Promises of Easy Wealth Put Two U.S. Firms in Poland’s Regulatory Crosshairs

Key Takeaways

• Poland Fines Two U.S.-Based Firms: The Polish competition authority imposed more than $6 million (over PLN 24 million) in combined fines on iGenius and International Markets Live for operating prohibited pyramid-type incentive schemes.
• Recruitment Was the Real Revenue Driver: UOKiK found that participant earnings depended mainly on recruiting new members rather than on the sale or consumption of educational products.
• Education Framing Masked Affiliate Models: Although both companies marketed themselves as providers of investment and trading education, regulators concluded their core business models relied on recruitment-based affiliate programs.
• Modern Pyramid Schemes Thrive Online: The cases highlight how pyramid schemes have adapted to digital platforms, promoting trading tools, AI strategies, and training packages funded by upfront and recurring participant fees.

Deep Dive

For years, pyramid schemes were thought of as a relic of the 1990s. According to Poland’s competition authority, they never really went away. They just learned new language, new platforms, and new disguises. The President of UOKiK announced more than $6 million (over PLN 24 million) in combined fines against two U.S.-based companies, iGenius and International Markets Live, concluding that both operated prohibited pyramid-type incentive schemes.

The cases center on a familiar pattern where promises of financial freedom, paid access to “exclusive” knowledge, and compensation structures that quietly place recruitment at the heart of the business model.

Where MLM Ends and Pyramid Schemes Begin

At first glance, pyramid-type schemes often resemble legal multi-level marketing operations. The difference, UOKiK stresses, is not cosmetic. In lawful MLM models, earnings flow primarily from the sale of products or services. In pyramid-type schemes, financial rewards depend mainly on bringing new people into the system.

That distinction proved decisive in the investigations into iGenius and International Markets Live. Although both companies described themselves as providers of educational services, UOKiK found that participant income was driven largely by recruitment rather than meaningful product use.

“These schemes are inherently unstable,” the authority noted, requiring a constant inflow of new members and fees. When that flow slows, the structure collapses and consumers are left with losses.

A Modern Pyramid Playbook

UOKiK’s findings paint a picture of how contemporary pyramid schemes operate. Rather than openly pitching investments, they promote online “live” sessions, trading strategies, investment bots, artificial intelligence tools, and insider-style training. Entry typically requires an upfront payment, often between about $125 and $375 (PLN 500–1,500), followed by recurring monthly fees.

Participants are promised access to secret strategies or elite communities. The reality, according to the authority, is often far less impressive. Training materials turn out to be low quality, widely available online, or free. The real money is made elsewhere: by building a recruitment structure that generates a steady stream of fees to fund bonuses for those at the top.

As Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK, put it, the educational façade frequently conceals affiliate programs that reward recruitment above all else.

The Case Against iGenius

iGenius operates an online investment training platform offering access to digital content in exchange for an initial fee and monthly subscriptions. Users were encouraged to join an affiliate program that paid compensation for recruiting new members, provided they maintained their own paid access.

UOKiK found that promoters frequently leaned on social media, showcasing luxury lifestyles and suggesting that platform participation could quickly lead to wealth. The authority concluded that these narratives, combined with the compensation structure, bore the hallmarks of a pyramid-type incentive scheme.

UOKiK ordered iGenius to stop the contested practices and imposed a fine of approximately $3.7 million (PLN 14,668,589). The decision is not final, and the company has the right to appeal.

International Markets Live and Its Rebrand

International Markets Live followed a similar trajectory. Through its platform, formerly known as im.academy and rebranded as iyovia.com in November 2024, the company sold subscription-based educational packages covering financial markets, cryptocurrencies, and e-commerce.

Participation in its affiliate program required signing an Independent Business Owner agreement, paying an initial fee, and making ongoing monthly payments. While commissions were formally tied to product sales, UOKiK found that meaningful financial benefits depended mainly on recruiting others into the structure.

The authority imposed a fine of approximately $2.4 million (PLN 9,483,604). It also noted that the company ceased the prohibited practices on May 23, 2025. That decision is final.

Chróstny warned that modern pyramid schemes have adapted to the digital age, cloaking themselves in the language of technology, professionalism, and prestige. Influencers and social media play a central role, projecting images of success that obscure how these systems really work.

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