STDDIOT - Stuff That Doesn't Deserve Its Own Thread

[zelch]

How am I supposed to file for unemployment as an expat?! I doubt they kept the paper application up.

vpn?

 

[Tay]

FTC Action Ends Ecommerce Empire Builders Online Business Opportunity Scam

A Federal Trade Commission lawsuit has put a stop to Ecommerce Empire Builders’ (EEB) business opportunity scam that used false promises of large profits to entice consumers into paying for help starting “Ecommerce empires” through online storefronts.​

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EEB and its owner, Peter Prusinowski (also known as Peter Pru), have agreed to a court order that bans them from selling business opportunities and require them to turn over assets to the FTC to be used for refunds to consumers.​

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“The defendants’ brazen scheme took advantage of would-be entrepreneurs,” said Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Today’s announcement shows the FTC will shut down these schemes permanently.”​

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In its complaint against the operation, the FTC alleged that EEB offered training programs that cost nearly $2,000, as well as “done for you” online storefronts that cost consumers as much as $35,000. The company promised consumers profits of $10,000 each month, but the complaint charged that these profits never materialized, and in many cases left consumers with significant losses. The complaint charged that Prusinowski used consumers’ money to enrich himself while failing to deliver on the scheme’s promises.​

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EEB and Prusinowski have agreed to a settlement order that:​

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-permanently bans them from selling business opportunities of any kind,​

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-prohibits them from making earnings claims without evidence to back them up,​

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-prohibits them from offering or enforcing any contract requirements that would prevent consumers from reviewing or reporting their business practices, and​

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-requires they turn over numerous assets, including rental properties, luxury watches, and the balances of accounts held by the receiver in the case, which will be used to provide refunds to consumers harmed by EEB.​

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The order contains a monetary judgment of $9,786,124, which is partially suspended based on the defendants’ inability to pay the full amount. If defendants are found to have failed to disclose or lied about any material asset or financial representations to the FTC, the full judgment will become immediately payable.​

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The Commission vote approving the stipulated final order was 3-0. The FTC filed the order in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The order was entered by the court on May 8, 2025.​

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NOTE: Stipulated final orders or injunctions have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.​

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Source: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/new...ire-builders-online-business-opportunity-scam

 

[Ryuzaki]

The last time this happened, and I can't even recall the company that was doing the ponzi scheme, they ended up buying a website I was selling (unbeknownst to me), and my site ended up being the highest earning website owned by the FTC. Funny little trophy I collected.

The controller they had who's job it was to keep the websites earning to pay back the investors, she failed and ended up suing the company and the brokerage (I'll leave them unnamed because it's not their fault), if I recall correctly. Fun times to watch from afar. You gotta be a real doofus to buy into a ponzi scheme.

The owner that time was (again, if I recall correctly) putting his kids through expensive private school, buying boats and a mansion, and other assets similar to above. Not sure why anyone thinks they're going to get away with it, unless they manage to keep some of the crap they bought with the money somehow (probably).

 

[JanisG]

The last time this happened, and I can't even recall the company that was doing the ponzi scheme, they ended up buying a website I was selling (unbeknownst to me), and my site ended up being the highest earning website owned by the FTC. Funny little trophy I collected.

The controller they had who's job it was to keep the websites earning to pay back the investors, she failed and ended up suing the company and the brokerage (I'll leave them unnamed because it's not their fault), if I recall correctly. Fun times to watch from afar. You gotta be a real doofus to buy into a ponzi scheme.

The owner that time was (again, if I recall correctly) putting his kids through expensive private school, buying boats and a mansion, and other assets similar to above. Not sure why anyone thinks they're going to get away with it, unless they manage to keep some of the crap they bought with the money somehow (probably).

I believe I sold a site to the same company. I kept an eye on the site for some time after the sale and wondered why they were not updating the dates in the titles and products. Then, a few years later, I learned what was going on.