Buyer Beware

The Agora Financial 2023| Exposed

Suppose someone started calling your grandfather and claimed to sell a cure for Alzheimer’s. If they ignored his calls, he started shouting at them. Seems painful, but Agora Financial has been doing it for years. 

And I’m not the one saying this.

Numerous employee and customer reviews of this firm have exposed their shady operations. Moreover, Agora Financial had to pay a $2 million fine to the FTC for scamming seniors in the US.

Agora Financial is a Baltimore based financial publication firm. Their address is 808 Saint Paul St, Baltimore, Maryland.

Read also about: AM Broker

AM Broker is regulated by Financial Services Authority of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; hence the broker is not accountable enough to trade in any of the regulated nations.

The following column will look at how this firm has been running its scams for years and share relevant data: 

Faces Behind Agora Financial LLC: Spoiler Alert, There Are None!

Agora Financial is a publishing company with multiple print and email publications. They are based in Baltimore, Maryland. Bill Bonner had founded Agora Financial in 1979. 

Agora Financial owner

The current executive editor of Agora Financial is Addison Wiggin. He is a financial writer, filmmaker, and publisher. 

However, Agora’s website hesitates to share any other piece of information about the people behind its operations. You wouldn’t see a picture of Bill Bonner or Addison Wiggin on Agora Financial’s website. 

They don’t even share the faces of the people running this company, which puts a damper on their About Us page.

For a company that has been operating for several decades, Agora Financial definitely acts suspiciously. In the current day and age, when companies thrive to maintain transparency so they can gain their customers’ trust, Agora avoids sharing any information about itself. 

Their About Us page has no valuable information such as the faces of the people running the firm, their experience, their expertise, nothing. 

Considering it’s a financial publishing company, Agora should have put in additional efforts to share information about the talent running it. However, it’s obvious that they don’t want to reveal their faces. 

Why? 

Because they are afraid. 

Seeing how Agora just paid $2 million to the FTC, it’s obvious why it doesn’t share any information about the people running the company. 

You should be wary of companies that don’t share any information about their owners or the people running its operations. It’s a red flag and in most cases, such companies are scams. The Cold Spring Advisory Group is a similar organization that tries to hide any information about the people behind its operations. And they are a scam. 

Agora Financial Lawsuit: $2 Million Fine For Scamming Seniors With Phony Diabetes Cure & Get-Rich-Quick Schemes

The Federal Trade Commission, FTC in short, sued Agora Financial for tricking seniors into buying newsletters, pamphlets and falsely promising a cure for type 2 diabetes. Agora Financial and its affiliates have agreed to pay over $2 million to settle these charges. 

Along with the monetary judgement, FTC has barred Agora and its affiliates from making such false claims. The Bureau of Consumer Protection Acting Director, Daniel Kaufman pointed out that Agora Financial, with its affiliates, preyed mainly on older consumers about curing diabetes and offering free money from the government.

FTC had been working on this case since October 2019, when the complaint was filed, and issued the consent order against this firm in February 2021. 

This Agora Financial lawsuit is proof of how this company was exploiting consumers and is most certainly a dangerous organization. They were targeting old people and promising them a cure for diabetes as well as free checks from the government. Both of these are pretty big claims and can easily fool someone unfamiliar with the antics of online scams.

Agora Financial LLC ran two scams, The Doctor’s Guide to Reversing Diabetes in 28 Days (The Doctor’s Guide) and the Congress’ Secret $1.17 Trillion Giveaway. 

For any modern consumer, these names would seem like a fraud. That’s why Agora Financial and its affiliates targeted seniors, who are most gullible and have the least experience in dealing with online frauds.

Let’s take a deeper look at both of these scams: 

Cure for Diabetes

Agora and its affiliates used online newsletter, email distribution lists, their websites, and affiliate networks to market The Doctor’s Guide. They claimed it was a scientifically proven method to permanently cure type 2 diabetes within 28 days. 

The Doctor’s Guide claimed that you didn’t need to make any modifications to your diet or exercise while following their protocol. They sold this guide for $249 and claimed to offer a $750 discount. According to them, you would have needed to pay $750 extra if you opted for in-person treatment. But if you bought The Doctor’s Guide, you would only need to pay them $250.

A Little About Diabetes:

Type 1 and type 2 are the most common diabetes. While you can treat type 1 diabetes with insulin, the same is not possible for type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes happens when the body requires higher levels of insulin. As a result, it requires diabetes drug treatment and is a progressive disease so the payment may require multiple medications. 

Note that you can treat diabetes but can’t cure the same. You can control your blood sugar by losing weight, working out, and making healthier food choices. 34.2 million Americans, meaning just 1 in 10, have diabetes. You can understand the severity of this disease and how dangerous Agora’s scam was.

They viciously claimed that their product could reverse any symptoms of type 2 diabetes within 28 days. Agora and its affiliates preyed on innocent consumers in desperate situations. 

Claiming to cure an incurable disease is a heartless act. It shows the people at Agora Financial and its affiliate organizations have no care for the patients and their suffering. They were selling a fake cure and could’ve gotten away with it if it wasn’t for the FTC complaint. 

Further Details:

Reverse Diabetes, one of Agora’s affiliates, claimed in their emails that only they had the 28-day treatment to reverse type 2 diabetes. When you click on their advertisements, they would direct you to an hour-long presentation. 

The presentation and its transcript stated that mainstream solutions for type 2 diabetes such as working out and eating health worsen the disease. According to their video presentation and transcript, the hidden, shocking cause of type 2 diabetes is exposure to electronic devices such as smartphones and computers.

gaHdY 7Apn8Dp5

Those people claimed that such devices emit NIR (Non-Ionizing Radiation) that causes diabetes. They reiterated these claims in their email advertisements and attribute the high number of diabetes patients to NIR. 

Agora’s affiliate claimed that you can cure type 2 diabetes by following a simple 3-step protocol. They also gave a personal guarantee that the consumer’s diabetes would go away in 28 days if they followed the protocol. Agora Financial has also made supporting statements about this scam, to promote the product further. 

They claim to use multiple Non-Ionizing Radiation blockers to cure diabetes. Following are the three steps of their protocol:

  • First, you’ll need to get Himalayan Silk, which is their fancy name for mulberry extract. They claim it would activate the pancreatitis and give an all-natural jumpstart. 
  • The second step of their protocol includes using Epsom Blue and Chromamite as “Sugar Companions”. They claim it unlocks the insulin receptors. 
  • Finally, they require consumers to use “NIR blockers” so “diabetes never comes back”. 

Along with these steps, you’ll also have to avoid using any technologies that emit Non-Ionizing Radiation, according to Agora Financial’s claims. 

The Truth:

Even though they made so many claims about curing diabetes within 28 days and saying that you didn’t need to change your diet or workout, The Doctor’s Guide said the opposite.

The Doctor’s Guide makes multiple dietary changes such as intermittent fasting, eating a low carb diet, and eating grass-fed meats. All the supplements they mention in their guide have no impact on diabetes. Epsom Blue refers to magnesium while Chromamite refers to chromium. All of them, alone or in combination, have zero effect on diabetes. 

Note that avoiding electronic devices also has no impact on diabetes. 

Clearly, they were misleading consumers and were charging them $249 for selling a guide that offers zero value. On top of that, they were lying about curing an incurable disease. 

Giveaway of Congressional Checks 

Congressional Checks, another affiliate of Agora Financial, ran a horrible scam from at least January 2018 till February 2021. Agora Financial and its affiliate claimed that consumers could receive $1.17 trillion from the government if they followed their process. 

They used to send emails to consumers and claim that they were legally entitled to hundreds to thousands of dollars per month in Congressional or Republican Checks. They started using the term “Republican Checks” after October 2018. Prior to that, Agora and its affiliates only used the term “Congressional Checks”. 

Congressional Checks, used to market their checks with their promotional materials such as the Lifetime Income Report and Congress’ Secret $1.17 Trillion Giveaway. They used to mainly advertise Congressional and Republican checks online through ads, affiliate networks, and their websites. 

Their ads claim to teach how to claim their Congressional or Republican checks. Similar to The Doctor’s Guide, this product’s ads also prompted consumers to an hour-long video.

Both the video and its transcript say that on December 15, 2017, lawmakers added a provision to the just-passed tax plan that could put an additional $6235 or more in your pocket this month, and every month after that, if you choose. 

Further Details:

Agora Financial claimed that most taxpayers don’t know about this tax provision because it’s buried in more than 500 pages of tax rules. They claim that consumers are legally entitled to Republican or Congressional checks. 

Their advertisements also introduce a sense of urgency in customers by claiming that if they don’t collect these distributions, someone else will do it on their behalf. They claimed that Bloomberg called this provision a multimillion dollar windfall. Moreover, they told consumers that many members of Congress were already collecting thousands to millions of dollars by using this scheme.

Agora Financial and its affiliate used fake testimonials to promote this product. It’s a common tactic among scammers and fraudsters to use fake reviews to seem trustworthy. Nine University, another notorious online scam, uses a similar tactic to woo clients. 

In every advertisement, Agora and its affiliate claimed that you can get at least $900 through these checks. They used doctored stock images to make it seem as if people were receiving these checks and making money. 

Agora Financial LLC scam

They used the publicly available Congressman Issa’s Financial Disclosure Report and edited it to make it seem as if they had received Republican checks. 

At the end of their presentation, Agora’s affiliate would claim that you can get all the information about Congressional checks by buying their book “Congress’ Secret $1.17 Trillion Giveaway”.

The Truth: 

Contrary to their numerous claims, the advertised book Congress’ Secret $1.17 Trillion Giveaway didn’t share any information on getting Congressional checks. In fact, it only taught how to start dividend investing. 

There was no mention of Congressional checks or Republican checks in the book. Also, the book only shared rudimentary knowledge about dividend investing. 

When they marketed the book for Congressional checks, they claimed the book was free and only required $4.95 in shipping costs. On the other hand, when they marketed it for Republican checks, they required a $49 annual subscription to Lifetime Income Report as a condition for getting the book.

Clearly, they lied about the government’s provisions and their product. Like in the previous case, they chose to target seniors for this scam as well. Their goal was to get as many subscriptions or book sales as possible. 

Following are the documents related to FTC’s Agora Financial Lawsuit: 

  • Stipulated-order-FTC
  • Ftc-Agora-Financial

You can give them a read to find out more about the Agora Financial lawsuit we discussed above. 

Agora Financial Reddit: Experts Explain Why They Avoid Agora

Online scams and corporations such as Agora Financial hate social media platforms that don’t bury their users’ voices. Platforms such as Reddit and Gripeo allow consumers to share their experiences and opinions without facing the threat of censorship or legal persecution, which scammers like Agora Financial don’t like. 

Such companies always keep an army of lawyers read to take down complaints or negative reviews. They go after people who share their opinions on their shady activities.

That’s why I chose to write this review on Gripeo. I wouldn’t have to worry about legal threats from The Agora or Agora Financial LLC. 

I’m not the only person who has pointed out the deceptive activities of Agora Financial. Many Reddit users have shared their experiences with Agora Financial. 

Agora Financial Customer Service Doesn’t Respond

Agora Financial Reddit

This person shared their experience with Agora Financial on Reddit. According to them, they had signed up for the Lifetime Agora Reserve Subscription for $1250. But it wasn’t anything like it was advertised. 

They only received an empty box with a 5-minute forecast subscription that shared little to no helpful information. 

Because of such terrible products, they decided to contact the Agora Financial customer service. However, the customer service said that Agora Financial hadn’t charged them so they can’t issue a refund. 

After that, this person contacted the bank to inquire if Agora had charged them or not. Turns out, the company had charged them $1250 and the Agora Financial customer service was lying to them. 

This person alerted others about such investment advice companies and told them to avoid Agora and similar organizations. 

The recent Agora Financial lawsuit is proof of how vast their scams are. I wonder how many people have lost money to these vicious fraudsters. Due to their vast number of affiliates, Agora can run multiple scams at once without facing many repercussions. 

Notorious in Baltimore

While researching for this Agora review, I found another Reddit thread on this company. 

This thread was about the headquarters of Agora Financial, which is in Baltimore. 

Here, someone has asked about working at this company. They wanted to know how the experience of working there was.

Many Baltimore residents and ex-employees shared their opinions about Agora. It’s several years old and most of the people are suspicious of this company. The recent $2 million fine by the FTC shows that their suspicions were right. 

Agora Financial review

One reviewer had interviewed for an internship there and suspected that Agora Financial is a sketchy organization. They pointed out that only the writers earn well there and everyone else acts as tech support for them. 

Another person shared that they had worked for a subsidiary of Agora for a year and they don’t recommend this company. 

ue8i2UnrU0dSCMwXHLkDU0jJuHyG0 LCsQ1MPorLtNT6E6shA7EK3wQNc6nAXG4WfFNgmPx lag9sU6yilVUdQSxLTdRFRx6TcUzIw3ptX82T9jcBN78hnUuA2VBF RGmRU7nnUi

This person used to work for NewMarket health, an Agora Financial subsidiary. They explain how Agora’s subsidiaries target the elderly and claim to sell cures for Alzheimers and cancer. This reviewer wasn’t wrong. I wonder how many vicious products Agora Financial has sold over the years to the senior citizens of the country.

These comments show that the FTC and I aren’t the only people who are aware of Agora’s dangerous marketing schemes. This company is notorious for taking advantage of retired and senior people by selling them useless products.  

Agora Financial Reviews & Complaints 2021: Shocking Truth Revealed By Victims

Reddit isn’t the only place where people have shared their experiences with Agora Financial. This company has numerous victims and numerous review platforms are filled with their reviews. 

Following are some of the many Agora Financial reviews I found online: 

“Refuse to Refund”

This person complained that Agora Financial got hold of their credit card through deceptive marketing strategies and billed them. Also, when this person requested a refund, the company refused. The reviewer points out that the staff at Agora Financial only wants to take your money and give you bad financial advice. They also said that James Althucher should be ashamed of himself for promoting this firm. 

“Vile and Predatory”

di0cP0To3fXgyIk hBGrf51aDLEH1tGxN6QgAs6 OMnxElSQrL1g1hqT6w67 isIaQtEybBZMstXpByWY9rfPVVGjR WqUmQz8hZ9MgsrNbdOti21NuejfL8F6y ykVZ pXSVtX

According to this complaint, Agora is one of the most immoral, predatory, vile, and manipulative companies. This person had received an advertisement which asked for a code and offered $645 for the same. 

The reviewer points out that Agora Financial uses some of the most dangerous marketing strategies and targets the most vulnerable Americans. 

“Lost a Lot of Money“

FOwnIHaV1k1feb6caDJBdegh aRGM97Htv7AgsKRFYL74 82WpFTC Q8JAVyHgXZ6ds3kiYOe5uTp3fjdzyQzPNmRhlvQymGh4wI 4XC40oFU5 I2HdF7 RpGLXRrpIqdXtWFp R

This person had signed up for Naomi’s Dark Money and discovered later that they weren’t qualified for the trades Naomi recommended. After that, they signed up for Tim Sykes Penny Stocks newsletter but that was a huge disappointment as well. 

When they requested a refund, the Agora Financial customer service staff denied their request. On top of that, the company kept sending them free subscriptions. They had to contact the firm and urge them to delete their email address from their mailing list. 

“I will Ask for a Refund”

AJcAPN3GM zDnbgES75Zo619BTwQ1xI9AO9Nf8exwiSwRyXtPCXVcsUXlU7x3k4fjxM

According to this complaint, Agora Financial isn’t very well organized. They point out that whenever you click on a course, it sends you to another platform that requests you to buy a different program. The person felt cheated and said that they will ask for a refund. 

“A Scam”

Agora financial customer service

This person had signed up for the lifetime membership of one of Agora Financial’s publications. However, they soon found out that the suggested trading strategy was unsuitable for them. 

Due to this, they requested to switch their trading service but Agora refused. The person says that they feel like their $2000 went down the drain. 

“I Wish I Never Signed Up” 

HQR6SXSy0Dv HCGykt8NVCRy7Y66C1Pavg9496iHVH3emBmB59WXGA6CABrPHuO3

This reviewer had signed up on Agora Financial for AlphaBrain. They claim it was a total bait and switch. The text alerts this person had signed up for didn’t share a nar price point for more than two months. 

On top of that, they complained that Agora doesn’t issue any refunds. It’s a recurring theme among this firm’s complaints. Many people request refunds but never get one. 

More Complaints

Agora Financial reviews
kh2 5OYuH61ijf2gkhIHlJBQV9EF8oTIHUhbReyXWG5Npf5ExvQ8f8sKPidb0U6Rn44zKxzjnOhw2d z9FWVVVlnpDIxWZTBvLxfHLJVl7 2w1aHYLQjGWB5c69q8i44YSdJ8 dy
JOpF1FVQN78VxkN f2CbpqvknxnrXLkAhoeZUYSN7HmCvmdA8t7eRYDoq90HE9o3fElx28q6mxM0FT NEPc9aBW9vBaH uIUQPciVxlpzIdKrROLRK5 Owsuyni8KRxszPamkO y

Agora Financial Jobs: Employees Reveal How The Scam Operates

The customers aren’t the only people complaining about the operations of Agora Financial. The staff of this firm also complain about having terrible conditions and unprofessional behavior from the leadership.

The following employee reviews will show why Agora Financial jobs might not be as good as they seem: 

Highly Stressful Environment

2Iuc1z0wg1hmdgj7RFeG7tkvyImTLwFrBgvfuiJoQE aC26q9a5X9jMz0TE3d4Xj4Boc1HsahOkQoF5ntDb0ikITWtl4qjooe81BHorwyR2RBBhBC qxEUcvS UfqgIacevME7Wm

This reviewer exposes the quality of  Agora Financial customer service. They point out that this firm doesn’t care about its customers and employees can even lie or shout at their clients. 

Note that most of the clients that sign up for an Agora Financial report are seniors. Imagine, if a person claiming to sell a cure for cancer was yelling at your granddad. It would be horrible. 

But the people at this firm don’t care. And that’s obvious from this review.  

Add Fake Reviews

2md4vLJvaeM Zzd2kqMu heVAHURcvM8VYet2O 9IdTUKoLz

According to this review, many positive Agora Financial reviews posted online are fake. The company orders its interns to add the fake reviews. The reviewer points out that the company is like a cult and they blatantly lie to old people to make money. 

Agora operates unethically and relies on propaganda and fear mongering to steal from seniors. This person was done with the shady operations of Agora Financial. At the end of their review, they said that they don’t expect Agora to survive for another decade. 

Only Negatives

QRgLQ4x4KTJORVWOZtzlyRYuqpGIYBoW7 SDSFmXPD8orN3ZkOHetDn AALEzLYIJ g5a2PBlQt wAPjLZ08wdydltHJ

This was a very simple yet direct review. According to this person, there are only negative qualities in this firm. The person suggests that others should avoid getting Agora Financial jobs at all costs and save themselves. 

Emotional Place

i9v87kPGpw2Yeo2j3XiLW1BOiDBYrKlk82wnK0dLAqT4gyH6UD0ldrQAx0ubY PV9aYpv14PhFB6AfU2qaO cJWRHLiTwXKj8CjwzeyY TjxA1YSpUiOd7J eCOjiciXM3a3XUJ

According to this person, the upper management at Agora Financial is very rude and makes working there very miserable. There is favoritism in the leadership and managers don’t face any repercussions for their actions. The work environment here is highly negative and other people in the building also notice this negativity. 

You can understand how painful it must be for this person to work there when they were afraid to even ask simple questions. In the ‘Advice to Management’ section, they suggest the company to train management about being respectful and behaving appropriately. 

Agora Financial Review: Conclusion

Agora Financial is one of the most unethical and twisted companies working in the finance sector of the US. The firm just paid $2 million to the Federal Trade Commission for scamming seniors. Agora Financial and its affiliates used to claim to sell a cure for diabetes and teach how to get free money from the government. 

Numerous ex-employees and customers have shared their concerns about this company. Too many people have lost their life-savings and retirement funds because of this fraudulent organization. 

Please share this review with others in your social circle. The more people are aware of these scammers, the weaker their marketing schemes get. It would reduce the chances of Agora Financial scamming someone else’s grandfather or grandmother. 

2.4 Total Score
Vicious Scammers

Agora Financial agreed to pay $2 million to the FTC in February 2021 for scamming seniors in the US. They and their affiliates used to sell a “cure” for diabetes and a way to earn free money from the government. Agora is a notorious scam.

3.2Expert Score
Honesty & Transparency
2.5
Trust Factor
3.3
Client Experience
3.5
Value For Money
4
Reputation
2.5
1.5User's score
Honesty & Transparency
1.2
Trust Factor
1.8
Client Experience
1.6
Value For Money
2
Reputation
1.2
PROS
  • None
CONS
  • Paid $2 million fine to the FTC
  • Used to scam the elderly
  • Numerous negative reviews by customers
  • Employees complain of favouritism and toxic conditions
  • Claimed to sell a “cure” for diabetes
Add your review  |  Read reviews and comments

7 Comments
Show all Most Helpful Highest Rating Lowest Rating Add your review
  1. Kind of ironic that THIS site has no faces or names of the people running the company. including the author of this post (definitely some falsities here fyi)

  2. 1.6
    Honesty & Transparency
    20
    Trust Factor
    40
    Client Experience
    40
    Value For Money
    40
    Reputation
    20

    Agora Financial owns a real estate development in Nicaragua. It’s called Rancho Santana. They sold homes and lots to many buyers in the USA, Canada and around the world. They claimed these were homes and properties that had full property ownership rights like as in the USA.

    They told buyers and owners there was a homeowners association that represented the hundreds of owners. They now have begun taking owners property rights away.

    Owners who once were told they had free and clear title to their land have learned that Agora Financial and Rancho Santana are seizing rights to buy, sell and rent their property.

    Owners are concerned this is the early stages of property seizures… losing individual property rights, private property rights or the rights of private persons to accumulate, hold, delegate, rent, or sell their property.

    It is very scary time for homeowners who expected to retire in peace and build a home investment.

    + PROS: Nicaragua is a beautiful place, affordable and safe.
    - CONS: Predatory actions by Rancho Santana / Agora towards those who purchased property in the development.
    Helpful(2) Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
  3. 0.5
    Honesty & Transparency
    10
    Trust Factor
    10
    Client Experience
    10
    Value For Money
    10
    Reputation
    10

    TINA.org has just filed another complaint with the FTC, alleging continuous violations of the terms of the 2021 Stipulated Order:

    https://www.truthinadvertising.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/6_16_21-ltr-to-FTC-re-Agora-Order-Violations_Redacted.pdf

    Helpful(3) Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
  4. Agora Financial has been operating for years.

    $ 2mil seems too little of an amount for them to pay as fine. It is not going to help anyone. They should be monitored closely. If they were running two scams simultaneously, they might be running more scams too.

  5. 0.6
    Honesty & Transparency
    10
    Trust Factor
    10
    Client Experience
    10
    Value For Money
    20
    Reputation
    10

    I hope FTC’s actions will put some sense into their minds. I can’t even fathom how depraved the staff at Agora Financial is that they were selling a literal cure for diabetes to old folks. The FTC should have thrown some guys in the jail. I don’t think $2 million would make a dent in these scammers’ earnings :/

    - CONS: Need a more severe punishment
    Helpful(1) Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
  6. 0.5
    Honesty & Transparency
    10
    Trust Factor
    10
    Client Experience
    10
    Value For Money
    10
    Reputation
    10

    I have told them multiple times that I don’t want any spam but they don’t listen. They have ruined internet for me.

    Helpful(0) Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
  7. 0.7
    Honesty & Transparency
    10
    Trust Factor
    20
    Client Experience
    10
    Value For Money
    20
    Reputation
    10

    Agora Financial is the LITERAL snake oil salesmen’s company of 21st century. They send my dad multiple emails claiming to treat this and that. I’m lucky my dad asked me about these guys first before buying one of their phone products. I’m glad FTC charged them $2m but I think they should be charged a lot more.

    - CONS: Scammers Send fishy emails to my dad
    Helpful(1) Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this

Leave a reply

Your total score

Gripeo
Logo