If you’ve ever dreamed of making six figures a month from an online store, you weren’t alone—but for hundreds of consumers, that dream turned into a financial nightmare. And now, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has stepped in with a decisive blow.
In March 2025, the FTC announced that it secured permanent bans and monetary judgments against two individuals and several companies that operated a deceptive business opportunity scheme. These defendants lured people into investing tens of thousands of dollars with promises of fully automated, profitable e-commerce stores selling on Amazon and Walmart.
Who’s Behind the Scam?
The FTC’s lawsuit names the following defendants and relief defendants:
Defendants:
- Trevor Duffy Young
- Wessam Baiz
- Steven J. Mayer
- Ecom Genie Consulting LLC
- Lunar Capital Ventures LLC (also doing business as Lunar Automation)
- Profitable Automation, LLC
Relief Defendants:
- Baiz Sales, LLC
- Salespreneurs, LLC
- Alpine Management Group Inc.
- Vicenza Capital Corp. (formerly known as Steven Mayer Lux Corp.)
These companies also operated under a previous brand name: Valiant Consultants.
What They Promised—and What Really Happened
The FTC’s complaint alleges that starting as early as 2022, the defendants promised consumers could earn “$100K+ per month” or run “million-dollar” e-commerce stores. They marketed themselves as automation experts who would build and manage these stores entirely for the consumer.
But those promises turned out to be empty. According to the FTC, most consumers lost tens of thousands of dollars, and very few saw anything close to the revenue that was promised. Meanwhile, the defendants allegedly raked in at least $13.9 million through this scheme.
Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, put it bluntly:
“Young, Baiz, and Baiz’s companies were part of a deceptive operation that took advantage of consumers looking to invest their hard-earned money, only to learn that promises of successful e-commerce stores were a total sham.”
What the Court Ordered
Both Trevor Duffy Young and Wessam Baiz, along with Baiz’s companies Baiz Sales, LLC and Salespreneurs, LLC, have agreed to settlement orders that include:
🔒 Permanent bans:
They are now prohibited from marketing, promoting, or selling any business opportunity ever again.
💸 Monetary judgments:
- Baiz and his companies face a judgment of $13,988,712, which is largely suspended based on financial disclosures.
- Young faces a judgment of $6,024,211, also mostly suspended.
If the FTC finds that either party misrepresented their financial situation, the full amount becomes immediately due.
🏦 Asset surrender:
Both parties must surrender the contents of numerous bank accounts and any other assets held by the court-appointed receiver.
You can view the full FTC press release here:
🔗 FTC Press Release on Business Opportunity Scam Ruling
What’s Next?
While Young and Baiz have settled, the FTC’s legal action against the remaining defendants is ongoing. Their operations remain shut down under preliminary injunctions.
This case is a strong reminder:
If someone promises you easy money from a “done-for-you” online business, think twice—and then think again. Scams like these often sound slick and convincing, but they can end up costing you more than just your savings.
💡 Pro Tip: Always check out business opportunity disclosures. The FTC’s Business Opportunity Rule exists to protect you—if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
