Online pyramid schemes are believed to have defrauded over 10,000 citizens within the first months of 2025. The total damage caused is estimated at over $10 million. These are only preliminary data as greater damage is thought to have occurred.
The Fier police arrested 6 people involved in this criminal activity, 2 of whom were released by the Court. They are considered the field managers who attracted people in the form of a network. So, the architects of the scheme are unknown where they are.
Inside Story had begun investigating this fraud scheme prior to the Police's action following alerts from various sources.
Our filming team traveled to Divjaka, Gramsh, and Lushnje, talking to some of the people who had become part of the scheme.
"The economy and they deceive weak people. Come here, come there. Money depends, it depends, different prices. It starts with 20 thousand lek and up. Woe to the one who falls for it. I can't attract them, so what arguments can I say? Goodbye and health!" , said the person deceived by online pyramid schemes.
In Lushnje, the epicenter of the KSUEKS platform was considered the “La Bonta” bar, owned by citizen Arbër Çela, who was isolated under the measure of arrest and imprisonment for 60 days. Informed of the public noise that was being made, people who went there for investments were instructed not to speak. The game lasted for several months with deception, until the participants realized that the points they were winning were fake and the authorities launched an investigation.
"4 months - 2 signals a day. I also got my brother involved because I thought it was a good way to make money. I got involved because everyone said it was a good way to make money and they were making money," said the person who was deceived by online pyramid schemes.
"I was looking at the points. The points were added there, but I couldn't withdraw them. I was burned, my brother was burned, and all my friends who have joined in recent months have all been burned," said the person deceived by online pyramid schemes.
The victims of the scams are not allowed to be identified. This is also for one reason: those who included them in the scheme are mainly relatives who were either deceived or aimed at expanding the network for their percentages.
"All my friends were burned. Only those who were first won. The rest of us were burned. We were lured because it actually spread a lot. It was a Telegram group, there were hundreds of us members without exaggeration ," said the person deceived by online pyramid schemes.
"The first 10 or 20% win, while 80% lose. For the others, the system is blocked. But even those who are at the beginning and receive the first profits, people are greedy and fall prey to greed and in this way they withdraw their profits again and stay inside," said Fatjon Kadillari, a cryptocurrency expert.
One of the problems that these schemes have caused is the conflict between family members. After losing their money, the victims of the scheme have sought justice from their relatives who involved them. Our interviewee also says something like this.