Crypto pyramid game for Greek mouse pushers: 15,000 victims
400 dollars a day for depositing 12,000 dollars and watching videos! We're all getting rich! OK, not everyone, just the operators. If they survive...
(Image: photoschmidt/Shutterstock.com)
"Metamax integrates flow economy and AI technology, which not only improves the user experience, but also promotes innovation and precision management." Nope, that's clear. "META MAX is actively bringing real change to the entertainment industry through Web 3.0 technology." Such and similar incantations are emblazoned on the Facebook website of the collapsed Metamax project (also: Meta Max), which was presented as a Canadian project. Metamax was supposed to raise and distribute money by participants watching, "liking" and commenting on online videos on platforms such as Tiktok and YouTube. Those who deposited cryptocurrency first were to receive a 3.33 percent return. Per day.
According to the story, the money came from clients who were trying to manipulate the algorithms of the video platforms in this way. Why does a mouse pusher have to deposit money first? Good question. Participants who brought in other depositors were to receive ten percent of their deposit as a reward, and also one to six percent of their "winnings" – depending on how much they had deposited themselves. For level 1, 90 USDT was enough, i.e. units of the US dollar variant of the Tether stablecoin at approximate parity with the US dollar. For level 7, it had to be 12,000 USDT. Recruiters bragged about the hefty profits they would have made themselves.
Bomb explodes at a suspect's residence
Unfortunately, there are many victims, an estimated 15,000 according to Cypriot media reports, many of them in Greece and Cyprus. Not all victims take their financial loss with humor. There was even a bomb attack in Cyprus last week, which is believed to have been aimed at a suspect who was an ex-policeman.
The island's police have arrested three men in connection with the pyramid game, two of them former police officers themselves, aged 54 and 63. They recruited new participants for the pyramid game. The bomb exploded on Monday last week at the house rented by the 54-year-old – the man was apparently already in custody at the time. No people are believed to have been harmed, but the owner of the house is left with the proverbial shambles.
According to a media report, the ex-policeman described himself as a victim who had lost money; he did not know who the real masterminds were. In June, the ex-policeman traveled to the Philippines to take part in the opening of the Asian branch of Metamax. He was overcome with fear and sought refuge in the Cypriot consulate, which organized his departure. He had only made the profits he had previously presented to the public on paper, but had never been able to withdraw them. At the beginning of July, he asked the Cypriot police for protection because he feared for the lives of his family. He was then arrested himself.
Metamax Asia brought the end
The opening event of Metamax Asia could have happened; a YouTube video shows people in smart evening wear being introduced to male "outstanding leaders" with probably fake names who are said to have performed "several miracles in the field of streaming", as the presenter read twice from the teleprompter. The woman, herself the bearer of an unlikely name, said that Metamax had taken the lead in innovation and flow fashion, whatever that may be. To back up the credibility, the screen flickered not only with shots of cheering people, but also logos of well-known brands such as Paypal, Netflix, Spotify, Instagram, Facebook and even Twitter and Google+. Google discontinued Google+ in 2019.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmmung wird hier ein externes YouTube-Video (Google Ireland Limited) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (Google Ireland Limited) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
The video shines with amusing marketing prose. On the same day it was posted on YouTube, June 25, the Philippine Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) published a warning from Metamax. As a result, the project's websites and X accounts disappeared. The victims have to reckon with total loss. The amount of damage is not yet known; the police in Cyprus, with the support of Interpol, want to open bank accounts in various countries, and Greek authorities are also investigating.
(ds)
