Uncovering a Long-standing Scam Run by Companies Linked to a U.S. Green Card Holder
A network of businesses established by a U.S. green card holder has been engaged in fraudulent activities for an extended period, with allegations of authorities turning a blind eye to the situation. Documents obtained by crypto.news reveal that Dirk De Jager, a U.S. green card holder originally from South Africa and residing in Florida, scammed more than 30 small business owners across various countries, defrauding them of at least $200,000.
De Jager operated multiple companies, including Clients 2 Calendar, Scale Cave, The Virtual Club, Millionaire Performance, The Jager Lounge VIP, Outbound Kings, and DeMillionaire Mindset. These companies lured small businesses with the promise of doubling their investment within 180 days. According to a contract shared with crypto.news, De Jager's enterprises guaranteed a full refund if a client’s business failed to witness a 100% increase in sales.
One victim, Aisling Powell, a beauty business owner, recounted her experience with Clients 2 Calendar, expressing her disappointment as the services promised in the contract were never delivered. Clients were reportedly asked for additional fees every time they requested appointments, contrary to the agreed terms.
Payments totaling around $6,000 were made in USDT, the leading stablecoin by market capitalization, and were traced to the Crypto.com centralized exchange through on-chain data.
Former employees of Clients 2 Calendar revealed concerns about the lack of progress in clients’ businesses despite significant weekly earnings for the company. The employees, primarily from Pakistan and the Philippines with no prior professional background, were allegedly hired for cold outreach on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Victims criticized the unprofessionalism and ineffectiveness of De Jager's businesses. Despite efforts to alert authorities such as the South African Embassy, Florida Police, FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service, investigations have not been initiated. An officer from the U.S. Secret Service reportedly mentioned a minimum threshold of $250,000 for online scams to warrant investigation.
Powell emphasized the need to bring public attention to the fraudulent activities to prevent further exploitation. The cumulative amount defrauded from victims has exceeded $200,000, with 30 individuals paying the base fee of $5,500 towards the scam.
The victims, disappointed and angered by the deception, emphasize the importance of exposing such scams to protect others from falling prey to similar schemes.
