‘MoneyMakingBrain,’ Advocate For JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid, Emails Threats To PP Blog; ‘That’s Not A Threat, It’s A Promise,’ First Email Claims; Second Suggests He’ll Create Banking Trouble For Blog Poster And Defend JSS Tripler Operator ‘So Help Me God’
“Either we talk about here, or I talk about somewhere else (that’s not a threat, it’s a promise :)” — ‘MoneyMakingBrain (MMB), in email threat to PP Blog, Feb. 29, 2012, 7:52 a.m. ET
UPDATED 4:22 P.M. ET (U.S.A.) It has happened again: The PP Blog has received yet another threat via email for its reporting on the HYIP sphere, which FINRA described in a 2010 Alert as a “bizarre substratum of the Internet.”
Today’s threat came from “MoneyMakingBrain” (MMB) in apparent “defense” of JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid, an HYIP “program” purportedly operated by self-described former AdSurfDaily and Ad-Ventures4U pitchman Frederick Mann. JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid claims it pays a return of 2 percent per day.
ASD operator Andy Bowdoin, 77, is an accused Ponzi schemer under indictment for wire fraud, securities fraud and selling unregistered securities. The ASD scheme, which was based in Florida, gathered at least $110 million and created thousands of victims, federal prosecutors have said. Bowdoin’s Ponzi trial has been scheduled for September 2012. JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid purports to pay a daily return twice that of ASD.
Among other things, Bowdoin has compared the August 2008 U.S. Secret Service raid on ASD’s headquarters to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and described it as the work of “Satan.”
MMB’s initial email threat was received at 7:52 a.m. ET. It was followed by another email threat at 11:14 a.m. in which MMB suggested he’d seek to cause banking troubles for a specific PP Blog poster and defend Mann “so help me God.”
“You could be the nicest guy in the world, doing a real public service, but on the matter of Frederick Mann, you’ve made a gross error, and you crossed the line, Mr.,” the second threat read in part. “I am not a passive by-stander Patrick, I am one of those who will come and help an old man from being beaten up by a bully, so help me God.”
The second email also claimed that, “If anything, you’ve brought all this upon yourself.”
On Feb. 27, the PP Blog reported that a site registered to Mann in South Africa at the same street address of JustBeenPaid had at least 11 links to videos featuring Francis Schaeffer Cox. Cox, 27, is a purported “sovereign citizen.” He is accused in Alaska of a “militia” murder plot against public officials.
Federal prosecutors known to be investigating the ASD scheme in the District of Columbia declined to comment on the Blog’s story, which was published Monday. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors known to be investigating the “sovereign citizen” movement in the Pacific Northwest did not respond to a request for comment on the report.
Today’s disturbing developments began with the Blog’s receipt of the initial threatening email at 7:52 a.m. The initial threat implied that, if the PP Blog did publish a comment submitted by MMB during the overnight hours and respond to the email, MMB would seek to cause harm to the Blog. The PP Blog did not reply to the initial email. Nor did it reply to the follow-up threat.
MMB’s comment already had been published by the PP Blog by the time the initial email threat was received. The comment was submitted at 1:12 a.m. today and approved by the PP Blog at approximately 7:30 a.m., after being temporarily sequestered in a holding queue because of the menacing nature of previous comments submitted by MMB.
An anonymous proxy in Europe was used to send the comment, and a Gmail address was entered on the PP Blog’s Comments form. For the past two days, MMB has been submitting comments that imply he has the power to harm the Blog if the Blog does not submit to his threats. His comments were sent from IPs in the United States and Europe. Today’s email communications from MMB were the first received from MMB.
Because the Blog believes it is important to publish comments that showcase the bizarre and sometimes menacing nature of the HYIP sphere, it has published several comments from MMB since Monday. But because today’s email threats introduced a new form of electronic menacing and implied a PP Blog reader would be subjected to a hectoring campaign, the Blog no longer will publish any additional comments from MMB.
The PP Blog engages in the marketplace of ideas, not the marketplace of threats.
These are among MMB’s menacing assertions yesterday:
- “I know you’re reading everything I write and you are scared.”
- ” But, continue to annoy the MoneyMakingBrain and deviate him from his monitoring duties, and you’ll be the ones to be in the hot water. “
- “no one is invisible to the MoneyMakingBrain and you need to stop doing what you’re doing against this man immediately. Because if you don’t, I am going to make a formal complain (sic) to the very authorities you purport are coming after scam sites and send all the evidence I’ve gathered so far from posting on your site and the realscam site. I don’t like witch hunts and I am sure Fred Mann can whip your ass in court for your highly suggestive, provocative, highly contentious and flat-out defamatory commentaries against his character on your sites.”
- “You can delete my comments as much as you like, but take what I said to the bank. In the end, you are going to look like a fool.”
- “Maybe it’s a good idea that you stop your charade once and for all and finally cease and desist attacking Mr. Fred Mann, who is innocent until proven guilty. Not going to be repeating myself again.”
- “Needless to say that you’ll be needing to look for another ISP because you won’t have internet access at home or your office, wherever. Needless to say that your server host will also shut down your sites down for violation of terms and conditions.”
MMB also advanced a number of conspiracy theories, including one in which he asserts that two different people who post on RealScam.com and the PP Blog are one and the same. RealScam is a forum that concerns itself with mass-marketing fraud.
In November 2011, RealScam was subjected to a bid to chill from Bogdan Fiedur, the operator of AdLandPro, a website whose members routinely promote HYIP schemes and other highly dubious pursuits. JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid is one of the “programs” promoted on AdLandPro, which also has a presence on Ponzi forums such as TalkGold and MoneyMakerGroup.
Conspiracy theories are part and parcel to the HYIP landscape, as are threats — direct and veiled. Today”s second MMB email threat also raised the specter of fear.
” . . . it’s clear that you are too scared of me by now,” the second email read in part.
In November 2011, an FBI Terrorism Task Force arrested ASD figure and purported “sovereign citizen” Kenneth Wayne Leaming on charges he filed false liens against at least five public officials involved in the ASD Ponzi case. Two months later, a superseding indictment was returned against Leaming that accused him of participating in a scheme to file false liens against two U.S. prison officials, uttering a false “Bonded Promissory Note” for $1 million and being a convicted felon in possession of firearms.
So-called “sovereign citizens” have been linked to various forms of securities fraud and tax fraud. Because they believe prosecutors and judges have no authority over them, “sovereigns” have been known to target state, local and national officials in plots to file bogus liens and destroy the credit of members of the law-enforcement community and litigation opponents.
Their harassment methods, which feature the use of both postal mail and email and often include direct or veiled threats, have become known as “paper terrorism.”
When arrested, Leaming, the ASD figure and purported “sovereign,” was found with two federal fugitives from Arkansas who’d been indicted on charges of duping participants in a home-business scheme of more than $2 million. Those fugitives also have been linked to the “sovereign citizen” movement and filed a series of bizarre pleadings in Arkansas after their arrests with Leaming, who is jailed near Seattle. Both fugitives now are detained at federal facilities in Texas, according to prison records.
After MMB sent today’s initial email threat, he sent another comment to the Blog that included a threat:
“Stop abusing your forum as Lynn does, or I am going to conclude that there is a business relationship between the two of you, and that would be bad a thing (I am afraid to say anything else as you may call it another ‘threat’).
“And yes, this is not a threat: you’re better off having me talking here than somewhere else. I know too much already about both you and Lynn, and I still want to believe that the two of you are men of good (although the tactics of one indicate the otherwise).”
“Lynn” is a reference to Lynn Edgington, the chairman of Eagle Research Associates Inc., a 501(c)3 Public Benefit Charitable Corporation based in Mission Viejo, Calif.
The second email implied that MMB would seek to interfere with an Eagle Research banking relationship.
Quick note: We have received additional threats, including one that implies that the Blog will be targeted in some sort of SEO campaign.
Patrick
I believe you you turn the threats over to the FBI and the Secret Service.
My guess is MMB actually stands for “Massively Misinformed Butthead” , or that’s what I think it means. And idiot, plain and simple.
First, I want to thank Patrick for blogging about the disgraceful attacks and vicious threats to Realscam.com by Bogdan Fiedur. I applaud his publishing the threats made against his blog. These hideous threats such as they are aid those of us that want to warn and inform the public. Education is the key to preventing fraud. Blogs like this get the information to the public long before law enforcement can act. And, as we know the vast majority of obvious scams are never dealt the hand of justice.
So, kudos to Patrick for the incredible work he does keeping the public informed. MMB has certainly gone completely bananas on Realscam.
He does seem to be a little confused, to say the least! I don’t think he quite understands that threats – even the silliest ones – are simply not professional nor legal and reflect very badly on him and his chosen HYIP.
Hello SBM,
It was indeed disgraceful. It also was disastrous PR, just as Andy Bowdoin’s threats were disastrous PR prior to the Secret Service raid.
I listened to a March 1 conference call for JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid, with Frederick Mann being the featured guest. He claimed the “opportunity” was an “advertising” business.
Bowdoin, of course, did the same thing.
Fred’s explanation, though, came with a kicker: Seems that JSS Tripler — as things stand — is only a theoretical advertising business in that it has no working rotator.
“We haven’t yet implemented the surf module, but when we do, it will be a proper advertising business. So, members buy advertising when they buy JSS Tripler positions.”
Far as I can tell, the now-theoretical “advertising” purchases generate interest payments.
The surf ads will be introduced “within a few months,” Fred said.
Like the Feb. 23 JSS/JBP call with Mann, a number of self-identified Americans or U.S. residents were on the line. That means they either are unacquainted with HYIP history, are being denied information by the company they can use to make informed purchasing decisions — or are choosing to be willfully blind.
A woman who identified herself as “Pauline” from “Florida” was on the March 1 call. She asked some questions that were perfectly reasonable. I got the impression that she’d previously been banned from a JSS/JBP forum for asking too many questions.
In any event, after her time on the line, another caller came on and basically scolded “Pauline” for not getting it. It more or less was the old HYIP saw that, if you don’t get it, you’re either lazy or stupid.
Another guy was on the line, saying he was from the U.K. He claimed someone from Slovenia in his second-level downline tried to place an ad for JSS/JBP in Holland and was told the program was illegal.
“They banned his sites,” the U.K. caller said, “and told him that JustBeenPaid was a[n] HYIP and it’s illegal in Holland. Is that correct?”
Fred’s answer: “Not as far as I know.”
Additional guidance from Fred after the U.K. caller said he was looking to reassure his downline member:
“Tell him not to advertise in any particular country.”
A woman who may be from Canada but perhaps dialed in with a Greater Atlanta area code actually asked this question: “This is a legal business, right?”
I do not believe a single, satisfactory answer on any matter of substance was given during the entire call, which was about 36 minutes in length. It was clear that at least two of the callers sensed that something underhanded was going on, but they could not quite define it and come to terms with it.
It’s sad — and it is dangerous.
Nice to see you at the PP Blog, SBM. I appreciate your kind words.
Patrick
[…] a JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid “defender” known as “MoneyMakingBrain” (MMB) has emailed threats to the PP Blog, hatched bizarre conspiracy theories here and at RealScam.com and planted the seed that he was […]
Quick note:
For the second day in a row, this thread has been targeted with JSS/JBP affiliate spam from Germany. It’s from the same IP, but two different domain names — and the sites may be designed to target investors in the U.K.
A second thread on JSS/JBP also has been targeted.
Patrick
[…] a proxy to send an email threat to the PP Blog on Feb. 29, “MoneyMakingBrain” asserted he’d defend Mann “so help me God.” He […]
Why are people so negative?? For as long as a programme is paying, and the majority of members are happy, just enjoy it. I had concerns about the legality of the programme as it is brushed with the HYIP and investment industry which is heavily regulated in the US and Europe etc…
Fredrick knows what he is doing and I’m sure that he has taken all the precautions necessary to avoid problems with the authorities. There have been many that have just run with the money and everyone lost out, this is different.
Maybe because AdSurfDaily scammed at least $110 million, GeniusFunds scammed $400 million, Pathway To Prosperity scammed $70 million, Legisi scammed $72 million and Imperia Invest scammed millions of dollars from deaf people, AFTER Noobing also had targeted the deaf.
Those are just for starters, of course. There are plenty more.
That’s pretty much what the promoters of the other schemes said.
James, there is a JSS/JBP-related probe under way in Italy by CONSOB, the Italian securities regulator. A 90-day suspension order was issued on Jan. 20, more than two months ago.
JSS/JBP promoters appear to have virtually ignored the CONSOB news.
If ANY regulator in ANY jurisdiction acts against individual JSS/JBP promoters, it appears as though they’ll have to pony up their own funds to pay for their defense. Fred’s well is tainted, to be sure. JSS/JBP has a major presence on the Ponzi boards.
Fred isn’t even saying where JSS/JBP is operating from. If any securities-related litigation ensues, it almost certainly will include the word “co-conspirators.”
The JSS/JBP Terms require members to affirm they are not with the “government.” You should not be surprised if a “government” in ANY jurisdiction alleges a conspiracy.
Fred identified himself as an ASD pitchman in 2008. ASD also purportedly took precautions. Ever read the indictment in the ASD case? (It debunks the purported precautions.)
https://patrickpretty.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Bowdoin-Indictment.pdf
Patrick
Quick note, not necessarily to James.
On Jan. 29, the PP Blog reported that a JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid promoter claimed on MoneyMakerGroup that he planned to purchase a “motor home” with his earnings and start “traveling” the United States in it.
Even assuming this person is a peaceful and otherwise law-abiding citizen and a loyal American, the United States cannot afford to take the chance that all members of JSS/JBP have harmless agendas.
Think about the elements: Members of a murky “program” that uses “offshore” processors, offers an annualized return of 730 percent and does not say where it is operating from are openly claiming they can buy “motor homes” and “travel” the United States.
That is untenable.
And these things are on the record after a domain linked to Mann is displaying videos of a purported “sovereign citizen” implicated in an alleged “militia” murder plot against public officials.
This situation is truly incredible, and it is dangerous. Period.
https://patrickpretty.com/2012/01/29/update-jss-tripler-promoters-on-ponzi-boards-scoff-at-consob-action-react-by-making-i-got-paid-posts-like-adsurfdaily-purported-opportunity-calls-payouts-rebates-and-employs-confluence/
https://patrickpretty.com/2012/02/27/special-report-domain-registered-to-purported-jss-tripler-operator-features-videos-of-sovereign-citizen-accused-in-alleged-alaska-murder-plot-against-public-officials-meanwhile-americans-listen/
Patrick
You can say what you want about it but I still withdraw $100 bucks every other day. [Back-door spam bid deleted by admin.]
RobertT,
You are welcome to post here, but do not refer to your promotional website in this space.
Patrick
BTW, RobertT, have anything to say about the threats directed at this Blog — as referenced in the story above?
Patrick
Oh, that’s OK then.
You’re obviously part of the “I got mine” generation and a devout member of the Church of the Holy Gordon Gekko.
As long as you’re getting yours, why would you be bothered by legality, integrity or the fact people are being defrauded by Just Been Paid??
The comments being made here reminded me of another JSS-Tripler/JustBeenPaid promoter I ran into the other day. A man who claimed to have graduated from a police academy (Rio Hondo, to be precise), but was also running his own cash gifting club. A little research on “cooljames” James McDonald turned up quite a bit more that no officer of the law ought to have been endorsing or promoting outside of a department-sanctioned sting operation, which this was not.
So yes, I’m most assuredly seeing ties between JBP and other illegal activities involving Americans who truly ought to have known better.
Also, looking up James Aubrey came up with some disturbing results. The James who posted here is the owner of http://www.joinjustbeenpaid.info, correct?
The same James Aubrey whose website truckerclicks.info was involved in a spat of phishing attempts last November? Whose jaubrey.co.uk website came up referenced in a LulzSec document? If he’s the same James Aubrey who is jimbouk71 at yaktabux.com (fairly high likelihood, I would say), quite a few more connections can be identified between him and programs of a shady nature.
Now, James, whether a program pays or not has no impact on whether it is legal. Please read up on how the law actually work in the United Kingdom. You’re a member of at least one forum where legal questions are answered; use it.
This is a little unfair, my site you mentioned has not been active for over 2 years, it was hacked, I have forgotten it excised. I am a law abiding citizen in my country. The second site you mentioned, I brought in good faith from Flippa on the agreement there was no debt, there was so I’ve just let it be, it was also hacked and had problems.I’ve just dabbled to make an income online, never made a buck!
You also might notice, my site contain my personal information, address and home phone number, hardly something I’d have if I was going to con someone.
I think its a little unfair, I ask a question, didn’t say anything to insult anyone, and someone try’s to and find dirt on me, what the hell have I done??
What the hell is that???
OK, I’ve been Googling around and this is scary, are you really trying to connect me to a world wide hacking group?? I notice a Timothy J Aubrey got done for some fraud case in the US, certainly not me. Please tell me how my personal domain which I use only for emails manages to get into some legal documentation?? Please contact me urgently, Skype:JimboUK711! One lesson to learn, best to go anonymous on the net!!
I can understand one of your websites being hacked. And if you noticed, I wasn’t accusing yaktabux.com of anything, just using it as a pointer to identify a username.
As far as the Lulzsec document, your site was one that they had acquired a password for and listed it among one of their releases of compromised data.
Its still scary, how much free info out there for the taking, how a cyber-trail runs behind your every movement on the ‘net. ‘ve done nothing wrong but is a lesson learnt, I am changing my passwords everywhere and making the whois of my sites anonymous, even though I have nothing to hide, it’ll be ID theft next!! Thanks for the insight!
There’s more to be lost playing around with HYIP ponzi games than merely money.
ESPECIALLY HYIPs run by people you don’t know, based in places you’ve never heard of, using payment processors based who-knows-where, using their profits to fund who-knows-what and selling your information to who-knows-who for who-knows-how much.
LOTS more than a few dollars.
i hate thats thing to happen, hopefully JBP wont do it :D