The President of the Polish competition authority has issued decisions against entrepreneurs promoting pyramid schemes run by International Markets Live and Eaconomy. These individuals encouraged participation in partnership programs, promising profits from recruiting new members and maintaining a large structure.

In total, fines exceeded 400,000 PLN. The authority's President, Tomasz Chróstny, emphasized that pyramid schemes do not develop independently; they rely on individuals who exploit their recognition and trust to recruit others for profit.

International Markets Live (IML), based in the USA, initially operated through the platform im.academy and later iyovia.com, offering digital educational products and services. Their marketing suggested that participants could achieve high incomes through knowledge gained from courses on currency markets, cryptocurrencies, and e-commerce.

However, the key element of their operation was a partnership program that rewarded participants not only for product sales but also for recruiting new members. The authority had previously issued a consumer warning about IML and imposed a nearly 10 million PLN fine for operating a pyramid scheme.

Among the main promoters of IML in Poland were Franciszek Rumak, Grzegorz Baryła, and Łukasz Spórna, who used their social media presence to attract young individuals seeking quick financial success. They promised opportunities for business collaboration and income generation.

The authority's decisions included monetary penalties and obligations for the entrepreneurs to inform the public about the violations. The fines were 169,068 PLN for Rumak, 105,668 PLN for Baryła, and 42,267 PLN for Spórna, with the option to appeal to the court.

Eaconomy, another company involved, operated similarly, offering educational materials on financial markets and personal finance management. The authority imposed a fine of over 6.7 million PLN on Eaconomy for running a pyramid scheme and has now penalized promoter Małgorzata Magiera with a fine of 84,534 PLN for spreading false income claims. This decision is not yet final and can be appealed.

Following their collaboration with IML, Rumak and Baryła began promoting the platform jifu.com, while Magiera also promotes Jifu's partnership program. The authority is currently investigating whether Jifu's partnership model resembles a pyramid scheme.