Pyramid Fraud Ring Leader Arrested in Spain
A top executive at myWorld Spain was arrested in July on charges of running a pyramid scheme that bilked over 800 victims out of millions of euros.
Spain's National Police booked Joaquin Garcia de la Brena on July 23rd in Madrid. The arrest came after an eight-month investigation launched in March 2023, codenamed "Operation Peldano." Police acted on a High Court complaint filed by 803 myWorld victims alleging losses of at least 5 million euros.
The scheme worked like this: recruits paid an initial 2,000 euros to join, then shelled out monthly fees between 99 and 399 euros. In exchange, they were promised "passive, recurring, and lifetime income"—the company dangled the prospect of monthly payouts reaching 50,000 euros. None of it materialized.
When victims demanded their money back, they hit a wall. After a year of negotiating with company managers, they had nothing to show for it. Investigators called the promised returns "financially unviable." Police now estimate that across all its Spanish operations, the company pulled in over 52 million euros through the scheme.
Garcia de la Brena had steered the Spanish operation since 2011, first as head of Lyoness Spain SL and later under its rebranded name, MWS MyWorld Customer & Retail Services Spain SL. The rebranding itself was telling. In 2018, Norwegian authorities declared the original Lyoness operation an illegal pyramid scheme. Within months, the company changed its name to myWorld.
The scam's roots run deeper. What started in 2003 as a Ponzi scheme built on phony "accounting units" evolved into the pyramid structure Spanish police uncovered. Austrian national Hubert Freidl has owned the operation throughout its existence.
Despite findings from multiple countries that Lyoness and myWorld were illegal schemes, Austrian authorities have yet to launch a case against Freidl or the company's leadership. That inaction stands in sharp contrast to Spain's decisive move.
The damage was sweeping. Spanish police tallied total losses across Lyoness, myWorld, and its associated Cashback World venture at over 52 million euros. The company's total profits from years of operation exceeded that amount—a direct result of the pyramid's mechanics, which required constant recruitment to sustain payouts to earlier investors.
Freidl has stayed silent since September 2024, posting nothing on social media as the legal walls closed in. The company filed for bankruptcy across Europe in 2023, leaving victims with little hope of recovery.
Garcia de la Brena's case now sits in the Spanish court system. Whether his arrest leads to charges against higher-ups in the organization remains to be seen.
🤖 Quick Answer
Who is Joaquin Garcia de la Brena and why was he arrested in Spain?Joaquin Garcia de la Brena was a top executive at myWorld Spain, arrested by Spain's National Police on July 23rd in Madrid. He was charged with operating a pyramid scheme following "Operation Peldano," an eight-month investigation initiated after 803 victims filed a High Court complaint alleging losses of at least 5 million euros.
What was Operation Peldano and how did it lead to the arrest?
Operation Peldano was an eight-month investigation launched by Spain's National Police in March 2023. The operation was triggered by a High Court complaint filed by 803 individuals who identified themselves as victims of myWorld Spain's fraudulent recruitment scheme, culminating in Garcia de la Brena's arrest in Madrid.
How did the myWorld Spain pyramid scheme operate?
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