Amid the cryptocurrency boom, alongside serious and innovative projects, sophisticated scams also persist. A recent case has come to light, where the images of famous football stars were exploited to lure investors, resulting in losses amounting to billions of euros.
Football Stars and the Crypto Trap
According to investigations by El Diario, a reputable investigative news outlet in Spain, the cryptocurrency project Omegapro embezzled around 3 billion euros (approximately 3.23 billion USD) from hundreds of investors. The project exhibited typical characteristics of a pyramid scheme: promising massive profits within just 14 months and using the images of several football stars as advertising bait.
The list of stars involved is astounding, including big names like Kaká, Luis Figo, Iker Casillas, Roberto Carlos, Fernando Hierro, Ronaldinho, and Carles Puyol. These players promoted the project through live events or on social media.
Notable in this list is the name Vinícius, a player who has been widely rumored to be the potential winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or, also participated in promoting this fraudulent project.
Related: Kylian Mbappe Hacked on X Account to Shill Memecoin
Investor Suffering
Interviews with victims by El Diario revealed that the presence of these football stars was the key factor in convincing them to invest. An example is Dolores, who lost her entire savings of 18,000 euros:
I never imagined this was a scam. How could I doubt it when famous players were involved, and the company logo was even displayed on a skyscraper in Dubai?
Currently, three key leaders of Omegapro have been arrested, while two other masterminds remain at large. Lawyers representing the victims have pledged to bring all involved players to court.
Notably, while this scam was only uncovered in 2022, the Spanish Securities and Markets Commission had already warned about Omegapro’s transparency two years prior.
Ronaldinho: Legal Troubles Not Just Once
Particularly, Ronaldinho—one of the stars mentioned—has previously been involved in another crypto scam. Last summer, Brazilian authorities investigated the superstar in connection with “18kRonaldinho”—a project promising unrealistic daily returns of up to 2% for a minimum investment of 30 USD.
Initially, Ronaldinho refused to appear in court to clarify his role. After “18kRonaldinho” was exposed as a Ponzi scheme, the former star denied any involvement, claiming he only participated in advertising and that his image had been used without consent.
Related: Ronaldinho Mentions Memecoin WATER Following Messi
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