Passive Income Trucking Scam Stopped By FTC

A Florida-based company known as RivX has been ordered to cease operations following a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the state of Florida. RivX is accused of defrauding customers with misleading promises of lucrative trucking industry investment opportunities.

The FTC and the Florida Office of Attorney General allege that RivX, along with its owner Antonio Rivodo and executive Noah Wooten, used deceptive claims of guaranteed income to convince consumers to invest $75,000 or more to purchase trucks that were often never delivered.

Image: This slide, included in FTC's complaint against RivX, shows RivX's claims of how it would operate a truck for an investor, including some of its alleged trucking customers

The Scheme:
RivX allegedly promised consumers that after paying $75,000 or more, the company would purchase a truck in their name and manage all aspects of its operation, including securing loads, hiring drivers, and handling logistics.

The company claimed that consumers would earn “passive income” of $5,000 to $7,000 per month from their truck and guaranteed that they would recoup their investment plus additional profits within 60 days. However, according to the complaint, very few consumers ever received their trucks, and none were able to recover their investment or make any profit.

FTC Action:
In response to these allegations, a federal court has issued a temporary restraining order that halts RivX's operations and freezes the assets of RivX, Rivodo, Wooten, and several associated companies involved in the scheme.

The FTC’s complaint charges the defendants with violations of the FTC Act, the FTC’s Business Opportunity Rule, the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and the Consumer Review Fairness Act. The FTC has vowed to continue its efforts to pursue those who exploit consumers with fraudulent earnings claims.