Charis Johnson
Charis F. Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1972 (age 51–52) |
| Known for | Running a Ponzi scheme |
Charis F. Johnson was the founder and administrator of the investment autosurf 12DailyPro. Johnson founded LifeClicks, LLC, the company which owns 12DailyPro, in her apartment home in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.
Ponzi scheme
12DailyPro was a version of what is commonly known as a “paid autosurf” program where “investors” deposited money, ranging from US$6.00 to US$6000.00 per account, and received an extremely high profit (144%[1]) within a short period (12 days). Under the umbrella of her company, LifeClicks, and through the use of her experience in marketing and web development, Johnson created one of the largest modern day versions of the Ponzi scheme. Through the use of her website, she manipulated thousands of people to join and deposit money.
In the later stages of the fraudulent scheme, she managed to retain investors' trust by repeatedly bouncing blame and failures on other companies, groups, and individuals, including Brigham Young University students and professors, StormPay, ABC4 News of Salt Lake City, Utah and even the government of the United States. “Ms. Johnson was extremely successful in attracting investors and raised approximately $50 million in less than nine months.”[2]
It was later discovered that Johnson had been siphoning money from the funds she generated using 12DailyPro (an excess of US$1.9 million) into her personal bank account since mid-2005. When the company was shut down many of these people lost large sums of money, although the earliest “investors” remained in profit.
SEC involvement
On 24 February 2006, the SEC entered into a stipulation with 12DailyPro and its parent company LifeClicks LLC for a permanent injunction.[2] On 28 February, a Los Angeles judge ordered all company assets and records to be turned over to an appointed receiver for investigation, who published his first interim report on 1 September 2006 (see below). Charis F. Johnson now faces criminal and civil suits from both state and federal agencies.[citation needed] She no longer resides in the Charlotte, NC area. Her current whereabouts are unknown.
References
- ^ Tribune, Bob Mims The Salt Lake. "SEC: 12DailyPro is a scam". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
- ^ a b "FIRST INTERIM REPORT OF PERMANENT RECEIVER THOMAS F. LENNON AND PETITION FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS" (PDF). 1 September 2006. pp. 4–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
External links
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Litigation Release No. 19579, 27 February 2006
- "FIRST INTERIM REPORT OF PERMANENT RECEIVER THOMAS F. LENNON AND PETITION FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS" (PDF). 1 September 2006. pp. 4–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2013.