It would seem that the history of financial pyramids in post-Soviet Russia and the con artists who headed these pyramids has long gone into eternity. After exposing and catching the criminals, law enforcement agencies on central television channels lucidly 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 man in the dark looking for a rake, many again allow themselves to be robbed, completely voluntarily giving the last accumulated money to dishonest people, naively trusting their assurances about quick enrichment.
Why it happens
According to our government, the country is already emerging from the crisis, showing a steady growth trend. In stores, the counters are still full of food: one was 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 relax with our families, if not in Turkey, Egypt, then in Sochi and Crimea. But this is serious money that goes simply for entertainment.
So why do we constantly make the same mistakes?
The main features of the financial pyramid
We all need to remember the characteristic features of financial pyramids:
- unrealistically high interest rates on deposits;
- a guarantee for depositors of ultrahigh profits for a long time;
- lack of these licenses for raising funds;
- in the development of the investment fund, network marketing strategies are used, which allows investors to pay interest to new investors;
- massive intrusive advertising, often involving public figures;
- in some cases, such a bank does not have collateral, that is, assets; there are assets in others, but they are scanty and insufficient to cover 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 refused to take part in these schemes. But, surprisingly, there were enough people who are ready to join the pyramids now. All of them believe that if you manage to become the first investors in such a structure, then the win is guaranteed. It is true and false at the same time. True for those who managed. After all, getting savings in such a system is akin to winning in a casino: it may be lucky, but maybe not.
As can be seen from the previous paragraph, there can be no guarantee of profitability in the financial pyramid. What motivated the desire for a quick enrichment? Those who deliberately enter into them rely on their instinct, as when playing in a casino: as soon as troubles begin, you can manage to pick up capital without loss. But the financial pyramids are based on human greed, therefore, not everyone has the right time to raise their hands to stop this dangerous game.
Examples of bitter experience
A wave of financial pyramids affected Russia in the 90s, when the economic crisis forced people to commit the most rash and risky actions. Literacy on the financial pyramids, we do not make sense to read, everyone has long understood their principles. Such words as “MMM”, Lenya Golubkov, “Lord”, “Khoper Invest” and others have long become common nouns.
However, the idea of easy money has not completely outlived itself. And the old shots still have gunpowder in the powder flasks. The story with Eugene 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 accumulating capital in China. The only thing that bothers him is Chinese law prohibiting network structures. The ideas of the decomposition of the financial system of this country and for its soulless attitude towards the population also do not meet reciprocity among its leadership: for violating the law in this area they can easily be executed.
It was no accident that Mavrodi chose these countries specifically for extending his financial constructions. India and China, on a superficial glance, are attractive states for creating financial pyramids: a multimillion population with a low education among its bulk. But under such seemingly favorable conditions, there are strong state levers of control and management that quickly stop illegal activities. Therefore, the stay of Mavrodi in India was so short. Although, according to some estimates, about half a million people were able to campaign under his banners.
Many have already heard about such a concept as cryptocurrency. It is earned by loading computer capacities with special programs that perform calculations that nobody needs. So there are bitcoins and other types of cryptocurrency. For more of this virtual money, the computer owner needs the most modern video cards and some other devices with which a farm will be created. It is on it that cryptocurrency will be mined, that is, mined. Thus, now you can make a fortune.
As for the recoupment of the costs of creating such farms, such a well-known concept as the exchange rate and their volatility arises here. The cryptocurrency exchange rate is currently taking off. But he is also characterized by falls, and they already were. Therefore, no one will undertake to predict for what period of time the construction of the farm, which has begun from scratch, will be repelled. It is believed that private cryptocurrency mining, if not already gone, is a thing of the past.
Cryptocurrencies entered the world market, and there are already players of a different level - the state. Not everyone honestly creates their mining power. Experts say that there are people who secretly use other people's power through the Internet. Many computers in the world that access the Internet are virus-infected and secretly mine bitcoins on someone else’s uncle.
Is a cryptocurrency mining system a financial pyramid? Despite the similarity of some features (active mass advertising, apparent simplicity of participation, striking examples of success), yet it does not look like a financial pyramid. Perhaps this is just a good project to increase demand for their products, implemented by companies that produce the hardware of computers, including video cards.
In recent years, only software manufacturers have been heard, and iron is of no interest to anyone. But the hardware of computers also needs to be upgraded. And the active sales of cool video cards spur this production. Therefore, bitcoins can be, albeit successful, but simply a byproduct of the project.
Rushing to the easy way of making virtual money, you need to understand your place in this scheme and be aware of not only the possibility of growth, but also decline.
Legislation Against Pyramids
At present, financial (investment) pyramids are officially banned in 41 countries of the world, including Russia. True, the law on their prohibition was adopted in our country only in 2016. The Code of Administrative Legal Relations has introduced article 14.62, the rules of which limit both the creation and the activities of the pyramids. Responsibility is assumed from 5,000 to 1 million rubles.
But the pyramid of Questra World was still able to penetrate into Russia.
Questra World / Questra World
Today we can already say that "Questra World" - was. Until the summer of this year, it was an international company showing good growth rates. Well-known and public people trusted her money, not being afraid to become an advertising person of this company.
Literally in October-November 2017, as if in commemoration of the victories of the revolution, this financial pyramid, personifying all the negative features of the bourgeois and decaying capitalist system, sank into oblivion, burying its partners, investors and all those who still wanted to stand up under the rubble under her banners.
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 reviews of those who were deceived in Questra World, this split was deliberately made to cover up fraudulent schemes of the company's management.
The head office of Questra World was first in Mursi, then in Madrid. Now, according to rumors, is in Capo Verde. Former Questra World portfolio holders now realize that in this way, the owners of this business simply confused the tracks, not wanting to meet people interested in their activities.
Registered business in the Virgin Islands. Its creation is currently attributed to the allegedly citizen of Ukraine Krymov. Although the site of the company indicated a completely different person.
Questra World appeared in 2013. But the company's management has been leading its history with the SFG Group since 2009, stating that it was just a rebranding. But even this simple chronological fact is currently being called into question. In reviews of Questra World, there is a position that its founders deliberately aged its history to give it a more attractive investment image. The staff is a little over 100 people around the world.
Register at 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 on the company's activities in a foreign language is just a ploy to divert eyes about its true identity.
What is Questra World? Judging by her site, she provided services for the implementation of the development of marketing solutions for large businesses, along with consulting activities in this area in the form of organizing and conducting webinars, meetings, various training and presentation events around the world.
The management of Questra World / "Questra World" has positioned its company as an advertising broker. And in the development of the advertising business, it saw its mission. For those who dealt 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 collection business in Europe. Therefore, in Kazakhstan, 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 increasing in foreign financial markets, including the cryptocurrency market (ICO).
Judging by the reviews that former investors are currently leaving, Questra World did not actually carry out collection activities, did not place the capital entrusted to it in cryptocurrency, its activity was subject to the simple and classical rules of the financial pyramid.
Revenue generation
In fact, the company's income depended entirely on its investors, so the company itself sought to expand continuously, and therefore offered its potential partners to join the family, creating everywhere its branches and consulting centers.
The purpose of this business, as indicated on the site, was the continuous creation of new company agents.
Bonuses and gifts were paid for attracting new partners and agents. This principle of network marketing has made possible the geography of its presence on all continents, the creation of more than a thousand centers and dozens of branches.
The income of the company participants, according to the site, was divided into two types:
- The first type of income. Company Agents receive it as a reward for attracting a new client - Questra World partner. 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, buying an investment portfolio. According to the results of a certain period, the client makes a profit.
- The second type of income is a bonus program that motivates you to move up the career ladder with various cash or material bonuses. For agents who found themselves in leading positions, in particular, yachts and real estate were offered as bonuses.
Become a partner at Questra World, as its staff claimed in commercials, anyone could, because the minimum threshold for entry 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 is happening now. 2017 year
Of course, such attractive conditions did not leave many indifferent and helped to form a significant capital. But in the middle of this year, something went wrong.
Partners of Questra World began to notice that their payments 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 management of the company. The most advanced Internet users were able to get information about the freeze in the first half of the year payments to European partners.
Since May, we have also spoken about Russia. The latest information is the purchase details for Questra World by another company in early November. From the speech of its leader it follows that at present, checks of the purchased business have begun, an assessment of its assets and an audit of legal documents. Verification will last about six months. At this time, all transactions of the company are officially frozen, including depositing, replenishing, withdrawing funds of its customers. The company has officially announced holidays.
None of those who were deceived in Questra World, according to reviews, believe in the positive outcome of its story. At the same time, information began to circulate among investors that the management of Questra World would not give the savings to investors and partners, but with all the capital had already transferred to another company, Five Winds. That the leadership of Questra World money withdrawal will resolve no one has confidence. This news finally brought down 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 of business people, it became clear that the frightened customers of the company massively intensified their efforts to attract new investors, due to 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 a successful investment with Questra World, they describe its past, but not the present, in fact tricking new customers into it.
Of course, it looks like a fraud, but if we are talking about the hard-earned millions who fly right before our eyes, our conscience turns away and looks the other way.
Krymov
Pavel Krymov’s involvement in dubious financial institutions, including Questra World, is based on an appeal published on the Internet by his alleged German partner, who accidentally got compromising information from a businessman. After that, the partner began to look for additional information about Krymov and came to the disappointing conclusion that Questra World, like AGAM and other companies, is a financial pyramid, which Pavel Krymov directs from the shadows. Whether this is so or not, it will soon become known.
Currently, there is a lot of information on the Internet from citizens who have lost their accumulations in Questra World and other organizations. Its investors, who did not receive the promised profit, created the website “Stop Krymov” and similar. They accumulate all the available information for each of the projects to which he had, in their opinion, related. This is done by them in order to apply to the court with the evidence for compensation for the damage caused.
Former Questra World investors call into question almost all the data on income generating mechanisms 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 financial pyramids of recent history. And the success story of the company was made only thanks to their capital.
Judging by the reviews of Questra World, those who were deceived are former investors and partners of the company. According to them, positioning Questra World as an international company allowed her to attract funds from all over the world and save them on Krymov’s accounts. That is why the damage from his activities today amounts to a total of hundreds of millions of dollars. Now only the lazy does not write criticisms of Questra World.
Money loves silence
In the reviews of Questra World, they describe the chronicle of a dive bomber:
in 2016:
- March-April: new investment options announced. Questra World has opened a representative office in Kazakhstan and in Russia.
- May-August: connection of Bitcoin, ePayments, OKPay and AdvCash payments.
in 2017:
- December 2016-January 2017: the company announced holidays.
- February: a competition has been announced, business is booming, investors are happy.
- June-August: the beginning of the termination of payments in some countries, then the avalanche-like closure of offices and the freezing of customer accounts around the world, starting with the EU and ending with Russia.
- From August to the present: announcement of the next vacation in the company, dissemination of information in the media about the treatment of defrauded investors 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 it felt good until the fall of this year? Where is Moscow’s Questra World leadership, top management and their public explanations to their investors and partners? Why are customer accounts frozen? If the company ordered a long life, 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?
The answers that come to mind are disappointing.
Most likely, the soap bubble just burst. The margin of safety of its thin walls has dried up. Dissemination of information about the purchase of Questra World by a new person may be just a cover for the quiet withdrawal of all capital by the previous administration and an attempt to avoid responsibility for the deed.
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 bitter experience, to get into the network of dubious financial schemes when engaged in investing money.