionne Van Zyl, however this also isn’t disclosed.

In any event, Cooke and Van Zyl have been running Brilliant Perspectives for some time. Along came Higdon and now we have a Brilliant Movement MLM company, tied to Brilliant Perspectives LLC.

As I understand it neither Cooke or Van Zyl have any network marketing experience.

Ray Higdon made a name for himself in MLM as a promoter of the WorldVentures pyramid scheme.

From Higdon’s own website he started out in MLM circa 2009 with Numis Network.

In August of 2013 Numis Network merged into Worldventures where Jessica and Ray Higdon achieved the rank of Regional Marketing Director and became six figure earners within that company.

Jessica and Ray Higdon decided to sell their position to their upline in February of 2016 to focus on coaching and training the industry as a whole.

WorldVentures was a travel-based MLM pyramid scheme that received multiple fraud warnings over the years. The scam collapsed through bankruptcy in late 2020.

As above, after WorldVentures Higdon has been selling MLM coaching and training under “Higdon Group” branding.

In a Brilliant Perspective marketing video, Higdon states he “gave his life to Christ” in 2022. This prompted a Higdon Group marketing pivot, leaning hard into religion.

The Higdon Group marketing pivot led to things like the “Faith-Based Network Marketing Blueprint”.

That brings us to Brilliant Perspectives launching its Brilliant Movement MLM opportunity last month.

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…]

PGI Global Ponzi founder Ramil Ventura Palafox has violated his pre-trial conditions.

It took Palafox just over a month to do so, following his arrest in late April.

As per a May 28th Probation Officer petition seeking action on Palafox’s violation; [Continue reading…]

Modere was an MLM company that collapsed in April 2025.

Two separate lawsuits reveal, in addition to screwing over distributors, Modere also screwed over employees and its product manufacturer. [Continue reading…]

Defunct MLM company Rodan + Fields has settled a class-action alleging now former Consultants were employees.

A proposed settlement was filed with a Californian state court on May 6th. [Continue reading…]

Three Crowd1 scammers have been sentenced to prison by Sweden’s Stockholm District Court.

Swedish authorities took action and raided Crowd1’s Swedish offices in November 2022.

The raid resulted six arrests on corporate money laundering criminal charges:

1. Jens Lennart Lorentsson
2. Anneli Carina Lundell
3. Conny Tore Otteland
4. Ann-Christine Sigvardsson
5. Nils Johan Anders Westerdahl (right) and
6. Natalie von Greyerz

All six Crowd1 defendants were charged with corporate money laundering of ~200 million SEK (~20.8 million USD), between March 2021 and December 2022.

Funds misappropriated through Crowd1 during this time were laundered through Impact Crowd Technology and ICT Ekonomi (registered as a shell company in various jurisdictions). [Continue reading…]

Top Traders Domain Ponzi promoter Holton Buggs has consented to surrender multiple assets to a court-appointed Receiver.

Following sanctions for non-cooperation in February, Buggs’ asset settlement was filed on June 2nd. [Continue reading…]

Orion Project fails to provide ownership or executive information on its website.

Orion Project’s website domain (“oriongroup.app”), was privately registered on March 15th, 2025.

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…]