Lower than twenty-four hours after claiming CEO Johan Steynberg was overseas engaged on servers, Mirror Buying and selling Worldwide now claims they haven’t heard from him since December 14th.
The revelation was made through an electronic mail despatched out to MTI associates a number of hours in the past.
As per the e-mail;
Johann Steynberg our CEO left South Africa on the third of December for enterprise. There was common contact all through the times with Johann offering us with updates and knowledge.
On Monday 14th of December Johann had been processing withdrawals attempting to clear the backlog.
Nerina (Johann’s spouse) then acquired a communication to say he was going for some dinner & would later proceed with the withdrawals. (He had processed over 3000 withdrawals previous to this message to Nerina)
Roughly 13 hours later Clynton Marks and Nerina (Johann’s spouse) acquired an automatic emergency electronic mail to say that Johann had not logged into the MTI system for 12 hours.
This safety protocol electronic mail supplied crucial information for the staff to begin the method of working with out Johann. (Up until that time Johann was the one one with authority to cope with the dealer & technical staff).
Up until right now now we have not heard from Johann once more. We’re extraordinarily frightened and a lacking individuals case has been filed.
Take most of that with a grain of salt. What does seem verifiable factual is Johan Steynberg fled South Africa and is now in hiding.
When mixed with claims of hacking, Steynberg’s disappearance matches your typical exit-scam theater.
Wanting ahead MTI is stringing traders together with nonsense about brokers (MTI didn’t have a dealer, Trade300 was an internet site arrange by Steynberg), with no additional updates until Monday.
Because it stands right now the technical staff is again on observe and actively helping us. We have now supplied the requested paperwork to the dealer to ascertain our possession of the account at this stage.
This can be a prolonged course of. Sadly, being a weekend, we can’t anticipate additional communication from the dealer till Monday.
That provides Cheri Marks simply over 24 hours to proceed to the narrative and give you extra excuses.
It’s value noting this very same exit-scam mannequin was utilized by Marks to wind up her earlier Ponzi scheme, BTC International Group.
BTC International Group was a 14% every week ROI Ponzi that launched in mid 2017.
The “Johan Steynberg” BTC International Group equal was Steven Twain. No person ever met Twain, nor did he seem on any audio or visible media.
The one proof of Twain current was a lone picture of some schmuck sipping a milkshake (proper).
Additional analysis revealed Twain’s digital footprint started across the similar time BTC International Group launched.
By mid February 2018 BTC International Group had collapsed.
Nobody has had any contact with Steven Twain for over 24 hrs.
The leaders proceed to actively try to join with however have had no luck.
Sound acquainted?
The subsequent day this story was pushed out to BTC International Group associates;
Nobody has had any contact with Steven Twain for over 24 hrs.
The leaders proceed to actively try to join with however have had no luck.
Speculations and accusations don’t assist anybody andrew [sic] personal’t change the present state of affairs.
In mild of this surprising state of affairs the management and admin stay cautiously hopefully that there’s a completely regular clarification for this delay and we sincerely hope to have extra solutions tomorrow.
We think about sooner or later Cheri Marks will give you an identical story for Johan Steynberg.
BTC International Group, whose associates had been unable to withdraw for a while previous to Twain’s “disappearance”, didn’t resume operations.
Though by no means confirmed, it’s believed BTC International Group was the truth is run by Cheri Marks (then Cheri Ward) and Andrew Caw.
South African police would ultimately peg BTC International Group investor losses at $80 million. A legal investigation was launched however sadly didn’t go wherever.
Had South African legislation enforcement have handled Cheri Marks and Andrew Caw in 2018, maybe Mirror Buying and selling Worldwide investor losses may have been prevented right now.
Materially there may be solely superficial variations between BTC International Group. Each had been bitcoin Ponzi schemes.
With MTI Marks received an precise individual to entrance the rip-off, having learnt a fictional proprietor rapidly raises unanswerable questions.
What I believe has occurred is Steynberg has been paid off and gone into hiding. The place is anybody’s guess.
What Steynberg’s disappearance is meant to create is believable deniability for Marks, which might be what’s going to play out subsequent week.
In different phrases, MTI’s collapse might be blamed on the “Steynberg deserted us” boogeyman.
In the event that they act rapidly, South African authorities have a window of alternative to carry Cheri and Clynton Marks (proper), and the remainder of the highest native MTI promoters accountable.
That’s the place you’ll discover the majority of MTI investor funds nonetheless capable of be recovered. Financial institution accounts could be frozen, belongings seized and so on.
In fact with crypto being crypto, you’re going to must throw a number of folks in jail for contempt earlier than MTI’s scammers begin squealing. However it’s attainable.
If MTI investor losses are excessive sufficient, Steynberg could be handled in time by Interpol and/or cooperation with overseas legislation enforcement.
Replace seventh January 2022 – Brazilian authorities have arrested Johann Steynberg on an Interpol issued warrant.