HyperVerse, the crypto fund that dazzled the world with its promise of a digital utopia, has spectacularly imploded, leaving behind a staggering $1.3 billion black hole. But here’s the real kicker: its CEO, Steven Reece Lewis, was nothing but a fictitious character played by Steve Harrison, a British national. This revelation is just the tip of an iceberg in a sea of fraudulent crypto schemes that persistently target consumers, often with celebrity endorsements as bait.
The Charade of Steven Reece Lewis
Hyperverse, formerly known as Hyperfund, once hailed as the new frontier of a virtual world, turned out to be a façade. The Guardian’s extensive report on this scam painted a picture of deception, where a CEO with fabricated qualifications was the poster boy. This pseudo-CEO, promoted alongside celebrity endorsements, was a creation to lure investors into a web of lies.
The fake CEO with impressive qualifications was impersonated by the British national and Thailand resident Steve Harrison, BehindMLM reported. BehindMLM referred to a video by Nobody Special Finance in which the identity of the man who played the HyperVerse CEO was revealed. While we now know who Steven Reece Lewis is, we still don’t know how he was hired by to play Hyperverse CEO.
The Sinister Australian Connection
The plot thickens with the Australian entrepreneurs Sam Lee and Ryan Xu. These two are linked to the defunct Blockchain Global, which owes its creditors a cool $58 million. They seem to be the brains behind Hyperverse and its predecessor, HyperFund. Their grand vision of a metaverse to rival Facebook was nothing but smoke and mirrors.
Celebrity Endorsements: A Dangerous Game
The use of celebrities like Steve Wozniak and Chuck Norris to endorse Hyperverse added a veneer of credibility to this sham. These celebs, likely unaware of the scheme’s true nature, were paraded as supporters, making the scam even more enticing for unsuspecting investors.
The Red Flags Ignored
Hyperverse’s lack of transparency should have set off alarm bells. No records of Steven Reece Lewis at esteemed institutions like the University of Leeds or Cambridge or his alleged stint at Goldman Sachs or Adobe were ever found. Yet, the scheme continued to reel in investors, promising a metaverse of endless possibilities and dubious membership returns.
Despite a presentation on compliance by a so-called officer, Hyperverse was far from it. Its claim of being a “globally compliant company” was as real as its CEO. The warnings of the risk of loss, buried in the fine print, were the only truthful element in this grand deception.
The Aftermath: HyperNation and Continued Deception
With Hyperverse crumbling, members were funneled into HyperNation, another dubious platform. The disappearance of Reece Lewis from the scene was as mysterious as his existence.
FinTelegram’s Call to Action
We at FinTelegram urge whistleblowers and insiders to come forward with any information on Hyperverse, HyperNation, and their affiliates. Let’s pull back the curtain on these crypto charlatans and prevent more consumers from falling prey to their schemes. We can’t let the allure of celebrity endorsements blind us to the reality of these crypto cons. Stay alert, stay informed, and help us expose these frauds.
