多家知名零售品牌，如RadioShack、Modell's Sporting Goods等，在被Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV)收购后，其负责人Tai Lopez和Alex Mehr目前正面临美国证券交易委员会（SEC）的指控。SEC指控他们涉嫌通过一场高达1.12亿美元的庞氏骗局来欺诈投资者。REV公司曾声称其商业模式是通过收购具有品牌知名度的困境公司，吸引投资者资金，并将这些品牌转型为纯电商业务。然而，SEC的诉讼文件显示，在2020年至2022年间，Lopez和Mehr通过虚假陈述吸引了数百名投资者，并承诺资金将专款专用。实际上，根据SEC的说法，REV的品牌组合并未盈利，为了支付利息和到期款项，公司使用了外部贷款、融资以及挪用其他投资者的资金，其中至少有590万美元的投资者回报是来自其他投资者的资金。此外，至少有1600万美元的投资款被用于个人开销。

💰 **SEC指控REV涉嫌1.12亿美元庞氏骗局：** 美国证券交易委员会（SEC）已正式起诉Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV) 的负责人Tai Lopez和Alex Mehr，指控他们利用收购的知名零售品牌，如RadioShack等，进行了一场高达1.12亿美元的庞氏骗局，欺诈了大量投资者。

🌐 **REV的商业模式与实际操作的脱节：** REV声称其核心业务是通过收购有品牌认知度的衰退企业，吸引投资并将其转型为成功的纯电商企业。然而，SEC的调查显示，REV在2020年至2022年期间，通过虚假陈述吸引资金，并且其品牌组合并未产生实际利润，公司依靠挪用新老投资者的资金以及外部贷款来维持运营。

💸 **资金挪用与虚假回报：** SEC的指控指出，REV在支付投资者利息和到期款项时，实际上使用了从其他投资者那里筹集的新资金，至少有590万美元的回报是庞氏性质的。此外，至少有1600万美元的投资款被Lopez和Mehr用于个人开销，而非用于公司业务投资。

👨‍💼 **关键人物及其背景：** 除了Tai Lopez和Alex Mehr，SEC的诉讼还提到了REV的首席运营官Maya Burkenroad。尽管她被宣传为经验丰富的多百万美元公司管理者，但SEC指出她实际上是Lopez的表亲，曾担任其助理。这一信息进一步揭示了公司内部的潜在关联和信息不透明性。

RadioShack. Modell's Sporting Goods. Pier 1 Imports. Dress Barn. Linens 'n Things.

What do they all have in common? These once well-known brick-and-mortar retail brands eventually hit hard times and were then acquired by Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV), run by Tai Lopez and Alex Mehr.

Now, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is accusing Lopez and Mehr of running a $112 million Ponzi scheme, using these brands in order to defraud investors.

“REV’s primary business was identifying distressed companies with name brand recognition, raising funds from investors in order to purchase the brand’s assets, and converting them into successful e-commerce-only businesses,” reads the SEC's lawsuit. Lopez and Mehr first began acquiring struggling retail brand names in 2020. Between 2020 and 2022, Lopez and Mehr "made material misrepresentations" in order to raise money from hundreds of investors.

According to the SEC, REV claimed that its approach was "one of the best strategies you can invest in." The company also told investors that unlike other businesses, its portfolio of brands was "on fire" and "cash flow strong." In addition, REV promised investors that their funds would only be invested in the specified firm.

In reality, according to the SEC, while some of REV's portfolio of brands generated some revenue, none generated any profits.

"Consequently, in order to pay interest, dividends and maturing note payments, Defendants resorted to using a combination of loans from outside lenders, merchant cash advances, money raised from new and existing investors, and transfers from other portfolio companies to cover obligations," the SEC's complaint alleges.

"At least $5.9 million of the returns distributed to investors were, in reality, Ponzi-like payments funded by other investors,” says the SEC.

The SEC also says that Lopez and Mehr used at least $16 million in investment funds for their own personal use.

Mashable previously covered Lopez's acquisition of RadioShack after the company started posting viral "edgy" tweets on the social media platform then known as Twitter. Under Lopez's REV, RadioShack attempted to pivot to a cryptocurrency platform in 2022 while also setting up an ecommerce shop using the brand name.

Lopez should be well-known among YouTubers as the internet marketer who once filled the platform with video ads like "Here in My Garage," which features Lopez showing off his Lamborghini, in order to promote his "get rich quick" schemes. 

The SEC also names REV's Chief Operating Officer, Maya Burkenroad, in its lawsuit. Burkenroad was pitched to investors as an "experienced" manager who had run multi-million dollar companies for 10 years. In reality, she is Lopez's cousin who previously worked as his assistant.