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SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Sunday, May 19, 2024

Texas OAG secures $10.76M judgment against pyramid scheme operators, defendants accused of exploiting consumers during Covid-19 pandemic

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AUSTIN – The Office of the Attorney General secured a $10.76 million final judgment and permanent injunction against BINT Operations (Blessings in No Time) and its owners, LaShonda and Marlon Moore of Frisco, Texas, for the perpetration of an illegal pyramid scheme, a press release states.  

By deceptively marketing itself as a faith-based wealth building organization, Blessings in No Time scammed consumers out of tens of millions of dollars. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Moores promised to “bless” participants with large sums of money in exchange for up-front monetary contributions. The scam falsely promised investment returns as high as 800 percent. 

The couple, who had appeared on a reality show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, invoked the affiliation to enhance the appearance of credibility. The Moores scammed nearly 8,000 consumers in Texas and across the country, the press release states. 

In June 2021, Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the initial lawsuit against BINT Operations for promoting and operating the illegal scam. 

The $10.76 million judgment secured by the state of Texas is a critical step toward bringing the Moores to justice for taking advantage of unsuspecting victims, many of whom cited financial distress due to the economic upheaval associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.  

As part of the $10,760,000 judgment secured by the OAG, and enforcement actions taken by the Federal Trade Commission and the State of Arkansas, the defendants will pay up to $2,500,000, and no less than $450,000, for a Texas-administered fund that will assist victims of the Moores’ “Blessings in No Time” pyramid scheme. 

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