ArmInfo. The Investigative Committee of Armenia reports on the revelation of a pyramid scheme founded in 2013 in the Islamic Republic of Iran and registered under the name of Vodanet British LTD in the United Kingdom. The pyramid has operated on the territory of the Republic of Armenia since 2016 through a criminal conspiracy of a number of citizens of Iran, the UK and the RA.
According to the press service of the investigative body, according to the factual data obtained in the framework of the criminal case, the members of the criminal group, acting under the name of VODA, created a system prohibited by law with the involvement of new members and assets. As a result, under the pretext of providing an opportunity to obtain benefits through participation in business trainings organized by an "international reputable company", many citizens were recruited. They were encouraged to register on the online platforms voda.net and vodanet.io and pay, allegedly, membership fees in the amount of from 450 to 21 thousand US dollars, which were presented as guaranteed investments in exchange for permission to operate within the company.
Vodanet British LTD was suspended in June 2018 as a result of criminal prosecutions by law enforcement agencies of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The websites voda.net and vodanet.io have also been suspended. Subsequently, several members of the group reorganized and registered a company in Canada under the name of Onyxum, launching the eponymous website onyxum.com and regrouping the main coordinators of the criminal group operating under the name of Vodanet British LTD, continued their criminal activities in Armenia, according to the already developed scheme with an improved methodology. To achieve this goal, offices of the same name were established in Yerevan and in the regions of the Republic of Armenia, where, under the pretext of step-by-step training, many citizens were recruited, who, allegedly, were given the opportunity to make profitable purchases and sales of tour packages.
According to the IC, 11 VODA and Onyxum coordinators have been charged on the basis of sufficient evidence. The preliminary investigation of the criminal case continues, the necessary measures are being taken to find out the full circle of persons involved in the mechanism of the crime, and to bring them to criminal responsibility.
The RA Investigative Committee calls on citizens to refrain from using the services provided by the Onyxum.com website, the offices of the company of the same name and other companies providing similar services, since it is highly likely that as a result a person may become a victim of a crime.