Amid Wire Flap, AdViewGlobal Pitches Mind-Boggling, 250 Percent Match; Members Question Surf’s Management Practices
Signs of the apocalypse? Some members of the AdViewGlobal autosurf are openly fretting that the company’s behavior could be a signal that all is not well.
But one AVG loyalist insists things are just fine and that AVG’s problems are being caused by the “greed” of people who know that the surf poses “a threat to their income stream.”
AdSurfDaily made a similar claim last summer, just prior to the federal seizure of its assets.
Just this morning, an AVG forum operated by some of the Mods and members of the Pro-AdSurfDaily Surf’s Up forum went on a delete-fest, nuking posts in which members purportedly shared information AVG deemed private.
Wire Flap
On May 4, AVG, which also is known as AVGA, announced it had a deal with an offshore bank to accept member deposits for the purchase of “advertising.â€
Three days later, one of the companies AVG said was facilitating the transfers to The Bank of N.T. Butterfield and Son Ltd., issued a public denial that it had any business relationship with AVG and said it believed it had been targeted in a scam.
AVG did not inform members of the denial by KINGZ Capital Management Corp., instead explaining the sudden removal of a wire facility it had just announced was a result of failed negotiations.
KINGZ, however, said it had never discussed business with AVG, but had discussed business with a Florida company known as Living Legacy One LLC. Living Legacy One lists its managing member as Gerald Castor, whom AVG once identified as a member of its “Compliance” department.
The implication of KINGZ’ claim was that AVG tried to create a backdoor route to funnel money to AVG through Living Legacy One. KINGZ said it acted immediately to prevent AVG from receiving any money via wire through its systems.
“Nothing has ever been accepted from [AVG], nothing has been — and nothing will be,†said Michael P. Krywenky, president and chief executive officer of KINGZ. “We are very shocked, and we’re appalled [by the AVG claims].â€
AVG’s claims were “extremely bizarre,†Krywenky said, adding that the company had started an investigation and was consulting with its attorneys.
New, Matching Bonus Program
Last night, AVG announced that it was offering an astonishing, 250-percent, matching- bonus program. The program also provides a mind-boggling, 200-percent match for sponsors. Under the math of the program, a member who paid AVG $1,000 would be credited with a purchase (and the earning power) of $2,500, and the member’s sponsor would be credited with a purchase (and the earning power) of $2,000.
Although the company said the program was implemented to celebrate the upcoming launch of a new website, some AVG members now are openly questioning whether the firm is having cash-flow problems and is trying to raise money quickly to forestall a disaster.
AVG’s move came on the heels of reports that it paid out higher-than-normal paper profits over the weekend, a possible indication that it was trying to paint a picture that all was well so members would be more inclined to throw money at the surf when the new, matching-bonus program was announced.
The surf simultaneously is promoting an “80/20” program. Such programs are designed to minimize cash outflows and keep money in the system.
An explanation of the company’s behavior left at this Blog yesterday by a member named “Chris” sounded very much like defenses for AdSurfDaily that populated websites last summer.
Here is part of what what Chris said:
“We do have outside revenue and therefore we do not need to use members money to pay for the incentives,” Chris said.
“Kingz Corp stopped all realtionships (sic) with us because they were being threatened with bad publicity if they continued. Now this cannot be proven and I know that is what your (sic) going to say, but their (sic) are those who do not like our advertising model and they want to see us shut down.
“The reason they want us shut down is because of greed!” Chris said. “They know we are a threat to their income stream and they don’t like it.”
People who questioned AVG management were hurting the company, Chris said.
“The truth is ASD was doing very well before they were shut down and now we are doing well and you can continue to battle us that’s ok, we can take it! We are not going to give up the fight! Google can make millions every day and no one bats an eye lash (sic).”
Chris said the fact ASD President Andy Bowdoin is not in jail demonstrates the government has nothing on him.
“Why is it that Andy is not in jail right now?” Chris inquired. “Mr. Maddoff (sic) is heading there. Why don’t they arrest Mr Bowdoin if he indeed has done a ponzi and taken peoples money? Why? Please explain that to me? I will tell you why, because they can’t. They can take the money and possessions but not Andy becuase (sic) they don’t have evidence of a ponzi scheme plot, people were getting paid, money was being distributed slowly but getting to the people nonetheless.”
Read Chris’ full remarks here.
250% to the “member” plus 200% to the sponsor… Hmm, let’s see how the math works:
â– I put in, say, $1,000;
â– My account is credited with $2,500;
â– My sponsor’s account is credited with $2,000;
â– The combined $4,500 now earns payouts of, reportedly, about .25% per day at the current rate – or $11.25 daily;
â– At that rate AVG would be distributing $338 every 30 days based on the $4,500 figure;
â– In 89 days my original $1,000 is consumed by payouts;
â– Both my sponsor and I continue to be eligible to receive payouts thereafter;
â– In 180 days AVG would have distributed more than twice as much ($2,025)as I originally contributed.
‘Splain to me Lucy, how anyone with an IQ higher than room temperature can’t recognize that this is a Ponzi that depends entirely on the new money coming in for “ad purchases” from its members – new and old – and is therefore an illegal enterprise.
This is only part of the promo. Additional parts are just as crazy. I received this info as part of a list. Note the bolded part.
We will launch the new site on Saturday, May 23rd at 4pm. To insure a super successful launch we will start a pre-launch this afternoon, Tuesday, May 19, at 6pm EST. We will conduct the pre-launch on the existing site and start migrating everything to the new site on Friday night at 12:15am EST. The migration should be completed by 12pm EST Saturday and the launch on the new site will began at 4pm EST Saturday afternoon May 23rd.
We will have an unprecedented 250% match during the pre-launch starting today at 6pm EST Tuesday, May 19th and ending Friday, May 22nd at 6pm EST. Sponsors will receive a 200% match.
REMEMBER: Make your purchases during the Pre Launch on the existing site. Starting Saturday, May 23rd at 4pm EST your purchases will be made on the new site.
NEW SITE – LAUNCH
We will launch the new site starting Saturday, May 23rd at 4pm EST with a 200% match and a 100% match for Sponsors. This promotion will end June 29th at 9pm EST.
These promotions will be in addition to the 80/20 promotion.
Ismael Santiago
C.E.O.
Ad View Global Association
This sounds like an exaggerated rehash of the ASD promoting practices. It is quite extraordinary that, knowing what is going on on the ASD front, the AVGA bunch are still willing to continue with the same song. They are sailing very close to the wind and a capsize looks imminent.
Umm, anyone got the odds on the old site closing and the new one never opening?
100 to 1 they definitely will have problems with the new site, if, in fact, it does open.
I thought gambling was a sin. I’ll give you 7 to 1. LOL
Time for choir practice I see.
Patrick and all,
I can’t believe I’m just now asking this question, but it suddenly dawned on me that I really don’t know how this scam actually works.
If I invest $l,000 cash, and get a 250% matching bonus, do I suddenly have an “account balance” of $2,500? If so, what does that actually mean? Is the 250% match a cash match, ,even if I can’t access it until I’ve met certain conditions? But if they’re crediting me with $l,500 in Monopoly money, so that I’ll give them $l,000 in cold hard cash, does my AVG account balance statement clearly delineate what is available to me for cash out, and what is AVG script, used only to calculate my daily interest earning?
Due to the long and tragic saga of my mutual fund accounts (and everyone else’s), I totally grasp the concept that there’s a difference between my very real, bi-weekly, payroll deduction cash investment, and the higher account balances I have a vague memory of seeing on my monthly Symetra statements, before 200l. My “profits” were on paper only, it’s true, but absent any Madoff-type investments Symetra purchased on my behalf, as of the date the statement was printed, that was the value of my investment.
If AVG is matching investor’s cash with Monopoly money, do you think the rank and file AVG investors understand that there’s a very real difference between their “paper only” account balance at AVG, and the “paper only” account balance on legitimate investment statements? I know I read posts during the height of the ASD debacle that shouted down comments that said the high account balances investors thought they had in their ASD accounts were in reality non-existent. ASD defenders responded that the account value you saw on your mutual fund statements were “on paper only” and that it was exactly the same thing.
Can you imagine the Patrick Pretty Fans agreeing to play poker with the operators of AVG, after being told that the rules of the game allowed AVG to pay with a marked deck so that they couldn’t lose, and required our team to buy our chips in cold hard cash but allowed the AVG team buy their chips with Monopoly money, and being told it was a good deal for us because for every $l.00 we paid in cash, AVG would have to pay $l.50 in Monopoly money. and 4 months after the end of the poker game, the AVG team would pay us back a small fraction of the money they took from us 4 months earlier, IF we can find them and make them pay it. I don’t think I’m ever going to figure out the attraction these scams have for some people……
I am going to sic (sic) Patrick on all of you.
I have a vision of Patrick chuckling to himself every time he quotes the believers.
The fact that this choir has perfect pitch seems lost on you. In baseball terms, we are batting 1.000.
Do you sing tenor or bass?
FYI “Sic” as in “I am going to sic my dog on you” is a dialect form of “seek” according to the OED so there is no real reason to laugh at someone for using that version.
Hello Baron,
It’s actually more insidious than this, and the Monopoly money analogy you use demonstrates another reason why the cheerleading is so destructive: It ultimately leads to a license to steal the cash and pretend the fictitious profits don’t exist.
Say a person joins a surf with cold, hard cash — and the surf matches them with Monopoly money. Then say the paper profits begin to accumulate on the cash coupled with the match, and the person meets the daily surfing requirement until “payday.”
On payday, the person prepares to request his cashout. His sponsor, however, says, “You’re crazy, man. Don’t cash it all out. Just take 20 percent and roll 80 percent back in. This helps the company and helps you make more money.”
So the person does that, and a new “payday” arrives. He goes to get his money, this time resistant to 80/20 and wanting it all because his spider sense is telling him something isn’t quite right about this deal.
He puts in for his “payday” — and waits . . . and waits . . . and waits.
Nothing comes.
He goes to the forum and learns about a “glitch” that “our programmers” are working on. Others in the forum share their concern. The forum Mods begin to show impatience that so many people are complaining about not getting paid. They scold anyone who calls it an “investment,” reminding them that they bought “advertising.”
Other “leaders” arrive to back up the forum Mods. Their message is, “How dare you question the company! Infidel!”
Eventually threads go missing.
The “glitch” goes into a state of suspended animation. No one gets paid. The people who initially complained are afraid to complain again because they know that complaining earns the scorn of the Mods and the “leaders” and they’ll be belittled and ostracized.
Someone eventually does complain. They’re told they are hurting the company — and then reminded that they purchased “advertising” and “rebates aren’t guaranteed.” They’re reminded they signed a contract to that effect.
It then strikes the would-be complainers like a board over the head that they’ve been “had” and basically had agreed to let the company keep all revenue — a license to steal.
So, the person realizes that:
* He paid cash.
* The company used matching Monopoly money to lure him in.
* Company cheerleaders talked him into 80/20, distancing him from his cash.
* A “glitch” occurred during the next cycle.
* Payouts were “delayed.”
* “Negative” people were segmented and ostracized.
* The “glitch” never gets fixed.
* The company falls back on “rebates aren’t guaranteed.”
It is dangerous. It is insidious. It is so dangerous and so insidious — and the stories get repeated so many times in so many surfs — that people begin to write about it on the Internet.
And the critics get dismissed with passive-aggressive remarks such as “time for choir practice.”
Patrick
Hey CORECTION! (or is it Joe L.?),
No singing for me. I see you continue to run away from addressing even my most basic questions. Here’s a clue — I couldn’t care less that you don’t answer my questions, and in fact appreciate it. Your failure to answer them helps immensely in helping to educate other possible readers with respect to the illegality of Ponzi schemes like ASD and AVG. People can clearly see you never answer the questions, and ask themselves, “Why does he never answer the questions? There can be only one reason.” Thanks!
Ladies and gentleman,
We just disagree. We’ll just have to see what the future holds. I could be wrong. Can any of you say that for me please?
Correction,
And if the future (litigation) shows you are wrong, will you abstain from participating in businesses like ASD?
If the future (litigation) shows I am wrong, I will join these legitimate businesses.
8>))
CORRECTION!,
Count me in with Joe as well, and I’ll join AVG as your downline if I am wrong. If you are wrong, will you voluntarily return all of your ilegal gains and turn yourself in to the authorities to face ciminal charges if YOU are wrong????
I forgot to add, you AGAIN have not addressed any of my basic questions…….
Sorry CORRECTION!;
As much as I’d like to be able to become wealthy by spending a few minutes a day viewing some ads on the AVG website, I, for one, cannot comply with your request. Because my IQ is higher than room temperature, I don’t believe I may be wrong. Look at the math in the first response to this thread.
Besides, you have offered no evidence to support your position. Demonstrate – and please document – any sources of outside income that would allow the AVG math to work on a long term basis. Document that AVG is not just shuffling member’s money from one person to another in an illegal enterprise.
Do the above and you’ll have people lined up at your door with money in hand to become part of your downline. Including me. Imagine the great referral commissions you’d earn! It seems that providing such documentation would be very much to your advantage, wouldn’t it?
If such documentation existed, why wouldn’t AVG’s management be making it publicly available, rather than hiding behind a “secret†private membership association?
Not incidentally, the AVGA association was established via the services of a convicted felon, a man who served time for his securities-related crimes. Oh, and separately, he was convicted of income-tax evasion as well because of his personal use of – and the marketing of – sham trusts that were purported tax-avoidance programs. All of this is a matter of public record.
And speaking of secrets, who are the owners of AVG? If it’s legit, why hide their identities? There must be some reason for that – other convicted felons hiding behind the curtain, perhaps?
♦♦♦
There’s an old joke that seems relevant here:
A guy fell off the roof of a 20-story building. As he passed a window on the 10th floor on his way down, a woman in the window asked him how he was doing. He replied, “So far, so good”.
That seems to describe the position of many in the autosurf subculture – until they hit the ground, that is.
Want documentation? Google 12 Daily Pro, CEP and the many, many other surf programs that have gone before AVG, BAS, and AGW. This latter group are only at the “10th floor” point at the moment.
♦♦♦
Bottom line: You may say think the law of gravity doesn’t apply to you. In fact, you may SINCERELY and PASSIONATELY believe that to be the case. However, if you step off the roof of a tall building, your belief won’t protect you from the law of gravity’s inevitable consequences.
And I’m not wrong about that, either.
Correction, you could be right. but your not, and if your wrong your a crook, and you have hurt everybody that you have swindled in AVG knowing it was illegal!!! How can you sleep with yourself? Let me guess you were in in 12dailypro also?
I belelived in ASD till the “bad goverment” kick our asses in a court of law. then I stop beleiving in everything the Mods wanted me to, and started to look around. When I stared to understand how stupid I was in believing in ‘The cult”, and change my point of view I was cenored and deleted.
I wish it was just as easy as “we just disagree” but it’s not. Remember this the next time someone is thinking about investing there retirement, and if if you are one of those “God fearing people” what you will say to your maker.
Pat,
You might be wrong wrt the “law” of gravity spelling impending doom for our friend CORRECTION! jumping off of the roof. There is a finite, non-zero chance that quantum effects will actually save him from the devastating impact (related to quantum tunneling, if you want to follow up). The probability of such an event is astronomically small, but over the infinity of possible outcomes, it IS possible. I’ll also concede that there exists a finite probability that ASD and AVG are legal, or rather will not be found to be illegal, but like with the probility of gravity not applying for the fleet instant of time before CORRECTION! crash-lands, that chance is quite small (OJ got off, remember?).
CORRECTION! (Joe L.) won’t answer your questions either Pat, for the obvious reasons…..
Everyone continues to talk about “show us the outside income”.
While it’s a good question, it’s a moot point.
Why?
Because in the unlikely event that such “outside income” did exist all it would do would be to create a temporary stop gap. The plain and simple fact is that the math, plan and simple, can not work over long periods of time, it’s physically, mathematically impossible.
Within just a few months or years, depending on your starting point, the funds required to keep the ball rolling (i.e. paying 30%+ a month) become staggering, on par with National GDP’s, etc.
Further, in the aforementioned unlikey event that “outside income” did actually exist, there would still be substantial unregistered securities issues to deal with.
If you contribute money to a common enterprise, with an anticipation of profit through the efforts of others, it is security. That’s my
paraphrase of the U.S. Supreme Court decision from the 1940’s.
Google “Howie Test” for more information.
Clint
Entertained, thanks for the chuckle!
I have to agree that the adverse effects of gravity when CORRECTED! reaches ground level are not inevitable. Curly, Larry and Moe may just happen to be carrying a mattress past the site when he gets there – and CORRECTION! might just happen to land on it without injury. I stand corrected!
…..or he’ll round up the people from whom he has conspired to steal money from in ASD and AVG and use them to break his fall. They must worship him, if they believed his drivel on the legality/legitimacy of those Ponzi schemes, so I am sure would be happy to break his fall……but I could be wrong and ASD could be legal…
You make good points, Cliff.
However…
From my perspective, discussing the unregistered securities issue and others around that topic would require members’ ability and/or willingness to accept the fact that it’s a REAL issue.
Why do I say that?
As you may have observed, the ASD-related forums have been riddled with defenses such as, “It’s not an investment, it’s payments for advertising†– and other fallacious defenses.
In other words, to argue the unregistered securities issue, while valid, is to leave wiggle room in the minds of cult members to disbelieve that it applies to AVG, et al.
Here’s the reality of the outside income argument:
The outside income doesn’t exist, and the math demonstrates objectively that the enterprise in unsustainable without it. No wiggle room. It’s a fact that is not dependent upon anyone’s subjective belief.
Having said that, even with that fact in plain view, many cult members aren’t dissuaded from their delusions and/or greed-driven beliefs in ASD, AVG, et al. After all, there are always a few winners whose stories appeal to the unsuspecting.
Clint,
I agree with almost everything you said, but it is possible to create a sustainable business model with sufficient outside income. All that is required is that the outside income be proportional to the flow of ad pack purchases, with the proportionality constant being sufficiently high to pay the rebates. Further, ASD would have to eventually cap the ad pack purchases so as to avoid your “GDP issue.” Many supporters of ASD have argued that the value of the social network (to put intelligent words in their mouths) is proportional more or less to the size of that network. Makes sense in that real advertisers (P&G) value more highly larger groups of targeted potential customers than smaller similar groups.
Of course, this is all STILL moot, since the external revenue either does not exist or is Andy Bowdoin’s ace in the hole come his criminal prosecution…..
Clint,
The Howie test and every possible mathematical and economic law and argument has been made ad infinitum across multiple forums. Some people just believe or choose to ignore reality. Even after the perps admit guilt and are sentenced, the true believers insist the downfall of the program was some huge conspiracy by “threatened interests” be it the government or titans of banking. Some people just don’t want the little guy to get ahead. I’ve had the same discussions with the same people across several programs….they never change their tune. Hence the soundbites.
pretty obvious that CORRECTION! is Barb McIntyre.
These people are nuts!
AVGA – Same crooks, different name !!
1-Would yo invest with Bernard Madloff on trial knowing the record that he has? Knowing he has stolen Billions from friends and charities? No
2- Would you recommend an investment with no tried and proven experience leadership leading the company?
3-Would you want a convicted felon handling your investments?
4-Would you want a gas station attendant managing your finances?
My point is you know that there are connections with AVG to ASD and they are on the run.Many millions of retirement accounts,house payments,education funds,and life savings have been squandered. If you are a proponent of this type of investing you need help. Jim Jones cult group followed him blindly to death based on his ability to con his friends.
Hitler led millions to the gas chambers based on his ability to convince people that his ideals were of value.People followed blindly.
PT Barnum said a sucker is born every day.That sucker is the new prospect for the con man promoting the next new GET RICH scheme on the internet.
If this particular scheme worked don’t you think that all of wall street would be investing in it?
If I want a legal opinion I go to a licensed practicing attorney with a successful history of wins on his side. if I want investment advice I seek advice from a person who has a successful track record.One that WILL SHOW ME HIS?HER PORTFOLIO. IF they don’t I move on.
With these ridiculous get rich easy schemes either the leaders are convicted felons or you can’t find out who they are.Don’t be stupid! Put your money in a place where some one MUST BE accountable to others. As proven by ASD the leaders in these schemes are simply not accountable to anyone.The moneyy invest and it is an investment is completely in and under his control. Where is the protection? Where are the conditions spelling out protection for you against them using your investment for their personal playthings?. If these are of NO CONCERN to you go to the race track or play the lottery.Your chances of winning are better playing their game than online schemes.
Not being a great writer I summarize by saying IF IT SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE IT USUALLY IS.Do your due diligence.Research all the people involved. How do they intend to secure your investment.Who are they accountable to?
Would you place your hard earned money in a bank that doesn’t offer FDIC insurance. Are you prepared to lose your investment ? These scam companies have no compliance to any regulations except what they want to do. Why would an honest person want to hide in another country. There must be a reason. There are thousands of offshore companies that operate legally with full disclosure and accountability to the public.
If you place no value on losing your own savings be kind to others , don’t use your influence and stupidity to convince them to LOSE THEIR hard earned cash to satisfy your personal greed .simply to benefit financially by earning a commission on their investments.Are you prepared to face your friends after they lose and say I am sorry.However I did make a commission on your losses is that OK?In fact you could legally be charged with selling unregisterd securities by the SEC.
These scam companies or simply put run by greedy individuals.
If you desire to have a million dollars start saving a penny today, double the amount you save each ,at 6% interest in 30 days you will have 1 million dollars. THAT IS A FACT! Getting your money back from these scams is totally FICTION. Sorry folks this is old time logic. It is your decision,all the facts you have already been confronted with.
As a mathematician from day one I could never figure how the ASD model would work and it has proven to be a wise decision on my part not to invest otherwise I would be like you all trying to get my hard earned money back from he greedy government agencies.Ain’t LIFE FUN? You earn it slowly and they take away away with lightning speed!
May your investment strategies improve today!
That’s also the position of the “Man/Boy Love Association”. The rest of us call them child molesters. Theft is theft. As the veterans say: “Get in early, get your money out early and play with OPM”.
As for me, I will fight these scams any way I can.