NDBF Orders Internet “Investment” Company to Stop Soliciting Investors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Melissa Berglund, Public Information Officer Phone: 402-471-2171 Email: melissa.berglund@nebraska.gov

NDBF Orders Internet “Investment” Company to Stop Soliciting Investors May 17, 2024 (LINCOLN, NE) – The Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance (“NDBF”) has issued a Cease-and-Desist Order (“Order”) against an entity and associated individual that claimed to offer investments via the Internet.

On April 19, 2024, NDBF issued the Order to Trustfuturesnum.com and Jack Lineker (“Lineker”). The Order became final on May 14, 2024. The Order prohibits the website and Lineker from offering or selling securities in Nebraska until the securities have been registered with NDBF. The Order also prohibits the Trustfuturesnum.com and Lineker from offering or selling securities in Nebraska until they are registered as broker-dealers or agents of a broker-dealer with NDBF.

A Nebraska investor met Lineker in an online dating website. Lineker claimed to be a resident of Omaha, Nebraska, and claimed to be a certified financial planner who owned his own firm. Lineker encouraged the investor to invest with him because he would be able to make money for her in Bitcoin options. Lineker claimed to utilize artificial intelligence to predict short-term movements in the price of Bitcoin which made trading in short-term Bitcoin options very profitable. Lineker assisted the investor with purchasing $4,300.00 in Bitcoin and transferring it to a wallet purportedly controlled by Trustfuturesnum.com. Shortly thereafter, the investor decided to not pursue a romantic relationship with Lineker. The investor’s subsequent attempts to contact Lineker and the website have been unsuccessful.

A copy of the Order is available on NDBF’s website, ndbf.nebraska.gov.

NDBF strongly cautions investors on conducting business over the Internet with financial companies with whom they are unfamiliar. In many cases, the investor is told to wire money or send a prepaid card, often to a location outside the United States. In other cases, the investors are instructed to send Bitcoin to fund their investment. Investors never receive the promised return and cannot recover their money. Furthermore, these investors may be asked to provide personal information, such as social security numbers and bank account numbers to the Internet company, which makes them prime targets for identity theft. Department of Banking and Finance Media Advisory More information about the laws governing the financial industries in Nebraska can be found on NDBF’s website. If you have questions about any investment matters, call NDBF at (402) 471- 2171. 

NDBF Orders Internet “Investment” Company to Stop Soliciting Investors

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ####