Cybercrime is a lethal threat to our global online society. Schemes like Scamadviserposition themselves as bastions against online scams. Scamadviser, under the stewardship of founder Jorij Abraham, ostensibly battles the digital scourge of scams. Not content with Scamadviser alone, Abraham also pilots the Global Anti Spam Alliance (GASA), amplifying his anti-scam crusade. Yet, beneath this veneer of virtuous combat lies a perplexing association that beckons rigorous scrutiny.
The Questionable PayBack Connection
Scamadviser‘s alliance with the Israeli funds recovery scheme PayBack raises eyebrows and red flags in equal measure. This connection, where Scamadviser sources data and redirects scam victims to PayBack, is fraught with controversy. It’s a liaison that begs the question: Where does Scamadviser‘s allegiance truly lie?
Jorij Abraham, living in the Netherlands (LinkedIn), tackled the pervasive issue of fund recovery and asset recovery scams in revealing Medium and LinkedIn posts, making poignant observations.
Yet, his endorsement of Payback, also known as Money Back, as a singular beacon of integrity strikes a dissonant chord. This endorsement is all the more jarring considering the entity’s notorious reputation, including a stark admonition from the Vienna-based European Funds Recovery Initiative (EFRI), which branded the scheme a scam. FinTelegram includedPayBack in its Black Compliance list.
The operational intricacies of Money Back, with its myriad faces – Payback, PayBack Law, PayBack Agency – under the stewardship of Israeli Amir Geva, a purported former IDF officer turned entrepreneur, only deepen the intrigue. With regulatory bodies like the FCA issuing warnings against entities within the Payback conglomerate, the plot thickens. The disbanding of the Pay Back Agency‘s website following such warnings is a chapter that further complicates the narrative.
It is not clear whether all websites that can be qualified as part of the PayBack Group via the telephone number and other details given on the PayBack website are actually operated by the PayBack people themselves or by affiliated teams.
This brings us to the crux of the matter: Scamadviser’s ongoing collaboration with the PayBack Group. Despite the revelations and regulatory caution, Scamadviser’s referral pipeline to PayBack, as outlined by Abraham, remains operational. This partnership, rather than dispelling doubts, fuels them, casting a long shadow over Scamadviser’s purported mission.
The GASA Event
Moreover, the impending “Global Anti Scam Summit Europe 2024,” orchestrated by Abraham’s GASA in Brussels, looms on the horizon. The summit, boasting a roster of distinguished figures from law enforcement and judicial circles, including German public prosecutor Nino Goldbeck, promises to be a landmark event. Yet, this potentially enlightening congregation is overshadowed by the tangled web of affiliations surrounding Abraham and his Scamadviser enterprise.
The Summit has some really impressive speakers. The Program Committee is also filled with good names from banks and companies. In addition to Scamadvisor, the founding members of GASAalso include Amazon and Google. That is also impressive. Whether the members are aware of the connection to PayBack and find it acceptable is not known to us. We certainly find it questionable. In the absence of information, we can only speculate about the extent of this partnership. We cannot confirm rumors that PayBack is one of the financial backers.
The apparently close partnership to this day results, among other things, in the fact that when checking the PayBack-Ltd.com website, a message appears stating that it is not possible to submit a review via this website due to existing restrictions (see screenshot on the left).
In conclusion, while the fight against online scams is undeniably critical, the alliances and operations of those leading the charge warrant close examination. The relationship between Scamadviser and the PayBack Group is a conundrum that challenges the integrity of their mission. As defenders of the digital realm, our vigilance must extend not only to the scams we seek to eradicate but also to those who claim to be our allies in this endless battle.