Aurum Foundation: A Global Web of Fraud Warnings and Alleged Crypto Ponzi Schemes
Aurum Foundation, an entity widely identified as an MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) crypto Ponzi scheme, has drawn significant regulatory attention globally. Most recently, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a stark securities fraud warning, adding to a growing list of international alerts against the platform.
Mounting Regulatory Scrutiny
On August 11th, the FCA publicly warned that Aurum Foundation “may be providing or promoting financial services or products without our permission” and explicitly advised consumers to “avoid dealing with this firm and beware of scams.” This constitutes securities fraud under UK law, as any firm soliciting investments from the British public is legally required to be authorized by the FCA. Operating without such permission is a serious breach, designed to protect consumers from unregulated and potentially fraudulent activities.
This UK warning is far from an isolated incident. Aurum Foundation has amassed a disturbing list of fraud warnings from financial regulators across the globe, indicating a widespread pattern of non-compliance and illicit operation. Warnings have been issued by authorities in Slovakia, Finland, Belgium (under its MiCA regulations), Russia, Nigeria, New Zealand, Greece, and Australia (twice).
Some countries have taken even more decisive action:
- France outright blacklisted Aurum Foundation nationwide for fraud on June 12th, 2026.
- In an even more serious development, Poland’s Financial Supervision Authority forwarded suspected Aurum Foundation banking fraud criminal activity to Public Prosecutors in June 2026, escalating the situation from a regulatory warning to an active criminal investigation.
- Hong Kong also issued a fraud warning, a noteworthy event considering Aurum Foundation had listed a corporate address in Hong Kong on its website – a common tactic used by illicit schemes to project an image of legitimacy and international presence while operating without proper oversight.
Operations and Global Reach
Aurum Foundation reportedly launched from Dubai in mid-2024, quickly expanding its digital footprint. By July 2026, analytics firm SimilarWeb tracked approximately 965,000 monthly visits to its website, indicating substantial global promotion and reach. Analysis of this web traffic revealed significant engagement from various regions: Germany accounted for 24%, the United States 18%, South Africa 13%, Greece 10%, and the Netherlands 9%. This widespread international interest underscores the potential global impact of the alleged scheme.
Key Figures and Questionable Histories
The leadership and promotional network of Aurum Foundation include individuals with concerning profiles:
- Bryan Benson, a Peruvian national reportedly based between Dubai and Colombia, was appointed CEO around February 2025. He is widely believed to be a “frontman” for the actual operators, suspected to be Russian scammers.
- In the United States, promotion of Aurum Foundation was spearheaded by Shane Morand, identified as Chief Network Development Officer. Morand has a documented history of involvement in controversial schemes; he is the disgraced co-founder of Organo Gold, from which he departed after a botched attempt to promote crypto scams to distributors in 2018. His subsequent ventures included Trujivan (a Tycoon69 Ponzi trojan horse) in late 2021, and the Decentra MLM crypto Ponzi scheme in 2022. This pattern suggests a consistent engagement with high-risk or allegedly fraudulent crypto-related MLM projects.
- Other individuals promoted as “top leaders” or insiders globally included Denis Cijov (Italy), Malak Nasser (UAE), Alina Kus (Poland), Inga Kirilyk Heycc Golos (Ukraine), Sebastian Weiland (Germany), Oyunsuren Lkhagvabayar (Mongolia), Al Rizqi (Indonesia, Director of Product Development), and Wilson Gallardo (Spain).
The Rebrand, Collapse, and Reboot: Neyro
Facing escalating regulatory pressure and at least one confirmed criminal investigation, Aurum Foundation attempted a strategic pivot. In June 2026, it announced a rebrand to “Neyro.” This new iteration was initially fronted by Andrew Isaacs, identified as an Aurum co-founder and Neyro co-founder, and featured Michael van de Poppe as an “Ambassador.” However, following the scheme’s eventual collapse, van de Poppe later disavowed any affiliation, claiming he was “not an insider, nor am I an ambassador or in any way affiliated with Aurum/Neyro.”
The rebrand proved short-lived. The original Neyro domain, “neyro.network,” was seized on July 29th, 2026. Aurum Foundation officially collapsed the very next day. In a classic “exit-scam” maneuver, the organization claimed it had been “hacked!” and subsequently began funneling its victims into a second Neyro reboot, now operating under the domain “neyrolabs.io.” The fraudulent nature of Aurum Foundation’s operations was further confirmed when CloudFlare, a global internet security company, flagged its website for fraud on August 18th, 2026. Like its predecessor, this new Neyro iteration is believed to be controlled by the same Russian scammers, utilizing disposable figureheads to perpetuate the scheme.
A Warning to Investors
The case of Aurum Foundation and its subsequent rebrand into Neyro serves as a stark warning to potential investors in the online investment and MLM space. The accumulation of international regulatory warnings, combined with a history of alleged Ponzi schemes, a leadership team with checkered pasts, and a “hacked!” exit-scam followed by a rapid re-launch under a new name, presents numerous significant red flags. Investors should exercise extreme caution and conduct thorough due diligence before engaging with any crypto-related MLM or investment platform, especially those exhibiting similar patterns of regulatory evasion, opaque operations, and promises of unrealistic returns. The financial risks associated with such ventures are substantial, and the chances of losing invested capital are exceptionally high.
