Vinicius Junior and other football stars face legal action for promoting a cryptographic pyramid scheme worth 18 billion reais.

Legal proceedings are being prepared against at least 20 international footballers for their involvement in promoting Omegapro, a cryptographic pyramid scheme that defrauded investors of over 3 billion euros (approximately 18.5 billion reais).

Sports celebrities involved in a fraudulent scheme

According to the Spanish media outlet El Diario, several big names in world football would be involved, including Vinicius Junior, Roberto Carlos, and Ronaldinho Gaúcho. Other stars such as Kaká, Casillas, Puyol, Abidal, and Figo are also among the personalities who supported this venture during promotional events.

The Dutchman Robert Velghe and the Swede Andreas Szakacs, leaders of Omegapro, were arrested in Turkey last year. El Diario emphasizes that Szakacs would have ties to the Bulgarian scammer Ruja Ignatova, nicknamed the "queen of cryptocurrencies," who has been missing since 2017.

Lars Olofsson, a lawyer specializing in cryptocurrency law representing hundreds of victims, stated: "All football players who participated in the Omegapro events will be subject to legal action in London." Similar proceedings are underway in France, where thousands of victims are involved. According to the Protos website, Spain is also considering legal action against these footballers.

An unrealistic yield promise of 300%

Omegapro promised an exceptional return of 300% in just 14 months through alleged investments in cryptocurrencies. This structure had been flagged as suspicious by the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) even before the fraud was revealed, placing it on a list of "non-transparent financial companies."

Starting in 2022, while Omegapro's promotional events were in full swing, regulators from several countries including France, Belgium, Colombia, and Peru had issued warnings regarding this possible Ponzi scheme. A technical analysis revealed that the company was using several different web addresses to operate.

Spectacular marketing strategies involving footballers

The site El Diario details how Omegapro deployed an aggressive marketing strategy with events in football stadiums, advertisements in prestigious shopping malls, and even a projection of its logo on the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai.

It was precisely in Dubai that a global Omegapro convention took place in 2022, where Roberto Carlos appeared wearing a t-shirt bearing the company's logo. Contacted by El Diario, his press service simply stated that the former Brazilian international "has never been an official ambassador for the company."

A similar event took place in Panama, where Vinicius Junior took the stage wearing an Omegapro t-shirt. According to El Diario, the Real Madrid player's team did not respond to requests for comments.

Ronaldinho Gaúcho, already involved in the past in controversial agreements leading to legal proceedings, also promoted Omegapro, notably during an event called "Legends Cup" in 2022, a friendly match organized with former Ballon d'Or winner Luis Figo.

Some players claim to have been recruited by the United Arab Emirates government to participate in events where Omegapro showcased its brand, thus explaining their presence in outfits bearing the company's logo.

Testimonials from Victims

The Diary has collected testimonies from several defrauded investors, all of whom emphasized the importance that the participation of famous footballers had in their decision to invest in this fraudulent scheme.

A victim identified as Dolores reported losing 18,000 euros, representing all her savings. "How could anyone imagine it was a scam? Football players were involved, and the company's logo was even projected on the skyscraper in Dubai!" she told the Spanish media.