NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 45 other attorneys general today secured $45 million from Block, Inc. (Block), the company behind the popular peer-to-peer payments app Cash App, for misleading its users and failing to protect them from scams and fraud. Attorney General James and the coalition allege that Block failed to help users when they were scammed, misled consumers about the safety of Cash App, and failed to provide the fraud protection and resolution that it promised and was required to provide by law. As part of the settlement with Attorney General James and the coalition, Block must implement changes to protect users from fraud, ensure users have access to live customer service agents, and stop all misleading marketing. Block must also pay $1.6 million in penalties to New York.
“New Yorkers were promised that Cash App was a…
THE BHI TRUST PONZI SCHEME (SOUTH AFRICA)
Date: Ongoing updates through February 2026 Perpetrator: Craig Warriner (Principal), with alleged co-conspirators
Case Description: The BHI Trust scandal remains one of South Africa’s most devastating financial crimes, involving the loss of between R1.9 billion and R3 billion. Craig Warriner, the “genius trader” behind the trust, turned himself in during late 2023, but the legal and recovery battles reached a fever pitch in 2025 and 2026. Warriner operated the trust as a textbook Ponzi scheme, utilizing “Old Boy” networks and high-profile brokers to lure in pensioners and high-net-worth individuals with promises of 20% annual returns.
In early 2025, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) faced heavy criticism for “provisionally withdrawing” charges against alleged co-conspirators Michael Haldane and Sona Pillay. However, civil recovery efforts by joint trustees have continued into 2026, aiming to claw back hundreds of millions in “fictitious profits” from early investors to redistribute to those who lost everything. The case is a masterclass in the failure of fiduciary duty; the FSCA eventually banned several advisors for up to 30 years for peddling the unlicensed scheme despite clear red flags, such as the lack of a website, the absence of regulated financial reports, and a fee structure that was triple the industry average.
Link to Original: Moneyweb – BHI Trust Scandal Deep Dive