VRB Corporation provides no information on its website about who owns or runs the business.

VRB Corporation’s website domain (“vrb.co”) was first registered in November 2014.

The domain registration was last updated in July 2019, which appears to be around the time its current owners took possession of it.

On social media, VRB Corporation’s CEO is played by some old guy who claims to be “Richard Thomson”:

The man playing Thompson has a distinctly European accent. VRB Corporation’s marketing efforts however primarily target south-east Asia (Vietnam and Malaysia in particular).

Investment in these countries is/was solicited under the pretext of VRB Corporation having a business relationship with Comerica Bank.

This prompted Comerica Bank to issue a press-release on September 27th, clarifying that

VRB, purports to have financial backing from Comerica, which is false, in an attempt to draw investment into a cryptocurrency scheme.

VRB has held events in Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and Japan, going as far as producing actors, some of whom are pretending to be Comerica employees.

Comerica Bank does not have an affiliation with VRB cryptocurrency, and any attempt to represent it as such is false and fabricated.

Those involved with VRB cryptocurrency have sought to use the Comerica brand name to lend their operation legitimacy, and individuals attempting to make that association are not Comerica employees.

Needless to say whoever is actually running VRB Corporation doesn’t want the public or investors to know who they are.

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…]

A superseding indictment has added one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud against Mark Scott. [Continue reading…]

In an internal email sent out to distributors, AdvoCare CEO Patrick Wright has categorically denied the FTC’s allegations.

As per the settlement reached between the two parties, AdvoCare ‘waive(s) all rights to appeal or otherwise challenge or contest the validty of (the court’s) order‘. [Continue reading…]

The Indian regulatory crackdown on QNet continues, following three new arrests by the Odisha EOW.

Properties connected to QNet and eBiz in Hyderabad have also been seized. [Continue reading…]

Back in May AdvoCare announced it was terminating its MLM opportunity.

According to the company, the decision was made following “confidential talks with the FTC”.

Today the FTC finally revealed that AdvoCare had been investigated and found to be a pyramid scheme. [Continue reading…]

The Zeek Rewards Receiver’s contempt motion against VictoriaBank has been denied. [Continue reading…]

Pwan Group came across my desk as Pwan Homes.

Trouble is while while Pwan Homes talked about home ownership, there didn’t appear to be an actual MLM opportunity attach.

Research lead me to Pwan Group, which seems to be the actual MLM opportunity.

Although it’s likely that interest in Pwan Homes is non-existent outside of Pwan Group, why exactly the company exists is unclear.

Both Pwan Homes and Pwan Group are based out of Nigeria.

Here’s their respective marketing spiels:

Our company is PWAN HOMES LIMITED and is an acronym for Property world African Network, Home Ownership Made Easy Scheme.

PWAN GROUP PROPERTY ACCESS CLUB (PGPAC) is an umbrella body of the Pwan Group which is saddled with the responsibilities of planning, recruiting and training of potential marketers using our network marketing model to create an income generating means.

Neither company provides ownership or management information.

Of the two, Pwan Homes appears to be intended as a public facing site.

Although Pwan Homes has a website, poking around reveals website development is incomplete (stock photos and template text, dummy email addresses etc.).

Pwan Homes’ website domain (“pwanhomes.com”) was first registered in 2012.

The registration was last updated on August 2019 and lists Marc Austine as the owner.

Austine (right) is also the listed owner for Pwan Group’s website domain.

On LinkedIn Austine goes my Marc Austine Onwumere. Onwumere cites himself as the Group Chairman of Pwan Group and Pwan Homes.

In an associated ZoomInfo profile, Austine goes by Augustine Ozioma Onwumere.

The ZoomInfo profile reveals Pwan Plus, which appears to be another irrelevant real-estate angle.

At PWAN PLUS, nothing gets in the way of your needs. When you’re looking to buy land in the 5th largest city in Africa, Lagos state, Nigeria, whether residential or commercial, we will always treat you as our top priority.

I wasn’t able to put together an MLM history on Onwumere, but a July 2018 puff-piece in eTimes cites him as ‘C.E.O of Buzy internet enterprises, Washaholic drycleaner, Oj Marc clothing‘.

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

A short update note on the Digital Altitude Receiver’s website informs visitors that the Receivership is due to wind down soon.

Victims of the $54 million dollar scam have also been advised they are mostly screwed. [Continue reading…]

The DOJ has requested permission to present several witnesses at Mark S. Scott’s trial via CCTV.

Attached to the filing is a special agent declaration, which reveals insight into evidence the DOJ will present against Scott. [Continue reading…]

Dreams Digger operates in the cryptocurrency MLM niche and is based out of Salvador, Brazil.

Heading up Dreams Digger is CEO Leonardo Araujo.

I did find evidence of a Leonardo Araujo involved in network marketing dating back to 2015, but I was unable to verify if it was Dreams Digger’s Araujo.

Consequently, and possibly due to language barriers, I was unable to track Leonardo Araujo’s MLM history.

For their part Dreams Digger fails to provide any information about Araujo on their website.

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…]