[EYE-OPENING EXERCISE]: A Modest ‘HYIP’ — But One That Provides A Learning Experience Juxtaposed Against JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid: Compare Pitches Of ‘Blue Hedge Investments’ And JSS/JBP
"Blue Hedge Investments," like JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid, is out there for all of Canada (and other countries) to see.
UPDATED 2:57 A.M. EDT (U.S.A., MARCH 27) Vague information about JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid is all over the web. The “opportunity” purportedly operated by Frederick Mann is targeting investors in Canada, the United States and many other countries through conference calls, videos and text pitches.
The PP Blog has listened to recordings of four JSS/JBP conference calls with Mann as the featured guest. Persons who asked questions during the calls have identified themselves as residents of the Canadian provinces of “Alberta” and “British Columbia” and several U.S. states. One caller suggested he was Jamaican — and Jamaica, like Canada and the United States, has had more than its share of problems with massive fraud schemes.
See story on combined Jamaica/U.S. allegations against Bertram A. Hill. See story about the guilty plea of Jamaican citizen David A. Smith, implicated by the United States in a spectacular international fraud scheme that involved at least $220 million.
One of the hallmarks of HYIP fraud is vagueness about an “opportunity.” JSS/JBP, for example, purports to pay a daily return of 2 percent, with Mann accorded the description of “mathematical genius.”
But Mann — despite the various superlatives attached to his name and the various preposterous claims — does not tell investors in Canada or the United States (or any other country) where the JSS/JBP “program” is operating from.
As an exercise in identifying red flags, the PP Blog today is proposing that readers visit the website of “Blue Hedge Investments.” (The URLs are below.)
Among other things, “Blue Hedge” describes itself as a “truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Promoters of JSS/JBP use similar language when promoting their “program.”
And “Blue Hedge” — also in vague, JSS/JBP-like fashion — also says this: “BlueHedge Investments is led by a team of well-respected Canadian specialists with vast experience in the offline and online investment market . . .”
If anything, though, JSS/JBP is even more vague than “Blue Hedge.” JSS/JBP, for example, doesn’t even identify itself with a nation-state.
Unlike JSS/JBP, “Blue Hedge” plants the seed that its investors earn 9 percent a month, a relatively modest claim in the HYIP sphere. JSS/JBP, on the other hand, claims 60 percent a month, more than 6.6 times the “advertised” monthly return of “Blue Hedge.”
While “Blue Hedge” asserts it is interested in “the financial stability of our people today,” JSS/JBP promoters also claim their program is about the people — specifically, “average people.”
Many people instantly would question any claim that appears on the “Blue Hedge” website, even though its purported payout is far lower than the payout advertised by JSS/JBP and thousands of its affiliates.
But the sad reality is that many people would question neither the claims of “Blue Hedge” nor the even more extreme (or even more opaque) claims of JSS/JBP.
Like “Blue Hedge,” JSS/JBP has a “Platinum” program. And like “Blue Hedge,” JSS/JBP is out there for all of Canada (and all of the United States and other countries) to see.
“Blue Hedge” provides a learning opportunity for all JSS/JBP promoters. The PP Blog encourages readers to visit the “Blue Hedge” site.
It perhaps is best to start with this page to get a sense of the interest rates while comparing them to JSS/JBP. You’ll see “Invest Now” buttons on the page, but perhaps it is best to avoid clicking on them until you’ve visited the “Blue Hedge” FAQs page and finally this page to assess its content and watch the short video.
After that, click on the “Invest Now” button and assess its content. It might be one of the best clicks you make all year. (See button on this page.)
I wonder who will post the first “It’s paying so it must be real!!!!!!!!!” post at talkgold or MMG?
I remember seeing something similar before, I couldn’t find it on google but on one search the second hit was for Phil Piccolo.
What is your opinion on UINVEST.com.ua?
Mr. Pretty
Do you have a job, getting paid every week or at least something that pays you?
Well some of us don’t, and you can thank the government for us trying to find ways to just survive.
Gas prices, I don’t need to tell you are just CRAZY
Now if the people find something that so far hasn’t hurt anyone and is paying them, why would that be a BAD thing?
Let the government worry about not getting their cut, which is what it comes down to, that is actually why they shut these down, unless they are getting complaints that people are not being paid, but let me re-iterate no one is complaining, everyone is getting paid.
So why are you so quick to blow this program up for everyone, like I said you are getting paid somehow, some of us aren’t.
If you post this on your blog great, or just take it into consideration.
An unhappy reader
Quick note:
The PP Blog is being pounded with traffic. I’m not sure if this note will publish. Server load in past several minutes is off the charts.
Patrick
OK. Server load has diminished markedly and now is within normal parameters. I’m not sure what caused the tremendous spike. It appears as though the surge lasted for about 5 minutes.
Patrick
Are you thinking about these things, Tony?
TextCashNetwork came out of the gate with a claim of being “recession proof.” That’s one of the claims “Blue Hedge” makes on its “Investment Options” page.
Piccolo-tied entities also imply they soon will become publicly traded companies — something else that “Blue Hedge” does with its “Soon to be listed on the exchange” claim.
Beyond that, Piccolo promos are infamous for having launch-countdown timers and other devices to create a sense of urgency. That, too, is something “Blue Hedge” is doing with its “will only be open for an additional 30 days” claim.
And, of course, another of Piccolo’s infamous signatures consists of the ever-present purported ties to benevolent organizations and “causes” — things such as feeding the poor or helping to rescue abducted children.
“Blue Hedge” has a form of this, with its prompt that it exists to ensure “the success of our future generations while helping build the financial stability of our people today. Furthering green energy and resource allocation – fuelling environmental, sustainable and future energy and resources.”
Side note: The “Blue Hedge” pitch could have come from the Mantria playbook, which, BTW, relied in part on planting the seed that a famous person was on board. (Various Piccolo-tied scams have done this, using people such as Oprah Winfrey and Donald Trump. Of course, JSS Tripler/JustBeenPaid also divined a connection to Winfrey, with some promoters divining a connection to Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook.
Mantria lawsuit story:
https://patrickpretty.com/2009/11/16/breaking-news-sec-charges-4-individuals-two-companies-in-alleged-green-ponzi-scheme-former-president-clinton-acknowledged-firms-commitment-to-environment-in-september/
But getting back to Piccolo and the marvel of social engineering as a fraud tool . . .
Piccolo tugs on various heartstrings, everything from child poverty to creating the appearance that his “programs” somehow have a tie to law enforcement. He’s been doing it for years.
He has become so well-known for his various fraud pitches that they’ve become a sort of laboratory of what “works.”
The PP Blog has posted many stories about affinity fraud tied to religion or causes that tug at heartstrings. The Blog also has posted stories — including stories about JSS/JBP — in which the “opportunities” devolve into a sea of incongruities or inconsistent claims.
One of the great inconsistencies of Piccolo surfaced during his stint as a guest on Troy Dooly’s radio show. All of these elements were present:
* Piccolo had threatened Dooly for less-than-positive coverage — i.e., Dooly had the nerve to question the “program.”
* The original public faces of DNA avoided the Piccolo discussion and did not link him to the company. The replacement DNA chieftain then made the contrary claim that it had been no secret that Piccolo was the pitchman.
* Piccolo became Dooly’s radio guest in the aftermath of the threats, using the show to talk about his Christian faith and plant the seed that he had lawyers who’d sue critics back to the Stone Age.
* Although the broadcast portion of the original, live show lasted only 60 minutes, the remaining 30 minutes (originally off-air) also were recorded. During the final 30-minute segment, Piccolo — the purported Christian — planted the seed that he knew people who could break legs if need be.
Patrick
At first blush, I’d say it advertises that it accepts AlertPay and LibertyReserve — and that those two alone are enough to stay away. There also is a suggestion it takes PayPal. That impresses me as a dubious claim, given the PayPal TOS.
Even so, any number of “kit” sites for HYIPs/programs I’ve seen have claimed a PayPal affiliation. In its early days, Club Asteria — some of whose promoters later became the subjects of a CONSOB securities probe in Italy — also touted a PayPal affiliation.
Later, reports surfaced about the freeze of Club Asteria’s PayPal account and the subsequent slashing of the weekly Club Asteria payout rate to ZERO percent.
And I’d also say — at first blush — that uinvest customers are advised that “The TOS shall be governed and construed by the laws of Ukraine without giving effect to conflicts-of-law principles thereof. You agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the state court located in Ukraine with respect to any legal proceedings that may arise in connection with the Service or from a dispute as to the interpretation or breach of the TOS.”
Assuming anything about uinvest is real, I’d say that the choice-of-law provision effectively puts U.S. (and other) customers at great risk. Please note that I don’t have the time right now to take anything other than a cursory look at uinvest.
Also at first blush, there appears to be a “no refund” policy. Again at first blush, I’d say uinvest also appears to be using a virtual office in Beverly Hills.
I did a quick lookup in the FINRA database, and didn’t find a listing for uinvest, although I can’t be certain I used a proper search term. Even so, it is clear that uinvest — in whatever form, real or unreal — is reaching into the United States.
So, that would merit more study in FINRA/SEC databases.
Also at first blush, uinvest appears to have an affiliate program, which leads to questions about whether it is using unregistered broker/dealer/pitchmen. Beyond that, it appears to be using Google Translate, which is a work-in-progress and cannot be relied on for intelligible translations.
The presence of Google Translate in ANY program, IMHO, could be a bid to link a fraud scheme with a well-recognized brand name — i.e., a bid to create legitimacy by osmosis.
Patrick
Anonymous,
I’d agree that the government is in some ways responsible for the sorry state of the finances of some Americans these days. I don’t believe there is any reasonable doubt that Wall Street chicanery was at the root of the financial meltdown, for instance. And I’d also agree that the U.S. regulatory apparatus largely wasn’t up to doing the job of protecting consumers/investors while assisting in the formation of capital in legitimate markets.
But if you are arguing that HYIPs somehow are wholesome because the government made mistakes that contributed to the meltdown or that it’s OK to turn to HYIPs because the government didn’t do a good job of policing itself, let alone the markets, then I’d say you are rationalizing.
I agree that gas prices are crazy. I’d say that many ordinary Americans are less apt to replace a leaky washing machine that’s making clunky noises and may hang on to an old, clunky lawnmower to see if it can make it through another season because the price of gas is eating away at their disposable income. Their bosses also may be less apt to hand out meaningful raises because they are concerned about gas prices, too — and also the rising costs of health insurance.
Even though those things are true, it doesn’t follow that an HYIP should be left alone because it isn’t “hurting” anyone. Victims of financial-fraud schemes are being counted in numbers America’s largest sports stadiums cannot accommodate. The victims of ASD, Legisi, Pathway To Prosperity and Imperia Invest alone are more than enough to fill the Rose Bowl.
The Rose Bowl, by the way, could accommodate the entire population of Youngstown, Ohio, and have a good head start on accommodating the populations of Youngstown and Erie, Pa., combined.
When I hear claims that JSS/JBP now has more than 300,000 members, I think, “Well, there goes Salt Lake City and maybe Des Moines (Iowa).”
The victims are all “real people” from “real towns.” That their pockets were picked in cyberspace does not change the fact that they are real, breathing human beings who now may find themselves living a nightmare.
Just a suggestion, but imagining JSS/JBP as a city whose population is rapidly expanding because it tells its residents that they can park their money and earn 2 percent a day might help you see that real people are involved and are at risk.
This type of rationalization surfaces in scam after scam after scam. Beyond that, Bernard Madoff “paid” — until he didn’t, that is.
Patrick
Erm, no. There were some other “programs” of a similar nature to “Blue Hedge Investments” I saw a few years back. I can’t find the links now. I think one was a “mlm kiosk” thingy, which is exactly what Phil “the crime wave” was involved in at one time.
The “evilgovernment excuse” and the “you must be being paid to be against our scam” excuses.
Today the BBC has this article:
Investors cash in on web-based scams
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17428613
The article doesn’t say, but I suspect the “research” was about 10 minutes looking at talkgold and/or MMG.
Tony,
I just noticed that “uinvest” referenced by Daniel (above) is the subject of a 68-page thread at TalkGold.
The fraud script never changes; it varies only by degree.
Patrick
My take away points are:
1. Victims always defend the scheme until they realize it is their pocket that has been picked.
2. Sometimes they defend it thereafter in the attempt to keep it going long enough to get paid.
3. The reason they fail is closely akin to the law of gravity or any other law of mathematics. There never has been a “program” that did not ultimately fail and leave a trail of victims.
The government is interested because of points one through three.
No one is forced to participate in JSS – Tripler. It is free to join and free to put money into. Since it’s inception, it has helped so many people financially – me included. If it weren’t for JSS – Tripler, I would be a leach on the Government Social System (another scam)right now. Besides being an earning program JSS has many products in its back office with tons of advice on being successful and dealing with life’s challenges.
Instead of buying lottery tickets, I bought JSS – Tripler positions. Now,at least I have some income to feed my family.
If it’s closed down because of greedy government involvement or stupid post like that contained above, so be it. Right now it is making a difference to many families well being.
It’s all good.
Actually, it looks very much as though that — once JSS/JPB gets some money from members — the members come to believe that they must spend more money to:
* Improve their odds of “profiting.”
* Position themselves to “cycle” faster or more often.
* Effectively purchase hedges against the loss of their original outlay and more hedges against the loss off their follow-up outlays. (The “Premium” program.)
On the calls, some of the members have expressed bafflement about the “Platinum” program, saying they’d previously purchased “Premium” positions and now may lose the value of them to fellow members willing to pony up even more to buy “Platinum” positions.
So, once they got in the JSS/JBP system, the “program” evolved in such a way that any number of members came to believe they had to spend more to safeguard their original positions.
I’d day every single member who acted in this fashion poses a potential danger to JSS/JBP because they can argue they were forced into spending more money. I also think it highly likely that JSS/JBP has senior citizens in its ranks, something that only heightens the odds that JSS/JBP will encounter litigation.
It only takes ONE disaffected/abused senior citizen to catch the attention of a federal judge presiding over a Ponzi case:
https://patrickpretty.com/2012/01/10/editorial-recuiting-seniors-into-your-downline-why-ponzi-forum-purveyors-and-pimps-should-pay-attention-to-dennis-bolzes-failed-bid-to-have-his-27-year-prison-sentence-reduced/
What are you saying? That JSS/JBP is the solution to poverty and/or the “Welfare State?” That seniors (and the elderly and/or the disadvantaged in any age group) are leeches and can stop being leeches by following your example and joining JSS/JBP?
ASD’s Andy Bowdoin once claimed that ASD was the solution to the unemployment problem. Sounds as though you might share that view.
Any number of ASD members made similar arguments, both before and after Andy Bowdoin called the government “Satan” and put a message on ASD’s answering machine that “God” was on the company’s side.
When Bowdoin was indicted, the Feds said that he’d used Ponzi money to make political donations. And if one looks up the dates of those contributions, one discovers the earliest contributions were made when ASD members were clamoring for their money and ASD was claiming they couldn’t be paid because of script malfunctions and the theft of $1 million by “Russian” hackers.
Quick side note: The operator of the JSS Tripler 2 “program,” which now is using a different name, is claiming he has dengue fever.
In the event JSS/JBP gets closed down, it won’t be due to government greed; it will be due to government professionalism of the same sort displayed when the U.S. Secret Service came knocking at ASD’s door.
It also seems unlikely that a “stupid post” could result in a shutdown of JSS/JBP. My guess is that, if a shutdown ensues, it will be much more likely due to the fact that JSS/JBP is just another HYIP Ponzi scheme that calls itself a “revenue-sharing program” while it routes money to itself through Canada and Central America in the Age of Terrorism.
Patrick
The posts that will get it shut down are the much needed bait ‘I got paid ‘ posts. THAT’S irony. And if you were ‘making money’, you wouldn’t be here crying.
2 payment proofs:
[URLs deleted by Admin]
Martin,
Bernard Madoff “paid,” too — until he didn’t.
“Payment proofs” are not evidence that no scam is under way.
Patrick
It’s not even proof they actually ‘got paid’. If they were getting paid, they wouldn’t need to be here. Telling the truth about the scam is killing them…..especially the noobs that have to come here and run interference.