UPDATE: Sentencing For Legisi HYIP’s Gregory McKnight Delayed Again; Sentencing For Pitchman Matthew J. Gagnon Also Moved
Sentencing for Legisi HYIP Ponzi scheme purveyor Gregory N. McKnight has been delayed again — this time until Aug. 6 at 1:30 p.m. McKnight had been scheduled to be sentenced today in the Eastern District of Michigan. The postponement marks at least the fifth in the case. Legisi, which had a presence on infamous Ponzi [...]
RECEIVER: AlertPay And SolidTrustPay May Hold Additional Zeek Assets; Forensic Team Is Working ‘To Investigate And Seize These Funds’
EDITOR’S NOTE: One way to read a report filed yesterday by the court-appointed receiver in the Zeek Rewards Ponzi-scheme case is as a warning manual that brings to life the kind of vexing problems HYIP schemes create for operators, vendors and participants — including “insiders.” Kenneth D. Bell’s report to Senior U.S. District Judge Graham [...]
AP (VIA YAHOO NEWS): Zeek’s Paul Burks Says Participants At Fault For Losing Money In Alleged $600 Million Ponzi Scheme
The Associated Press is reporting that Zeek Rewards operator Paul R. Burks claims that he is not at fault and that Zeek participants are to blame if they lost money. From the AP (via Yahoo News/italics added): “I never told anyone to invest more money than they could afford,” Burks snapped. “I didn’t tell them [...]
On The High Seas Of Facebook, The Search For New HYIP Blood In The Water Intensifies After ‘Profitable Sunrise’ Goes Missing
“HYIPs use an array of websites and social media — including YouTube, Twitter and Facebook — to lure investors, fabricating a ‘buzz’ and creating the illusion of social consensus, which is a common persuasion tactic fraudsters use to suggest that ‘everyone is investing in HYIPs, so they must be legitimate.’” — The Financial Industry Regulatory [...]
In Wake Of Profitable Sunrise Alert, British Columbia Issues 2 More Warnings Against HYIPs; Like Profitable Sunrise, Both ‘Programs’ Had Presence On TalkGold And MoneyMakerGroup Ponzi Forums
EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks to PP Blog reader “Tony” for pointing us to the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) warning against the Lucra Fund and Goldenarium HYIP schemes. Earlier this month, BCSC issued a warning on the Profitable Sunrise scheme. The British Columbia Securities Commission has issued warnings on HYIP “programs” known as Lucra Fund and [...]
LETTER TO READERS: Our Choice For The Most Important PP Blog Post Of 2012
Dear Readers, The PP Blog’s choice for the “Most Important” story to appear on the Blog in 2012 is this one, dated July 28: “Site Critical Of Zeek Goes Missing After HubPages Receives Trademark ‘Infringement’ Complaint Attributed To Rex Venture Group LLC — But North Carolina-Based Rex Not Listed As Trademark Owner; Florida Firm That [...]
UPDATE: As Proposed Money-Saving Measure, Zeek Receiver Asks Judge To Treat Oct. 8 Preliminary Liquidation Plan As Status Report; Meanwhile, Yet Another Zeek Member Declares Herself A Fraud Victim
UPDATED 8:26 A.M. EDT (OCT. 31, U.S.A.) Saying it would save money, the court-appointed receiver in the Zeek Rewards Ponzi scheme case has asked a federal judge to treat the receiver’s Oct. 8 preliminary liquidation plan as a status report. (See Oct. 9 PP Blog story.) Separately, yet another Zeek member has declared herself a [...]
DISTURBING: ‘ProfitClicking’ Thread At MoneyMakerGroup Ponzi Forum Used In Zeek-Related Disinformation Campaign That Delivers Traffic To Troy Dooly’s Blog While Creating Brand Confusion And Opportunity To Harvest Leads For Poster Known As ‘freezeekler’
EDITOR’S NOTE: The PP Blog sought comment from Troy Dooly of MLMHelpDesk this morning (Sunday) on the disturbing Zeek- and Ponzi forum-related developments reported in our story below. (Story appears below screen shots.) Dooly has not responded as of the time of this post, but the PP Blog will publish his comment if and when [...]
The Bizarre Wordplay Of ‘ProfitClicking’
“25. Individual PC members are not responsible for the performace [sic] of PC or any other programs, products, and services provided by PC. Individual PC members, including those who introduce, sponsor, or refer other members, incur no liabilities or obligations in respect of PC’s financial decisions and directions and any other programs, products, and services [...]
BULLETIN: In Bizarre Blog Post, Zeek Claims ‘All’ Of Its Critics Are Behaving ‘Unprofessionally By Acting On False Information’; MLM Firm Blasts ‘ North Carolina Credit Unions’ For Circulating Memo ‘Unfavorable To Zeek Rewards And False’
BULLETIN: The Zeek Rewards MLM “program” that is married to a penny-auction site known as Zeekler and plants the seed that an annualized return in the hundreds of percent is possible has declared that “all” Zeek criticism has been “unprofessional” and based on “false information.” Some Zeek affiliates have said that Zeek provides a payout [...]
EDITORIAL: Is AlertPay (Payza) FINALLY Doing The Right Thing? Scam-Friendly Payment Processor That Is Darling Of Global Wink-Nod Fraudsters And Ponzi Forums Says It Is Banning Programs That Offer A Return — But Questions Remain
EDITOR’S NOTE: Payza seems to have taken an important step Friday in the battle against online fraud. The payment-processing company perhaps deserves an accolade for that. But it’s too soon to heap praise on Payza. We are particularly concerned about the phrasing of a specific line in Payza’s altered User Agreement. More on that below [...]