• The President of UOKiK warns against the Omega system promoted by Nautilius Investment from the United Arab Emirates.
• It might be a pyramid scheme and you might lose your money.
• The Office issued a consumer warning.

In July 2019, the President of the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection levelled charges against the company under the name Nautilius Investment. The company runs and promotes systems operating on the Omega platform, which might be a pyramid scheme. Information gathered in the course of these proceedings has shown that there is a high risk that consumers will lose money they invested. This is why UOKiK issued a warning. The Office also notified the Internal Security Agency of this situation because people who handle this system may pose a threat to the economic security of the state and citizens.

Nautilius Investment encourages consumers to earn on watching ads and buying crypto currencies, but before that they must periodically buy the so-called Active Boxes that cost from EUR 50 to 200 000. Operations of this company may endanger the economic interests of consumers. The company accepts payments from consumers and promises them benefits for persuading other people to buy Active Boxes. I warn you against transferring money rashly and joining the Omega program, says Marek Niechciał, the President of UOKiK.

The mechanism of action of a pyramid scheme comes down to recruiting new members via a promise of payments for enrolling them. If the number of people joining the system is constantly increasing, it will continue to operate. The option of recruiting new members will end sooner or later, the system will collapse, and consumers will lose the money they have invested in the scheme. Establishing, operating or promoting pyramid schemes is an unfair market practice.

The UOKiK warning applies to Nautilius Investment Ltd. with its registered office in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

Pursuant to the Act on Competition and Consumer Protection, UOKiK issues a consumer warning when it establishes that an enterprise uses illegal practices that may expose many consumers to massive financial loss or bring about adverse effects. Warnings are posted on the Office’s website .

Consumers should act with due caution when someone:

• promises them large profits in a short time,
• describes the way he/she operates rather vaguely and in general terms or explains that he/she has just started his/her activity,
• avoids answering their specific questions,
• uses lofty words and phrases such as: “become a partner”, “change your life”, ‘make money with no effort” etc.,
• offers them coupons, investment packages, participation certificates,
• refers them to a website that does not contain much information or is “under construction”,
• refers them to a website that is not available in Polish (but is available in such languages as Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Indonesian etc.) and the company is registered in an exotic country,
• points out that persuading other people to participate in the scheme is an essential, if not a sine qua non, condition for receiving remuneration,
• does not reveal sources of the scheme financing or presents them very generally.

Report the scheme to law enforcement agencies (police, prosecutor’s office).

Consumer service:

Phone: 801 440 220 or 22 290 89 16 – consumer helpline
E-mail: porady@dlakonsumentow.pl
Consumers’ ombudsmen – in your town or district
Financial Ombudsman – www.rf.gov.pl – when a complaint is rejected
Regional Consumer’s Centres: 22 299 60 90 – Dlakonsumenta.pl

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone +48 695 902 088, +48 22 55 60 246
E-mail: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL