GTrade
In May, 2000, OffshoreAlert exposed GTrade, a sham Internet stock exchange operated by serial fraudster Joseph Andrew Man, a.k.a. Andy Mann. The next month, Mann was indicted at federal court in New York on 15 counts of fraud and racketeering involving GTrade and five mafia organizations, including the New York City-based Bonnano and Colombo crime families, for which Mann was later sentenced to 41 months in prison. Prosecutors alleged the group bribed brokers to sell worthless securities to the public so that insiders could profit and that brokers who ignored orders not to execute sell requests from victims were physically assaulted or threatened with assault and told to return their bribes. In 2006, OffshoreAlert exposed Mann again, this time concerning a new scheme that he set up after being released from prison. Ironically, we only uncovered the new scam after a man – who said he was an attorney but would not give his name – called OffshoreAlert to complain about one of our articles regarding Mann’s previous fraud. The caller’s Mexican telephone number showed up on our caller ID and we were able to connect it to websites that were offering a range of investment products and services, including in-house mutual funds, stock-broking, trust accounts, securities clearing, custodian, and credit cards. OffshoreAlert sent the Mann family questions - and the sites were immediately taken down!