The FTC has obtained a court order freezing Genesis Tech, a network of 15 corporations and 8 individuals accused of running deceptive subscription schemes across apps including Nebula, MadMuscles, and PDF Guru. The enterprise allegedly used Cyprus-registered affiliates and Delaware shell companies to market apps to US consumers, routing payments to evade fraud monitoring. From early 2023 to mid-2025, five products alone generated nearly $250M in revenue, with PayPal transactions totaling nearly $700M in a single year. The alleged tactics included hiding auto-renewing subscriptions in fine print, adding unauthorized charges, and making cancellation deliberately difficult. The FTC alleges violations of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act.
