Uwe Lenhoff, a German national, was arrested on 25 January 2019 in Tyrol, Austria, and faced multiple charges related to fraud. He was identified as the beneficial owner of the investment scam websites Option888, Xmarkets, Tradovest, and Zoomtrader/ZoomtraderGlobal, as well as Tradeinvest90.
His criminal proceedings were subsequently transferred to Germany. Unfortunately, he was found dead in his prison cell on 5 July 2020, before he could stand trial.
His death raised questions about the circumstances surrounding his demise, especially given the serious nature of the allegations against him.
Elfriede Sixt, founder of EFRI, filed a money laundering complaint against Uwe Lenhoff and some other guys with the Austrian law enforcement back in spring 2017. Beginning in mid-2018, we helped expose the fraud and bust the websites.
Lenhoff's friend and enabler was Rudolf Booker!
In early 2016, DJ Bakker, a Dutch company builder, facilitated a meeting between Rudolf Booker, the founder and former CEO of Payvision B.V., and Uwe Lenhoff. At that time, Lenhoff was on the verge of launching Option888, his first investment scam website. Bakker provided the necessary financing, while Barak assisted in establishing the boiler rooms, and Payvision handled the processing of card payments. This collaboration marked the beginning of a controversial relationship that would later draw significant scrutiny due to allegations of fraud and money laundering associated with Lenhoff’s operations. Payvision’s involvement with Lenhoff and other known scammers became central to its business model during this period. Despite warnings from various financial authorities regarding Lenhoff’s fraudulent activities, Payvision B.V. continued to process substantial amounts of money linked to scams orchestrated by him and his associates.
Payvision B.V. (a 100% subsidiary of ING Group N.V., one of the biggest banks in Europe) has supported scammers since its establishment in 2002 by providing payment gateway services and later acting as an acquirer. The personal friendship between Rudolf Booker and Uwe Lenhoff, both of whom shared a passion for owning and driving luxury cars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis, marked the beginning of significant business ventures for both individuals. Lenhoff also served as a reseller for Booker. Consequently, Gal Barak and Gery Shalon began utilising Payvision for their own fraudulent activities. This collaboration not only facilitated various scams but also raised serious ethical concerns regarding Payvision’s operations and its role in processing payments for fraudulent schemes. Despite warnings from regulatory authorities about Lenhoff’s activities, Payvision continued its partnerships, prioritising profit over compliance and consumer protection.
In total, Payvision B.V. processed more than €70 million in card payments for Uwe Lenhoff’s venture between 2016 and January 2019.
Legal responsibility for fraud!
Through their facilitation of card payments for scammers, Payvision B.V. assumed liability for the fraud and subsequent bankruptcies of the companies they had accepted onto their platforms
EFRI's legal actions against Payvision B.V.!
Over the past few years, we have taken numerous actions against Payvision B.V. You can read about all our actions taken against them on this website. It was challenging as ING Group N.V., the owner of Payvision B.V. up to today, refused to go legally against the ex-CEO of Payvision B.V. (Rudolf Booker).
Now is not the right time to give up!
Due to ongoing discussions with victims, we are aware that many of Lenhoff’s victims are suffering from old-age poverty and severe illness as a result of the fraud and the loss of their life savings. Many of them have given up, believing there is no chance of recovering their money.
But this is not true. Do not give up—join us! It is unacceptable for large companies like ING Group N.V. and its subsidiaries to support scammers without taking any responsibility, either ethically or financially.
If you would like to join our case to seek a refund, please be aware that we will need to see your deposit slips showing the transactions with the scammers. If you no longer have access to this information, please still come forward; we will do our best to assist you. (Note: we only work on a success fee basis).
