A Fraud Veteran Launches Yet Another Scheme
Mike Taylor is back in the business of separating people from their money. This time, he's pushing PTFX University—a scheme that hides who runs it, sells nothing but memberships, and pays commissions purely for recruiting others.
The operation's website, privatetraderoom.com, went live in September 2023 under private registration. The domain details were last updated in September 2025, but the site still contains no information about ownership or executive leadership. That's red flag number one.
Taylor's history makes the omission more damaging, not less. He's the owner and CEO of BFF Crowdfunding, a Ponzi scheme that launched in mid-2023 and collapsed in April 2024 after Australia issued a fraud warning. Now he's promoting PTFX University across social media, peddling the same playbook to a fresh audience.
PTFX University charges $149.99 every 28 days for a promoter membership. There are no actual products. No services. No tangible offerings of any kind. Members can only make money by recruiting other members. Those who sign up between one and forty-nine recruits earn $50 per membership. Recruit fifty to ninety-nine, and the commission jumps to $64. Hit one hundred or more recruits, and you pocket $75 per membership. On top of that, members collect a 5% commission on recruitment activity from their direct recruits—money generated purely through MLM chain-building.
This is a textbook recruitment scheme. Money flows upward to people who enrolled early. Everyone else loses.
But Taylor isn't satisfied with simple membership fees. He's layering on a secondary scam: PTFX GoldRush Autotrader. He's selling access to this "automated trading bot" for either $2,000 annually or $5,000 for lifetime access. His YouTube channel, which he's been active on for three months, features video titles screaming unrealistic returns: "$16K in 3 Days?!", "$5K First Day Profit + $12K in Wins!", "$1,138 to $11,009 in 24 Hours?!"
The scheme redirects to a Google Form. There's no legitimate business here—just a collection mechanism.
Automated trading requires registration with the CFTC and FINRA. A search of the FINRA database confirms what you'd expect: PTFX GoldRush Autotrader isn't registered. Taylor is operating in violation of federal law.
Taylor also touts a 20% commission for anyone who refers buyers to the autotrader product. This creates another recruitment incentive layered on top of the already-predatory membership structure.
The fundamental question cuts through all the complicated details: If Taylor's autotrader bot consistently generates the profits he advertises, why isn't he running it quietly for himself? Why does he need to recruit others to buy access? The answer is obvious. The bot doesn't work. The profits don't exist. The money comes from new recruits, not from any actual trading activity.
Taylor failed to register with the CFTC or provide proper disclosures about who created and operates the trading bot. He hides the ownership of PTFX University entirely. He's returned to business after a previous scheme collapsed following fraud warnings.
This operation should be reported to federal regulators immediately.
🤖 Quick Answer
What is PTFX University and who operates it?PTFX University is a membership-based scheme promoted through the website privatetraderoom.com, which launched in September 2023 under private domain registration. The platform discloses no ownership or executive leadership information. Investigations link its promotion to Mike Taylor, previously identified as owner and CEO of BFF Crowdfunding.
Who is Mike Taylor in relation to PTFX University?
Mike Taylor is a serial fraud promoter identified as the individual behind PTFX University. He is also the owner and CEO of BFF Crowdfunding, a Ponzi scheme that launched in mid-2023 and collapsed in April 2024 following an official fraud warning issued by Australian regulatory authorities.
What happened to BFF Crowdfunding before PTFX University launched?
BFF Crowdfunding operated as a Pon
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