racketeering

UPDATED 1:15 P.M. EDT U.S.A. It has happened in previous cases involving alleged violations of federal securities laws, and now it’s happening with Traffic Monsoon. “The Peiffer Rosca Wolf law firm is investigating Traffic Monsoon, LLC and Charles Scoville’s alleged Ponzi scheme on behalf of investors – whom Traffic Monsoon called ‘members,’” the firm said […]

As the PP Blog reported more than six years ago, Pay It Forward (PIF) “programs” have a noxious history in HYIP and cash-gifting Scamland. A new case in Michigan, however, may be off-the-charts in terms of noxiousness. That’s because investigators looking into a PIF scheme there found child pornography on the alleged PIF operator’s computer, […]

EDITORIAL: In April 2015, the PP Blog reported that a promo on YouTube put words in the mouth of President Obama and depicted him as a pitchman for MyAdvertisingPays, a cross-border scheme with  promoters in common with the alleged Zeek Rewards and TelexFree Ponzi- and pyramid schemes. “My AdvertisingPays pays its members every 20 minutes,” a mimicked […]

In case you missed the big news yesterday, TelexFree figures James Merrill and Carlos Wanzeler were charged criminally. Unofficially this brings the number of charged MLM HYIP “programs” (or clients) with links to MLM attorney Gerald Nehra to three in recent years. Nehra was an “expert witness” for AdSurfDaily in 2008. He testified that ASD, […]

URGENT >> BULLETIN >> MOVING: (18th update 3:49 P.M. EDT U.S.A.) TelexFree, MLM attorney Gerald Nehra, “Doe” insiders and several banks have been sued in a prospective class-action that alleges fraud and violations of the federal RICO (racketeering) statute. “Certain Defendants share joint and severable liability, including the Doe Inside Promoters, the licensed professionals such […]

“[Former State Rep. Brian] Palmer carried a cell phone provided by API and answered calls from potential investors even while on the House floor. To circumvent state security laws, Palmer assisted Ripley by providing documents to make the scheme appear legitimate and signed investment guarantees. And, with Palmer’s knowledge, Ripley used Palmer’s name and position […]

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 […]

WFMY (CBS/Greensboro, N.C.) is reporting that it exposed an apparent Zeek Rewards reload scam operating on Google’s Blogspot platform — and that Google has removed the offending Blog. The scam was operating at a URL of ZeekRewardsIsComingBack.blogspot.com, the station reported. WFMY contacted Zeek Rewards’ receiver Kenneth D. Bell as part of its report. Bell told […]

BULLETIN: A Michigan woman who allegedly hindered an investigation into her on-the-lam husband’s Ponzi scheme has been charged with lying to a police officer during the investigation of a crime, a felony under state law. M. Viktoria Wilson, 24, of Saginaw, was arrested yesterday by Saginaw Valley State University Police, the office of Michigan Attorney […]

UPDATED 11:08 A.M. ET (U.S.A.) On a day Americans cherish as a great symbol of the continuation of Democracy, images of their President are being used to create the impression he has endorsed a “program” HYIP hucksters sought to popularize in the aftermath of the August 2012 collapse of the Zeek Rewards “program” amid SEC […]

URGENT >> BULLETIN >> MOVING: Gary A. Calhoun is the subject of a criminal probe linked to a civil-forfeiture action in federal court in the Northern District of Florida, according to court filings by his attorney. Calhoun, 56, is the operator of the MPB Today MLM, which is tied to a grocery-delivery business in Pensacola […]