Russia's Central Bank just branded Safir a pyramid scheme, and the warning spells out what investigators have long suspected: this operation is run by serial con artists with a trail of collapsed scams behind them.
The October 18th alert from Moscow marks the latest official condemnation of Safir, which first surfaced in 2021 as Safir International. The company sits at the center of a web of fraud that includes the Zeniq Coin Ponzi scheme. Both operations were headed by Erwin Dokter, though his name has since vanished from Safir's website while Zeniq's marketing videos still feature him prominently.
Safir's current Managing Director is Dutch national Henk Diepbrink, a veteran of the MLM world since 1992 who previously pushed ACN. But Diepbrink's involvement pales beside the criminal credentials of his colleagues.
Asker Sakinmaz, a co-founder of the failed Flexkom pyramid scheme, now sits in Safir's inner circle. Belgium's courts took Sakinmaz seriously enough to file criminal charges. In 2020, he was convicted and handed a forty-month prison sentence. When that verdict came down, he was holed up in Turkey. He's since vanished.
The pattern repeats across Safir's "Elite Circle of Trust." Toanui Llaona spent time promoting Vortex Profits, another Ponzi scheme. Werner Kaiser peddled Lyoness, which authorities shut down. Thomas Englert pushed PlatinCoin before landing in Safir's orbit.
The operation's geography tells its own story. After authorities in Dubai—already the world's MLM crime capital—dared to issue a rare securities fraud warning against Zeniq Coin in 2021, the scammers needed cover. Safir now claims to run through a shell company in Ras Al Khaimah, further up the UAE coast.
Investigators treat Dubai with profound suspicion. The city has become a haven for operators who run MLM schemes targeting vulnerable people worldwide. The working assumption from fraud researchers: if someone in Dubai is pitching you an MLM, they're after your money. If an MLM says it's based in Dubai, it's a scam. Full stop.
The numbers back this up. When Russia issued its warning, Safir was getting hammered. Website traffic from its prime targets—Germany (21%), Norway (18%), Austria (14%), the Dominican Republic (9%), and the UK (5%)—collapsed by as much as 73% month on month. Victims were waking up.
The revolving door just kept spinning. In December 2023, Zeniq announced it had been acquired by My Neo Group and relaunched as Neo Zentech. Same people. Different letterhead. Same scheme.
🤖 Quick Answer
What did Russia's Central Bank announce about Safir in October?Russia's Central Bank issued an official alert on October 18th, formally declaring Safir a pyramid scheme. The warning highlighted connections between Safir's operators and previous fraudulent schemes, raising concerns about organized financial fraud networks.
Who are the key figures behind Safir's operations?
Safir was originally founded by Erwin Dokter, also connected to the Zeniq Coin Ponzi scheme. Current Managing Director Henk Diepbrink, a Dutch national with multilevel marketing experience since 1992, now leads the organization.
How is Safir connected to other financial fraud cases?
Safir operates within a broader fraud network including Zeniq Coin, a documented Ponzi scheme. Both organizations shared leadership under Erwin Dokter, suggesting coordinated fraudulent activities across multiple investment platforms.
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