A Chen operates an alleged pyramid scheme called Mint.bz from 1 Embarcadero Center in San Francisco. The operation promises investors up to 180% returns in just 2.4 months, using a token-based system that critics say mirrors a classic Ponzi fraud.
No one knows the true owners of Mint.bz. The company website lacks any information about its operators or management. Records show the domain was registered on March 1, 2011, but the registrant's identity remains hidden behind a private registration service. This anonymity raises immediate concerns.
Website code analysis reveals a connection to Detroit Ventures. Mint.bz pulls images directly from Detroit Ventures' servers, and both sites share identical HTML structures. This suggests a common builder. Detroit Ventures' domain, unlike Mint.bz, uses public registration. That registration points to A Chen, located at 1 Embarcadero Center in San Francisco's SkyDeck. This is the only name tied to the operation.
Mint.bz sells no actual products or services. Instead, investors purchase "tokens" designed to quickly extract money. The Basic Token costs $4.99, offering 120% returns capped at 30% monthly over four months. The Standard Token costs $9.99 for 150% returns at 40% monthly. The Advanced Token, priced at $14.99, promises 180% returns at 75% monthly in only 2.4 months.
Accessing the Advanced Token requires more fees. Investors must also pay $7.99 monthly for "Buddy membership" and a $10 matrix entry fee on top of the token purchase.
These tokens come bundled with advertising credits. These credits are supposedly usable on an advertising network hosted by Mint.bz. This advertising network appears to exist only to create the illusion of a legitimate business.
The compensation structure relies on pyramid mechanics. Members earn commissions by filling 2x2 matrices, which are 6-person structures. Recruiters receive $30 per completed matrix, plus $1 for each person they sign up. Money flows upwards from new recruits, not from sales of real products.
This mirrors a textbook Ponzi scheme. Early investors get paid using funds from later recruits. The scheme functions only as long as new investments continue to flow in. When recruitment slows, as it inevitably does, payouts stop. Existing investors lose their money. The last wave of investors typically loses everything.
Mint.bz has operated under this structure for less than a year. A Chen registered the domain almost two years ago, but only recently launched it as an income opportunity. This pattern suggests scammers re-launch old schemes, hoping to avoid regulatory scrutiny a second time.
The promised returns are unsustainable. Legitimate investing does not generate 180% returns in 2.4 months. No real business can produce such numbers. A Chen appears to be counting on investor greed to overcome skepticism. The outcome for most investors will likely be financial loss.