Lyoness: Arrest in Madrid – Investigations into €52 million fraud target company executives

Madrid, 1 August 2025 – Spanish police have arrested the alleged mastermind behind Lyoness Spain in Madrid. The allegations are serious: more than 800 people are said to have been defrauded of over five million euros through an opaque bonus and referral programme. According to investigators, the underlying business model has all the characteristics of a classic pyramid scheme.

Systematic fraud with shopping benefits?

The investigations paint a shocking picture: between 2011 and 2023, hundreds of people were persuaded to invest in a supposed loyalty and referral network with one-off payments of 2,000 euros or monthly contributions of between 99 and 399 euros. They were promised discounts, passive income and a lucrative ‘partnership’. Apparently, little or nothing was delivered.

‘The goals that participants had to achieve were unrealistic,’ TeleMadrid quotes the Spanish police as saying. Those who failed to overcome these hurdles saw neither bonuses nor repayments and were faced with a wall of opacity.

Subpoenas requested against key figures

According to information from the Spanish National Police (UDEF), Lyoness is no longer considered a regional case. According to the information available to us, summonses have been requested against several key leaders of the international network, including:

Hubert F. – founder and main person responsible for the global Lyoness and Lyconet structures,
Mario K.,
Marco S.,
Monika M.

This was reported by the public broadcaster **TeleMadrid** on 31 July 2025, among others:

The fact that the investigations are targeting these names can be explained by the cross-border structure of the system.

Lyoness: An old acquaintance of the judiciary

Lyoness – now also known as Lyconet and myWorld – has been the subject of regulatory proceedings in several European countries for years. In Norway, the system was classified as an illegal pyramid scheme in 2018 and banned by the courts.

The latest developments in Spain could now also have an indirect impact on the investigation by the Austrian Public Prosecutor’s Office for Economic Crime and Corruption (WKStA), which is nearing completion. This is because the concrete investigations, evidence and summonses are bringing the international level of responsibility even further into the legal spotlight for the first time.

Over 50 million euros generated illegally in Spain alone

According to the investigation files, the total economic damage is only the tip of the iceberg. The Spanish authorities assume that Lyoness Spain has illegally generated more than 52 million euros through the system. The majority of this amount was generated from payments made by new members and small investors, the classic principle of a pyramid scheme.

Conclusion: Lyoness under international scrutiny

With the arrest in Madrid and the summonses issued against key executives, it is clear that the Spanish judiciary is targeting not only local distribution partners, but the entire structure behind the Lyoness brand.

Whether this will result in international criminal proceedings now also depends on the reactions in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, countries where Lyoness, now also known as Lyconet and myWorld, has been active for years.

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· TeleMadrid – Arrest in Madrid