(The Center Square) – The Office of the Attorney General secured a $10.76 million final judgment and permanent injunction against BINT Operations LLC and its owners for the perpetration of an illegal pyramid scheme.
BINT Operations, also known as “Blessings in No Time,” was owned by LaShonda and Marlon Moore of Frisco, Texas. They deceptively marketed their company as a faith-based wealth building organization and scammed consumers out of millions of dollars, according to a July 26 news release.
Their scheme was initially uncovered in June 2021. The couple were featured on a February 2023 segment of CNBC’s American Greed.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Moores promised to ‘bless’ participants with large sums of money in exchange for up-front monetary contributions, according to the news release. “The scam falsely promised investment returns as high as 800 percent.”
The couple appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Network to enhance the appearance of credibility. The Moores scammed almost 8,000 consumers across the country.
Former Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the initial lawsuit against the Moores’ organization for promoting and operating the illegal scam in June 2021.
“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,” according to the news release.
As part of the $10.76 million judgment secured by the OAG and enforcement actions taken by the Federal Trade Commission and Arkansas, defendants will pay up to $2.5 million, and no less than $450,000, for a Texas-administered fund that will assist victims of the Moores’ pyramid scheme, according to the news release.
