Piyush Makwana, based in Gujarat, India, launched the Ad Profit scheme in September 2015, offering investors promised returns of up to 150% on "Ad Packs" ranging from $1 to $30. This business model bears a striking resemblance to Makwana's previous venture, Get Paid To Click, which collapsed in late 2013 after a brief run.
Makwana's earlier scheme, Get Paid To Click, debuted in September 2013. It promised 120% returns on $1 investments. The operation struggled with recruitment within a month, and by December 2013, it had ceased operations. Makwana himself noted on social media that new participant growth had stalled in October of that year.
Ad Profit operates without any verifiable retail product. Its affiliates market only memberships in the scheme. Participants purchase "Ad Packs," which come with advertising credits supposedly usable on the Ad Profit website. These credits serve as a superficial layer to obscure the underlying financial structure.
The compensation plan operates as a classic Ponzi arrangement. Investors buy Ad Packs at various price points, each tied to a specific return on investment. The Basic Plan, priced at $1, promises 125% returns. The Premium Plan costs $3 for a 130% return, while the Silver Plan is $5 for 135%. Higher tiers include the Gold Plan at $10 for 140%, the Diamond Plan at $15 for 145%, and the Ultimate Plan at $30, which offers 150%.
Investors can acquire up to 300 Ad Packs across the Basic through Diamond tiers. The Ultimate Plan allows for up to 3,000 positions. A critical component of the scheme requires 40% of all generated returns to be reinvested directly into purchasing new Ad Packs, a common feature in such operations designed to keep capital within the system.
Referral commissions are paid through a three-level unilevel structure. Affiliates earn 6% on direct recruits (level 1). They receive 3% from individuals recruited by their direct downline (level 2), and 1% from the third level of recruitment. Membership itself is free, but an investment of at least $1 is mandatory to participate in the profit-sharing and commission structure.
The company itself confirms the Ponzi mechanics in its own terms. Ad Profit states, "The revenue from each pool is distributed to the active ad packs of the same pool." This means that funds from new investors entering the system are directly used to pay returns to existing investors, rather than being generated through external sales or legitimate business activity.
The advertising credits offered with Ad Packs hold no real value, as evidenced by the scheme's refund policy. Ad Profit explicitly states, "Referral commissions and profit sharing are instantly and automatically done. This process cannot be reversed. Therefore, NO REFUND will be provided." This policy ensures that incoming capital is immediately disbursed to prior investors, leaving no funds available for refunds.
The scheme also includes a clause allowing Ad Profit to unilaterally change its terms. The company reserves "the right to alter the Terms of Service at any time, including fees, special offers, rules and also reserves the right to cancel its services any time and without any notice." This provision provides a mechanism for the operators to shut down the scheme without warning when recruitment inevitably slows, making it impossible to pay promised returns.
Piyush Makwana's Ad Profit system replicates the structure and predictable failure of his earlier Get Paid To Click scheme, relying solely on new investor money to pay existing participants until the flow of funds ceases.