binary options

Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky in an image from the company's website (Screenshot)

December 15, 2021, 2:39 pm

Celsius suspends official under probe; 2nd staffer founded firm with money launderer

Crypto-lending firm offers 17% interest, says it manages $26b; citing ‘open dialogue’ with regulators, it says CRO’s side companies unrelated to his job, didn’t require disclosure

By Simona Weinglass

A screenshot of the Tradesolid.com website as it appeared in 2016.

November 2, 2021, 4:23 pm

Court lifts gag order on names of alleged forex scammers wanted in Germany

Germany requesting extradition of Israeli citizens Pavel Kotler, Yuri Dashevsky, Nimrod Blachman and Chen Malka for multimillion-dollar binary options and crypto fraud

By Simona Weinglass

An employee of the Bulgarian call center Dortome BG is handcuffed on October 6, 2021, during a Europol-coordinated raid (Source: Bulgarian Interior Ministry)

October 29, 2021, 6:49 pm

October surprise: Who’s who in the unprecedented wave of investment scam raids

A detailed look at the German-led blitz against alleged Israeli-led online fraud schemes in 6 countries offers a peek at the industry’s tangled webs and the figures being targeted

By Simona Weinglass

Illustrative: German police carrying out a raid on a suspected money laundering ring in Duesseldorf, Germany on October 6, 2021. (AP/Martin Meissner)

October 29, 2021, 6:48 pm

In major shift, Germany begins targeting platforms driving Israel’s online fraud

A rash of raids in 6 countries points to a new strategy: Going after the trading programs that allegedly allow scamsters to keep pushing crypto and other investment cons

By Simona Weinglass

Screenshot of an image used in SpotOption's promotional material

October 4, 2021, 1:04 pm

Insider filmed saying top binary options platform rigged, boosting victims’ suit

Detectives obtain footage of ex-industry executive alleging SpotOption software was tilted against investors; clip to be used as evidence in class-action lawsuit filed in Tel Aviv

By Simona Weinglass

Photo illustration showing money and a gavel. (alefexe/iStock by Getty Images; illustration by Joshua Davidovich)

August 2, 2021, 3:03 am

Foreigners file slew of lawsuits against alleged Israeli investment scammers

People who say they lost large sums to fraudulent trading firms are seeking justice in civil court, though they face webs of shell companies and opaque ownership structures

By Simona Weinglass

Employees of JMRB Media recruit new employees at an "Israel Multilingual Job Fair" in Tel Aviv, January 29, 2016 (Facebook screenshot)

July 29, 2021, 3:14 pm

2 North American ‘idealistic immigrants’ charged with close to $50 million fraud

US Securities and Exchange Commission alleges US-Israeli Ronn Ben Harav and Canadian-Israeli Jonathan Mimun owned and ran binary options websites that stole retirees’ savings

By Simona Weinglass

July 1, 2021, 3:07 pm

Daily Briefing July 1 – Bennett just made millions. Should he give them away?

Tune in Sunday through Thursday to hear ToI editors and reporters quickly catch you up on what’s important today

By TOI staff

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett leads a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on June 20, 2021. (Alex Kolomoisky/POOL)

June 27, 2021, 2:04 pm

Behind Bennett’s Payoneer payday, a firm that profited off smut and alleged cons

Leaked US Treasury documents reveal that the soon-to-go-public company, where the new prime minister was an early investor, did business with bottom feeders of the internet

By Simona Weinglass

Police enter a building on May 11, 2021, in connection with an 'action day' against alleged investment fradusters. (Rheinland Pflaz Police)

June 3, 2021, 11:14 pm

Israeli and European police arrest suspects in Israel-run investment fraud

On May 11, police in several countries carried out arrests and searches in connection with the allegedly fraudulent websites: Tradorax, Tradervc, Kayafx, Kontofx and Libramarkets

By Simona Weinglass

April 21, 2021, 2:28 pm

Daily Briefing Apr. 21 – TOI’s reporting brings alleged fraudsters to justice

Tune in Sunday through Thursday to hear ToI editors and reporters quickly catch you up on what’s important today

By TOI staff

April 20, 2021, 2:07 pm

Daily Briefing Apr. 20 – Did you blink? Likud may have lost its coalition chance

Tune in Sunday through Thursday to hear ToI editors and reporters quickly catch you up on what’s important today

By TOI staff

SpotOption's website offered a range of tools and services for binary options companies including payment platforms and risk management. (Screen capture: Spotoption.com)

April 20, 2021, 12:11 am

SEC charges Israel’s main binary options firm, and its 2 chiefs, with vast fraud

Complaint says SpotOption and owners Pini Peter and Ran Amiran defrauded US investors out of at least $100 million; firm was at heart of scam banned by Knesset after ToI reporting

By Simona Weinglass

[Illustrative] Kosovo police officers wait at the Jarinje border crossing between Serbia and Kosovo, Kosovo, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

April 18, 2021, 12:55 pm

German police raid call centers allegedly running Israel-linked investment scams

Police have arrested 23 suspects in Kosovo, Bulgaria and Berlin who allegedly operated fraudulent forex, CFD and crypto websites

By Simona Weinglass

Illustrative: A broker works in a trading room of a Portuguese bank in Lisbon, Wednesday, July 3, 2013. (AP/Francisco Seco)

February 17, 2021, 10:56 am

Austrian authorities allege ex-IDF intel officer ‘mastermind’ behind €200m scam

No charges, but investigators say Ilan Tzorya and Tradologic provided software to manipulate financial data and help swindlers defraud consumers; Tzorya denies wrongdoing

By Simona Weinglass, David Horovitz and Joshua Davidovich