Epik/Masterbucks stole us US$1.5M (Horror story - July 2023 update)

[DomainEmpire.com]

Hi guys,

most of you already know about the huge scam behind Epik/Masterbucks started last October 2022 when they began to ignore withdrawal requests of their customer money but there's much more now.

Recently these platforms have been acquired by a new company with the apparent intention to restore all service and pay all debts but this's just the beginning of a new scam !

At the end of July, we've hired an attorney who approached them by politely asking to allow us withdrawing all our funds but, after some days of silence, they replied by asserting to have never had any business relationship either with me (Luigi Marruso) nor with our company (DomainEmpire.com Ltd).
We've then discovered our 4 account have been terminated and all data erased from their servers to cancel any track of their debt.
It wasn't their lucky day because we had previously saved a full screenshot of our 4 account statements from the beginning till their last day of life.

We're now making such screenshots publicly available through our website to let the world knows with no possible doubt about this continued fraud.
Let's work together to spread the web with the whole story you'll find at our site with the purpose to send them to bankruptcy in our mutual interest and to terminate their fraudolent activity once for all considering they're heavily impacting the genuinity of our industry.
We'll now all to the file the letter printed on their paperhead where they asserted to have never had any deal with us.

Feel free to get in touch with us if you wish to help to writing articles to post in all related blogs/forums/social media to put an end of their career.

 

[sharfab]

That is a lot of money your company is owed. I hope things work out for you..

 

[Mister Funsky]

Feel free to get in touch with us if you wish to help to writing articles to post in all related blogs/forums/social media to put an end of their career.

In time I will reach out to you...there are a couple of loose ends I have to tie up first.

I will never forgive or forget...all involved are fools if they think all those they stole from will slowly fade away.

 

[Daniel Owens]

Have any of the epik employee's been indicted?

 

[bhartzer]

Have any of the epik employee's been indicted?

No.

 

[jberryhill]

At the end of July, we've hired an attorney who approached them...

We're now making such screenshots publicly available through our website to let the world knows with no possible doubt about this continued fraud.

You hired an attorney. You have proof they stole $1.5M. And you are going to provide material for other people, who have no idea whether any of that material is accurate or complete, to post on the internet?

What do you expect to get out of that?

Usually, one would want to pursue appropriate legal action of some kind to attempt to recover what you lost. That worked out for Matthew Adkisson.

If you do intend to pursue action, did your attorney suggest it was a good idea to offer to provide random people with relevant documents for publication on the internet?

 

[alcy]

but if op aims at some kind of bankruptcy for epik then what will happened to funds unreceived?

 

[Samer]

You hired an attorney. You have proof they stole $1.5M. And you are going to provide material for other people, who have no idea whether any of that material is accurate or complete, to post on the internet?

What do you expect to get out of that?

Usually, one would want to pursue appropriate legal action of some kind to attempt to recover what you lost. That worked out for Matthew Adkisson.

If you do intend to pursue action, did your attorney suggest it was a good idea to offer to provide random people with relevant documents for publication on the internet?

I think it would be a good to have the full weight of the domaining community behind @DomainEmpire.com. It rewarded @Kathleen Kalaf, but she was owed much less.

You would rather everything in the shadows, like epik?

If he goes quiet, hope he at least updates us, but this guy has my support every step of the way, even though you dont want him to disclose anything, outside court of law, it would seem, which saddens me, but you know best.

Can you lend more help to the guy than this?

 

[Samer]

@jberryhill, i empathize with this guy losing $1.5M and doing everything he can in his ability to get it back, including full transparency in the public domain.

 

[yaojiewen]

i have 62284usd didn't withdraw .what can i do or help at this moment ?

 

[bmugford]

I think it would be a good to have the full weight of the domaining community behind @DomainEmpire.com. It rewarded @Kathleen Kalaf, but she was owed much less.

I am behind anyone who was scammed by Epik.

I think this situation is more complex than Kathleen's though, as it likely spans many transactions over a long period of time.

I would like more information, but as John pointed out it might not be a good idea if an attorney is involved.

In Kathleen's case she did not have an attorney and everything was extremely well documented. It was a straightforward one-off escrow transaction, and Epik just kept the money.

Brad

 

[draco]

Have you talked to your attorney regarding possible criminal charges against them? Considering the amount of money involved, law enforcement might take an interest. The polite ship has definitely sailed at this point.

 

[Igor Gabrielan]

Epik offered to transfer my AI portfolio ai-names.com to them. This portfolio is apparently worth more than a million and a half dollars now. I was saved by the fact that Anguilla introduced a fee on the transfer of names. Then it was 100 or 120 dollars for each transfer (now it is 140 dollars). I am currently receiving offers of 150,000 euros for some .ai names, and I do not agree, considering that this is not enough. Thus, I missed the chance to become Epik's biggest victim. Although investors may have lost tens of millions.
Epik owed me $45,254 now.

 

[Derek Peterson]

You hired an attorney. You have proof they stole $1.5M. And you are going to provide material for other people, who have no idea whether any of that material is accurate or complete, to post on the internet?

What do you expect to get out of that?

Usually, one would want to pursue appropriate legal action of some kind to attempt to recover what you lost. That worked out for Matthew Adkisson.

If you do intend to pursue action, did your attorney suggest it was a good idea to offer to provide random people with relevant documents for publication on the internet?

Why are you, an attorney (allegedly), giving a guy that just said he has counsel legal advice?

 

[Derek Peterson]

I am behind anyone who was scammed by Epik.

I think this situation is more complex than Kathleen's though, as it likely spans many transactions over a long period of time.

I would like more information, but as John pointed out it might not be a good idea if an attorney is involved.

In Kathleen's case she did not have an attorney and everything was extremely well documented. It was a straightforward one-off escrow transaction, and Epik just kept the money.

Brad

I have private DMs sent by Monster to someone he was trying solicit investments from wherein he admits plainly that he owes domainempire $1.5M.

 

[Derek Peterson]

I think it would be a good to have the full weight of the domaining community behind @DomainEmpire.com. It rewarded @Kathleen Kalaf, but she was owed much less.

You would rather everything in the shadows, like epik?

If he goes quiet, hope he at least updates us, but this guy has my support every step of the way, even though you dont want him to disclose anything, outside court of law, it would seem, which saddens me, but you know best.

Can you lend more help to the guy than this?

The best best anyone has to get paid the money Monster stole from them is to publish all. Then maybe, new Epik will force Monster to pay.

 

[jberryhill]

Why are you, an attorney (allegedly), giving a guy that just said he has counsel legal advice?

He’s not my client. I’m not giving him advice. I’m free to comment on whatever I want, the same as anyone else.

And, confirming whether someone is “allegedly” an attorney is fairly simple for people who aren’t dumb:

https://www.padisciplinaryboard.org/for-the-public/find-attorney/attorney-detail/83911

 

[Derek Peterson]

You were giving him advice and I know you are not his attorney, that was my point. AND, yes, you are in fact giving "advice" as an attorney with intent to lead people with your superior knowledge and you didn't even say disclaimer, but best to discuss with your attorney. Maybe his attorney told him to pressure publicly as much as possible or whatever the case may be, but he obviously can't say that publicly.

You know if you wanted to help him or others you could have offered up your legal services for free or deferred payments many months ago.

Again, the old adage, you can learn more about what people really want by the things they don't do when it is in their power to do it then trying to catch them in the act and getting them to admit it. That's how I know Monster, Royce, the investors and the new owners are all POS, oh and you.

 

[Digital Nomad]

You were giving him advice and I know you are not his attorney, that was my point. AND, yes, you are in fact giving "advice" as an attorney with to lead people and you didn't even say disclaimer, but best to discuss with your attorney.

I guess he is just looking to get some clients here on this forum by always giving "advice" or comments or whatever, which is ok.

 

[Derek Peterson]

I guess he is just looking to get some clients here on this forum by always giving "advice" or comments or whatever, which is ok.

or an ego jolt. Interesting how he didn't lift a finger to help any victims this whole time and still wants people to believe he cares. Riiiight....

 

[Lox]

I guess

Interesting how he didn't lift a finger to help ….

link

 

[Digital Nomad]

link

Show attachment 244753

Thanks @Lox, that DNProtect was from @bhartzer right, @Rob Monster his partner?

 

[Lox]

Thanks @Lox, that DNProtect was from @bhartzer right, @Rob Monster his partner?

Actually, Rob was front running and flagship Hartzer’s DN recovery and DN score idea (+ glued his own “insurance idea “) as one of many Epik “services”. Hartzer is a SEO veteran and one of a few people who participate in establishing the SEO niche. Also … Danny Sullivan is one of them.

Always Due Diligence first. This way brain will not be trapped with guessing / running into loop.

Regards

 

[Digital Nomad]

Actually, Rob was front running and flagship Hartzer’s DN recovery and DN score idea (+ glued his own “insurance idea “) as one of many Epik “services”. Hartzer is a SEO veteran and one of a few people who participate in establishing the SEO niche. Also … Danny Sullivan is one of them.

Always Due Diligence first. This way brain will not be trapped with guessing / running into loop.

Regards

Are you so sure about Bill Hartzer or is that what he told people here? Is that what he wants you to believe? Because I remember him promoting it as an Epik product too, but anyways it seems he is trying to distance himself from Epik for good reason. And I guess some people do help each other here to get a good rep and keep commenting their "good deeds", advice etc. to get more clients, its pretty clear to me and not really guessing hehe

 

[Lox]

Are you so sure about Bill Hartzer or is that what he told people here? Is that what he wants you to believe? Because I remember him promoting it as an Epik product too, but anyways it seems he is trying to distance himself from Epik for good reason. And I guess some people do help each other here to get a good rep and keep commenting their "good deeds", advice etc. to get more clients, its pretty clear to me and not really guessing hehe

Here is when Rob was the 2nd in command but the 1st in command when “insurance“ is in the game. Hartzer part was DN Score & Recovery. Rob’s part was (was - thx to berryhill ) insurance on top. In essence, exploitation of H’s SEO reputation and Connections - lots of connections. R was over the place, everywhere, in rush to get “food“ for his thoughts. I & my partners, we are not “the food”.

Now, this thread is about $1.5M ….

Regards