On September 7th, the Traffic Monsoon Receiver issued new subpoenas targeting payment processors Payza, Payment World, and Pay World. These demands seek extensive financial records related to Charles Scoville and his family, covering transactions from January 2013 onward.
This latest action follows earlier subpoenas issued a month prior to several banks, seeking similar financial details concerning Scoville and his relatives. Traffic Monsoon, launched by Charles Scoville, operated as an alleged advertising platform that promised users returns for viewing ads and recruiting others. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a complaint against Scoville and Traffic Monsoon in July 2016, accusing the operation of being a $207 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 160,000 investors globally.
The September 7th filings specifically name Payza, operating under aliases such as MH Pillars, AlertPay, Damaras Limited, and Solitaire Holdings Inc., alongside Payment World and Pay World. These payment gateways allegedly facilitated the flow of funds within the Traffic Monsoon scheme, processing deposits from new participants and purported payouts to existing members. Regulators often target such third-party financial service providers to trace illicit funds and recover assets for victims.
Payza and Payment World share a documented history of facilitating transactions for alleged Ponzi schemes. Both companies are currently defendants in a $13 million lawsuit initiated by Kenneth D. Bell, the Zeek Rewards Receiver, in the Western District of North Carolina. The Zeek Rewards lawsuit alleges that these processors knowingly or negligently handled funds for a separate $600 million online retail scheme that collapsed in 2012, affecting hundreds of thousands of participants. Their alleged involvement in Zeek Rewards established a pattern of association with operations later deemed fraudulent by federal authorities.
The Receiver's subpoenas demand all available information from January 2013 to the present. This includes records tied to Charles Scoville, Traffic Monsoon UK Limited, and Traffic Monsoon UK. It also extends to Scoville's wife, Semera Hussain, and his son, Taylor Scoville. The list further names Kelly Escobar, whose specific connection to Scoville and Traffic Monsoon remains unclear from public filings. Investigators frequently trace funds through family members and related corporate entities to uncover the full scope of a financial scheme.
Additional entities subject to the information requests include AdHitProfits, TviPtc, InfinityBux, BuxSecure, PowerfulBux, ForeverBux, BuxUnleashed, Banrev.com, Ultimate Power Boos, WealthEngineX, and U Launch Formula. The breadth of these demands indicates a wide-ranging investigation into Scoville's financial network, suggesting potential connections between Traffic Monsoon and other alleged online investment or advertising schemes. Many of these entities appear to be "revshare" or "paid-to-click" websites, a common structure for high-yield investment programs.
The targeted payment processors have until October 3rd to comply with the subpoenas. Non-compliance could lead to court orders compelling disclosure or sanctions. Meanwhile, a preliminary injunction hearing for Traffic Monsoon is still scheduled for September 23rd in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. During this hearing, the court will consider whether to permanently freeze assets and appoint a permanent receiver to manage the recovery process for victims.
The federal court in Utah will hear arguments in the Traffic Monsoon preliminary injunction on September 23rd.