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Tag: Ken Russo

EDITORIAL: Arguments Of Zeek Winners Continue La-La Land Narrative, But Come As No Surprise In MLM’s HYIP Wing

Many people in the antiscam community applauded Kenneth D. Bell, the receiver for Zeek Rewards, when he sued more than 9,000 individuals more than two years ago for return of their gains from the scheme. Those gains — more than $200 million — came from Ponzi proceeds, Bell alleged. And he pointed out that the…

Aug 18, 2016
Another ‘Ken Russo’ Disaster: Team Of Feds Hammers Alleged Operator Of ‘Program’ Pushed By Ponzi-Forum Legend

UPDATED 7:51 EDT U.S.A. Let’s start by giving you the roster of federal agencies involved in the investigations and prosecutions of William M. Apostelos, 54, and Connie M. Apostelos, 50, his wife: (1.) The Office of U.S. Attorney Carter M. Stewart of the Southern District of Ohio. (2.) Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. (3.) The…

Oct 30, 2015
‘GooBets,’ Cross-Border Fraud Scheme, Emerges

2ND UPDATE 2:19 P.M. EDT U.S.A. A “program” known as “GooBets” that appears to be targeting speakers of Portuguese and English has emerged. BehindMLM.com broke the news this morning. After observing the GooBets site, the PP Blog sought comment from the National Football League and the National Basketball Association. That’s because GooBets is using the…

Apr 14, 2015
Now, ‘TelexMOB’

UPDATED 11:25 A.M. EDT U.S.A. Something calling itself “TelexMOB” has established a web presence this month. A logo resembling that of TelexFree — an alleged Ponzi- and pyramid scheme said to have gathered $1.8 billion across national borders — appears on the site. BehindMLM.com was first with the news today. The PP Blog has sent…

Mar 24, 2015
UPDATE: Competing Cycler Advertised Inside ‘Achieve Community’ Forum Collapsed At Launch Yesterday

UPDATED 2:12 P.M. ET U.S.A. A competing cycler advertised inside the supposedly private “Achieve Community” forum and promoted on the MoneyMakerGroup forum collapsed at launch yesterday, triggering a classic uproar among willfully blind Ponzi-board scammers. The name of the cycler is Cycles 24/7. The PP Blog learned of the “program” only because Achieve promoter Mike…

Dec 17, 2014
FEDS: Liberty Reserve Figure Mark Marmilev Shilled On TalkGold Ponzi Forum And Also Hired Shills To Do So; Memo Speaks To Vast Wasteland Of Online Criminality

Mark Marmilev, the technology specialist for the cross-border Liberty Reserve money-laundering operation favored by HYIP scammers and other criminals before its May 2013 collapse, shilled on the TalkGold Ponzi forum, U.S. federal prosecutors said in a sentencing memo. Marmilev, 35, of Brooklyn, N.Y., also hired forum shills and separately tried to hatch an SEO scheme…

Dec 13, 2014
MORE FROM THE MLM LA-LA LAND PLAYBOOK: Former ASD, NewGNI, Club Asteria, Zeek And Profitable Sunrise Pitchman ‘Ken Russo’ Coins New Acronym (NAG); Paul Darby Plants Seed FBI Backs His ‘YouGetPaidFast’ Program — AFTER Trading On Name And Likeness Of President Of The United States

UPDATED 8:37 A.M. EDT (OCT. 21, U.S.A.) Former AdSurfDaily President Andy Bowdoin is continuing to serve 78 months in federal prison at the age of 78 — in part because he borrowed liberally from the MLM scammer’s playbook and planted the seed that the President of the United States (then George W. Bush) backed his…

Oct 8, 2013
HourlyRevShare, Another ‘Ken Russo’ Ponzi-Board ‘Program,’ Reportedly DOA

HourlyRevShare, another in a long list of incongruous HYIP Ponzi-board “programs” pushed by serial huckster “Ken Russo” (also known as “DRdave”), reportedly has collapsed after taking a second bite of the Ponzi apple (purportedly as HRS II) after the original iteration collapsed. Other recent “programs” pushed by “Ken Russo” include Zeek Rewards and Profitable Sunrise,…

Jul 22, 2013
Zeekers Share Their Conspiracy Theories At Newspaper Site

The Dispatch of Lexington, N.C., published a story June 7 to update readers on Zeek Rewards-related litigation — specifically the date of a hearing on a motion by certain Zeek members (alleged net winners) to dissolve the receivership. (See link to story/Comments below.) As of this morning, about 27 comments appear below the story. The…

Jun 21, 2013
‘Felmina Alliance,’ Another Ponzi-Board ‘Program’ Pushed By ‘Ken Russo,’ Appears To Be DOA

Felmina Alliance, another in a long line of HYIP “programs” pushed on the Ponzi boards by serial huckster “Ken Russo,” appears to be DOA. “Ken Russo” also is known as “DRdave.” His record in promoting scams, pooh-poohing or ignoring regulatory actions and engaging in willful blindness may be unparalleled. Regulators in the United States and…

Jun 4, 2013
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…

May 1, 2013