CoupeCoin provide no information on their website about who owns or runs the business.

The CoupeCoin website domain (“coupecoin.com”) was privately registered on October 11th, 2016.

The CoupeCoin website does claim an “investment group based in Germany” are behind the company, but no further information is provided.

Conflicting with this is the claim that CoupeCoin is also “located in Delaware, USA”. To me this sounds like a shell company registration, but again no further information is provided.

Oh and then there’s the Seychelles address for “Cesarone Future LTD” provided as “contact info” on the CoupeCoin website. Nothing suss.

At the time of publication, Alexa estimate that almost a quarter of traffic to the CoupeCoin website originates out of India.

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…]

The DOJ wanted ten years, Merrill’s lawyers argued for just over a year… Judge Hillman mulled both side’s arguments and decided on six years. [Continue reading…]

Global Bitcoin Profits provide no information on their website about who owns or runs the business.

The Global Bitcoin Profits website domain (“globalbitcoinprofits.com”) was privately registered on February 20th, 2017.

At the time of publication Alexa estimate that Nigeria is the largest source of traffic to the Global Bitcoin Profits website. This suggests that whoever is running Global Bitcoin Profits is likely also based out of Nigeria.

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…]

Bitcoin Step provide no information on their website about who owns or runs the business.

The Bitcoin Step website domain (“bitcoinstep.com”) was privately registered on August 21st, 2016.

There’s a good possibility Bitcoin Step is being operated by a Russian admin. This is supported by

• Russian used in the Bitcoin Step website source-code
• Russian testimonials featured on the site
• the Bitcoin Step website being hosted in Russia
• Russian being the second offered language after the default English
• Russia is the second largest source of traffic to the Bitcoin Step website (after Germany)

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…]

Cleber Rene Rizerio Rocha, better known as the TelexFree mattress money mule, was arrested by authorities in early January.

On January 23rd Rocha was ordered to remain under detention pending trial.

On March 7th, Rocha and Leonardo Casula Francisco were both indicted by a grand jury. [Continue reading…]

To understand how Jim Merrill became ensnared in this mess, one must understand Jim Merrill, the human being.

James Merill’s March 17th sentencing memorandum reads like a list of things someone who heads up a Ponzi scheme stands to lose if they’re caught.

What should be a deterrent to other Ponzi fraudsters is instead presented as compelling reasoning for Merrill to be given a feather-weight sentence. [Continue reading…]

1 Big Bitcoin Team provide no information on its website about who owns or runs the business.

A marketing video on the 1 Bit Bitcoin Team website is hosted on a YouTube channel bearing the name “opitimusX”. OptimusX is an alias of Sherm Mason.

Sherm Mason first popped up on BehindMLM’s radar as the admin of Magnetic Builder.

Magnetic Builder was a $29.95 recruitment scheme launched in 2011.

In 2015 Mason (right), launched at least five dubious schemes:

• Paradise Payments (February 2015) – a $2 to $1000 cash gifting scheme
• Magnetic Gratitude (April 2015) – a $580 matrix-based Ponzi scheme
• Summer Fun Matrix (July 2015) – a $22 three-tier Ponzi scheme and
• 3×9 Millionaire Machine (September 2015) – a $3 in, $435 million dollars out Ponzi scheme
• Instant Pay Christmas (November 2015) – a $5 to $800 cash gifting scheme

In 2016 Mason doubled down on his efforts and launched Elite Pay Alliance (matrix-based cash gifting), 5 Dolla Money Lines (pass-up chain-recruitment), Adstraordinary (matrix-based cash gifting) and Cash Rally GPS (Ponzi cycler).

This year Mason has already launched two gifting scams, Easy Odds and Just Got Bitcoin.

Despite only launching last month, Just Got Bitcoin appears to have gained little interest and already stalled.

This has likely prompted Mason to launch 1 Big Bitcoin Team, which evidently runs on the same backend script as Just Got Bitcoin.

Read on for a full review of the 1 Big Bitcoin Team MLM opportunity. [Continue reading…]

Daily Net Traffic provide no information on their website indicating who owns or runs the business.

The Daily Net Traffic website domain (“dailynettraffic.com”) was registered on July 4th, 2015. John Kielec is listed as the owner, with an address in Ontario, Canada also provided.

John Kielec (right) is the owner of F5M Millionaires Club, which has been running in one incarnation or another since at least 2008.

Under the F5M Millionaires Club brand, Kielec launches various MLM opportunities, the latest of which is Daily Net Traffic.

Other opportunities mentioned on the F5M Millionaires Club website include Daily Net Pay and Revenue From Advertising.

Further research reveals Daily Net Pay to be an advertising based recruitment scheme. Revenue From Advertising appears to be an adcredit Ponzi scheme.

Read on for a full review of the Daily Net Traffic MLM opportunity. [Continue reading…]

Late last week OneCoin published a press-release claiming Swedish police had closed their investigation into OneLife. ‘

Citing an unsourced “police statement”, OneCoin claimed police had “indicated”

there was no basis upon which to continue the investigation as there was no reason to believe that an offense had been committed.

The Police confirmed its decision to the Gaming Authority on March 1st 2017.

Ignoring OneCoin’s Ponzi business model, the recent regulatory ban in Italy, monthly bank account closures throughout 2016 and regulatory warnings from over a dozen countries, OneCoin affiliates were quick to cite the closure of the investigation as proof of legitimacy.

Ted Nuyten dutifully reprinted the OneCoin press-release (no coverage about the regulatory warnings or Italy ban though), and OneCoin or its affiliates have since paid the usual press-release spammers to flood the internet with news of the closure.

With nothing to go on other than OneCoin’s own March 16th press-release, I chose to wait for something official to surface before publishing anything.

Turns out that was the right decision, because now it appears Swedish police have reopened the investigation. [Continue reading…]

Platinum World Team Build provide no information on their website about who owns or runs the business.

The Platinum World Team Build website domain (“platinumworldteambuild.com”) was registered on December 8th, 2016.

Ramon Escalera is listed as the owner, with an address in the US state of North Carolina also provided.

Ramon Escalera (right) first popped up on BehindMLM’s radar last year, as admin of the 25 Dollar Legacy pyramid scheme.

25 Dollar Legacy is still around today, although Alexa traffic estimates suggest recruitment flatlined in late 2016.

Read on for a full review of the Platinum World Team Build MLM opportunity. [Continue reading…]