It would seem that the history of financial pyramids in post-Soviet Russia and the swindlers who headed these pyramids have long since sunk into oblivion. Having exposed and caught the criminals, law enforcement agencies on central TV channels clearly explained to the population the essence of this game with money, told in detail the mechanism of the pyramid, named those who always win and who lose.
But with the stubbornness of a person looking for a rake in the dark, many again allow themselves to be robbed, completely voluntarily giving the last accumulated money to dishonest people, naively trusting their assurances of getting rich quick.
Why is this happening
According to our government, the country is already emerging from the crisis, showing a strong growth trend. In stores, the counters are still bursting with food: one has been replaced by other suppliers. There are vacancies. Many families have more than one car. Many programs are being implemented, according to which Russians can solve the housing problem most painlessly for the budget. We continue, at least once a year, to have a family vacation, if not in Turkey,Egypt, then in Sochi and the Crimea. But this is serious money that goes just for entertainment.
So why do we keep making the same mistakes?
Main signs of a pyramid scheme
We should all remember the characteristic features of pyramid schemes:
- unrealistically high interest rates on deposits;
- guarantee for investors of ultra-high profits for a long time;
- lack of real licenses to raise funds;
- investment fund development uses network marketing strategies, which allows depositors to pay interest at the expense of new investors;
- massive intrusive advertising, often involving public figures;
- in some cases, such a bank has no collateral, that is, assets; others have assets, but they are scanty and insufficient to cover the damage in the event of a company collapse.
Why are we ready to participate in the pyramid
At the end of the story with the pyramids of the 90s, many swore off taking part in these schemes. But, surprisingly, there were enough people who are ready to join the pyramids even now. All of them believe that if they manage to become the first investors in such a structure, then the win is guaranteed. This is true and not true at the same time. True for those who have. After all, getting savings in such a system is akin to winning at a casino: you may be lucky, or you may not.
As you can see from the previous paragraph, there can be no guarantees of profitability in a pyramid scheme. What is the motivation for desire?getting rich soon? Those who enter into them consciously rely on their instincts, as when playing in a casino: as soon as trouble starts, you can manage to withdraw capital without loss. But financial pyramids are based on human greed, so not everyone raises their hand in time to stop this dangerous game.
Examples of bitter experience
The wave of pyramid schemes affected Russia in the 90s, when the economic crisis forced people to commit the most rash and risky actions. It makes no sense for us to read the educational program on financial pyramids, everyone has long understood their principles. Words such as "MMM", Lenya Golubkov, "Vlastelina", "Khoper Invest" and others have long become household names.
However, the idea of easy money has not completely outlived itself. And the old cadres still have gunpowder in their flasks. The story with Yevgeny Mavrodi, as it turned out, is not over yet. After serving his sentence in Russia, in 2011-2013 he actively promoted his "MMM" in India. Now he is accumulating capital in China. The only thing stopping him is Chinese law that prohibits network structures. The ideas of the decomposition of the financial system of this country and its callous attitude towards the population also do not meet with reciprocity from its leadership: for violating the law in this area, they can easily be executed.
Mavrodi's choice of these countries to spread his financial structures was not accidental. India and China, at a superficial glance, are attractive states for creating financial pyramids: a multi-million population with a low education among the bulk of it. But atIn such seemingly favorable conditions, there are strong state control and management levers that quickly stop illegal activities. Therefore, Mavrodi's stay in India was so short. Although, according to some estimates, about half a million people were able to agitate under his banner.
Many people have already heard about such a concept as cryptocurrency. It is earned by loading the power of the computer with special programs that produce unnecessary calculations. This is how bitcoins and other varieties of cryptocurrencies appear. For more of this virtual money, the owner of the computer needs the most modern video cards and some other devices with which to create a farm. It is on it that cryptocurrency will be produced, that is, mined. So now you can make yourself a fortune.
As for the cost recovery for the creation of such farms, here there is such a well-known concept as the exchange rate, their volatility. The cryptocurrency exchange rate is currently on the rise. But he is also characterized by falls, and they have already been. Therefore, no one will undertake to predict for what period of time the construction of a farm that has now begun from scratch will be completed. There is an opinion that the private mining of crypto-currencies is leaving, if not already gone, in the past.
Cryptocurrencies entered the world market, and there are already players of a different level - states. Not everyone honestly creates their power for mining. Experts say that there are people who secretly use other people's power through the Internet. Many computers in the worldgoing online are infected and secretly mine bitcoins for someone else's uncle.
Is the cryptocurrency mining system a pyramid scheme? Despite the similarity of some features (active mass advertising, the seeming simplicity of participation, vivid examples of success), it still does not look like a pyramid scheme. It is possible that this is just a good project to stimulate demand for their products, implemented by companies that produce computer hardware, including video cards.
In recent years, only software manufacturers have been heard, and no one is particularly interested in hardware. But the hardware of computers also needs to be upgraded. And active sales of cool video cards are spurring this production. Therefore, bitcoins may be successful, but just a by-product of the project.
Rushing to easy earning virtual money, you need to understand your place in this scheme and be aware not only of growth opportunities, but also of decline.
Legislation against pyramid schemes
Currently, financial (investment) pyramid schemes are officially banned in 41 countries, including Russia. True, the law on their ban was adopted in our country only in 2016. Article 14.62 appeared in the Code of Administrative Relations, the norms of which restrict both the creation and activity of pyramids. Liability is expected from 5,000 to 1 million rubles.
But the Questra World pyramid still managed to penetrate Russia.
Questra World/Questra World
Today it is already possibleto say that Questra World was. Until this summer, it was an international company with a good growth record. Well-known and public people trusted her with their money, not being afraid to become an advertising face of this company.
Literally in October-November 2017, as if to commemorate the victories of the revolution, this financial pyramid, embodying all the negative features of the bourgeois and decaying capitalist system, sank into oblivion, burying its partners, investors and all those under the rubble who else only wanted to stand under her banner.
It was formed from the separation of one large corporation into two - Questra World and Atlantic Global Asset Management or AGAM for short. Often written like this: Questra World / AGAM. According to those who were deceived in Questra World in the reviews, this split was made intentionally, to cover up the fraudulent schemes of the company's management.
Questra World was headquartered first in Mursi, then in Madrid. Now, according to rumors, is in Capo Verde. Former portfolio holders of Questra World now realize that in this way the owners of this business simply mixed up the tracks, not wanting to meet with persons interested in their activities.
Registered business in the Virgin Islands. Its creation is now allegedly attributed to a Ukrainian citizen Krymov. Although a completely different person is listed on the company's website.
Questra World was launched in 2013. But the company's management has been pursuing its history with the SFG Group since 2009, stating that it was just a rebranding. But even this simple chronological fact is nowis being questioned. In reviews of Questra World, there is a position that its founders deliberately made its history ancient in order to give it a more attractive investment image. A staff of just over 100 people worldwide.
Registration for Questra World in Spanish. As well as all reporting. Former partners and investors of the Questra World pyramid believe that the formation of written documentation and even oral presentations with reports on the company's activities in a foreign language is just a ploy to divert eyes from its true affiliation.
Who is Questra World? Judging by her website, she provided services for the implementation of the development of marketing solutions for large businesses, along with carrying out consulting activities in this area in the form of organizing and holding webinars, meetings, various training and presentation events around the world.
The management of Questra World/Questra World positioned their firm as an advertising broker. And it was in the development of the advertising business that she saw her mission. For those who de alt with the question: how to make money with Questra World, there is no answer. The basis of her success, as stated in her commercials, was the collection business in Europe. Therefore, in Kazakhstan, as well as in Russia, Questra World had only representative offices.
The company, with the help of investors, buys debt portfolios from banks and sells them to interested collection agencies. The capital formed on this basis is multiplied in foreign financial markets, includingcryptocurrency market (ICO).
Judging by the feedback that former investors have now begun to leave, Questra World did not actually carry out collection activities, did not place the capital entrusted to it in cryptocurrency, its activities were subject to the simple and classic rules of the financial pyramid.
Income generation
Essentially, the company's income was entirely dependent on its investors, so the company itself sought to constantly expand, and therefore invited its potential partners to join the family, creating its branches and consulting centers everywhere.
The purpose of this business, as stated on the website, was the constant creation of new agents of the company.
Bonuses and gifts were paid for attracting new partners and agents. This principle of network marketing made possible the geography of its presence on all continents, the creation of more than a thousand centers and dozens of branches.
Income of company members, according to the website, was divided into two types:
- The first type of income. It is received by the Company's Agents in the form of a reward for attracting a new client - a partner of Questra World. The amount of remuneration varies according to the approved gradation of agents, their rank. The client, becoming a partner of the company, invests money in it by buying an investment portfolio. Based on the results of a certain period, the client receives a profit.
- The second type of income is a bonus program that motivates you to move up the career ladder with various monetary orreal bonuses. Agents who were in the leading positions were offered as bonuses, in particular, yachts and real estate.
Become a partner of Questra World, as its employees claimed in commercials, anyone could, because the minimum entry threshold was only 90 euros. Payments could be received every week, month. It was possible to make investments for a year at more than 100%.
What's going on now. 2017
Of course, such attractive conditions did not leave many indifferent and helped to make significant capital. But something went wrong in the middle of this year.
Questra World's partners began to notice that the payments due to them were made with a creak, they began to be delayed for several months in a row. The company was in a fever. The first complaints appeared, fruitless correspondence with the company's management. The most advanced Internet users were able to get information about the freezing in the first half of the year of payments to European partners.
Since May, we have also been talking about Russia. The latest information is about the purchase of Questra World in early November by another company. From the speech of its head, it follows that at the present time, inspections of the purchased business have begun, the assessment of its assets and the revision of legal documents. The review will take about six months. At this time, all transactions of the company are officially frozen, including the deposit, replenishment, withdrawal of funds of its clients. The company is now officially on vacation.
None of those who were deceived in Questra World anymore, butreviews, does not believe in the positive outcome of her story. At the same time, information began to spread among investors that the management of Questra World would not give savings to investors and partners, and with all the capital they had already transferred to another company, Five Winds / Five Winds. No one is sure that the management of Questra World will allow the withdrawal of money. This news finally crushed the hopes of many hundreds of participants in this, as it turned out, financial pyramid.
Naturally, former partners and investors began to unite to solve the problems that arose. At specialized forums for business people, it began to turn out that frightened clients of the company massively stepped up their activities to attract new investors, through which they quickly withdraw their funds. Some even open new branches of the company, already knowing that it is not viable. Telling interested but uninformed citizens about successful investing with Questra World, they describe its past but not its present, effectively swindling new customers.
Of course, it looks like a scam, but when it comes to hard-earned millions that fly into the pipe before our eyes, conscience turns away and looks the other way.
Krymov
Pavel Krymov's involvement in dubious financial organizations, including Questra World, is based on an appeal published on the Internet by his supposedly German partner, who accidentally got information compromising the businessman. After that, the partner began to look for Krymovadditional information and came to the disappointing conclusion that Questra World, like AGAM and other companies, is a financial pyramid, which is led by Pavel Krymov from the shadows. Like it or not, will soon be known.
Currently, there is a lot of information on the Internet from citizens who have lost their savings in Questra World and other organizations. His investors, who did not receive the promised profit, created the Stop Krymov website and similar ones. They accumulate all available information on each of the projects to which he was, in their opinion, related. They do this in order to apply to the court for compensation for the damage caused with the evidence obtained.
Former Questra World investors question almost all the data on the mechanisms for generating income officially announced on the company's website: conducting collection activities in Europe, participating in the cryptocurrency market, and so on.
It seems that many were lucky enough to take part in one of the largest pyramid schemes in recent history. And the success story of the company was formed only thanks to their capital.
Judging by the reviews of Questra World, who was deceived - the former investors and partners of the company. According to them, Questra World's positioning as an international firm allowed it to raise funds from all over the world and keep them on Krymov's accounts. That is why the damage from its activities today amounts to a total of hundreds of millions of dollars. Now only the lazy one does not write critical remarks about Questra World.
Money loves silence
The Questra World reviews describe the chronicle of the dive bomber as follows:
in 2016:
- March-April: New investment options announced. A representative office of Questra World is opened in Kazakhstan and Russia.
- May-August: connection of Bitcoin, ePayments, OKPay and AdvCash payment systems.
in 2017:
- December 2016-January 2017: company holidays announced.
- February: competition announced, business is booming, investors are happy.
- June-August: beginning of discontinuation of payments in some countries, then an avalanche of office closures and freezing of customer accounts around the world, starting from the EU countries and ending with Russia.
- From August to the present: announcement of the next vacation in the company, dissemination in the media of information about the appeal of deceived depositors to the prosecutor's office. Former partners and investors are massively withdrawing funds under gray schemes, increasing the number of affected citizens.
What happened to such a successful company, because she felt good until the autumn of this year? Where are the management of Questra World Moscow, top management and their public explanations to their investors and partners? Why are customer accounts frozen? If the company died for a long time, what was the information spread on the network with the speech of its new owner and his statements about a certain six-month period necessary for the audit of Questra World's activities?
The answers that come to mind are disappointing.
Probably soapythe bubble just burst. The margin of safety of its thin walls has dried up. The dissemination of information about the purchase of Questra World by a new person may just be a cover for the former administration to quietly withdraw all capital and an attempt to avoid responsibility for what they have done.
Hence the reason for her silence and not appearing in public. The history of the Questra World pyramid once again shows how easy it is, having already been taught by bitter experience, to fall into the networks of dubious financial schemes when investing money.
