by Structured Settlement Watchdog
The Freedom1stFunding Re-Direct Scheme is a massive ongoing search engine manipulation re-direct scheme scheme that counts Bronx Judge Norma Ruiz , primary and secondary structured settlement market participants and several major insurers among its victims.
What is a Search Engine Re-Direct Scheme?
The search engine manipulation redirection schemes ften involves various techniques used by malicious actors and cybercriminals to redirect users from their intended content to other sites.
Through its diabolical scheme, the operator of Freedom1stfunding.com clearly attempted to capitalize on the names and goodwill of other brands by creating initial interest confusion in a deperate attempt to gain a competitive edge
Clicking on the links contained in the search results however, lead to Freedom1stFunding.com, a structured settlement factoring lead generation website that appears to only benefit one party, or a very small group of related parties.
Isn’t it ironic that the perpetrators of the re-direct scheme are in the structured settlement factoring industry and that in targeting Norma Ruiz, a seated Bronx New York Supreme Court judge, they are “dissing” someone who often runs rule over whether or not structured settlement factoring transactions get approved in Bronx County New York City?
The Freedom 1stFunding.com re-direct scheme, which already starred in two alwsuits and allegdely had Dvaid Springer, Mt. Airy MD, its mastermind
The two lawsuits were brought by structured settlement factoring competitors J.G. Wentworth and Woodbridge Structured Funding respectively, shortly after information was discovered that tied the Defendants, David Springer and Sovereign Funding Group to webuypayments.net. Sovereign Funding was described as a “fringe player” in the factoring industry in J.G. Wentworth’s complaint against it..
See my first report on the subject in Who Owns WeBuyPayments.Net? on July 25, 2011
Soon there were more developments and clues…
- On August 26, 2011 the name server for SovereignFunding.com was transferred to webuypayments.net! Download Q=sovereignfunding IP history.
- On October 3, 2011 we posted a copy of a work order to oDesk for website development
- that further tied Sovereign Funding to webuypayments.net . At the time of publication, oDesk was a former online platform for freelancers and businesses to connect, hire, and collaborate on projects remotely. It was acquired by and merged into Upwork in 2015, which is now the world’s largest freelancing marketplace. oDesk is no longer a separate entity.
- An oDesk worker later known to work for David Springer David Springer (CEO) of Sovereign Funding Joins Forces with Oassist.com | Newswire
- The dates therein, coincide with the dates that the re-directs (as they applied to structured settlement related names and company marks) were observed to appear by this author.
- More indication of David Springer control or direction over the webuypayments.net re-direct scheme became evident after Woodbridge sent a cease and desist letter to Springer with a date certain of October 7, 2011. On October 7, 2011, the re-direct links were pointed to our company website where they remained for a period of 2 weeks.
- Seee copy of Woodbridge Complaintfiled November 28, 2011 in Maryland Federal Court.
Why did the links suddenly direct to our company on Woodbridge’s “or else date” mentioned in the cease and desist letter to David Springer? The is plenty of reason to suspect this was far more than a mere coincidence!
The J.G. Wentworth suit against Springer and Sovereign (which alleged that Springer and Sovereign were behind “47 different scam-related URLs!) was settled after a mediation and a joint dismissal was executed March 2, 2012. Compare the search result for JG Wentworth structured settlements on 9-30-2011 Download JG Wentworth structured settlements We Buy Payments Confusion to the same search result today. Download Jg wentworth structured settlements – Google Search 6-7-2012 . As a side note, in March 2012, the JGW-Sucks.com web domain, alleged to be owned by David Springer/Sovereign in the JG Wentworth complaint (see http://www.scribd.com/doc/76906782/1-J-G-Wentworth-Scam-Lawsuit) was transferred to a brand management company for JG Wentworth, according to Whois records.
Examples which show similarities between the Freedom1stFunding.com re-redirect Scheme to WeBuyPayments.net re-direct scheme
A. We Buy Payments Re-Direct Scheme (clicking on all the marked links at time of Google search pdf was created pointed to webuypayments.net)
Download Stone Street Capital Victim of WeBuyPayments.Net 10-1-2011 Google
Download Metlife structured settlements – Google Search 9-19-2011
Download Pacific life structured settlements – Google Search 9-19-2011
Download 10-28-2011 aig structured settlements – Google Search
Download 123 lump sum – Google Search 9-15-2011
Download 123 lump sum hallandale fl – Google Search FL 9-19-2011
B. Freedom1stFunding.com Re-Direct Scheme (clicking on all the marked links at time of posting point to Freedom1stFunding.com)
Download Metlife structured settlements-Google search 6-7-2012
Download Pacific life structured settlements Google search 6-7-2012
Download 123 Lump Sum Google Search 6-7-2012
Download 123 lump sum Hallandale FL 6-7-2012 Google Search
Download Aig structured settlements 6-7-2012 Google Search
Download F1F redirect victim liberty mutual structured settlements – Bing 6-12-2012
Like the webuypayments.net re-direct scheme, the Freedom1stFunding.com re-direct scheme is a scam on consumers who seek legitimate information about who/what they are searching for. The diabolical acts of deception are clearly intentional, there are multiple instances and it was ongoing at time of publication. The list of victims is long. In my opinion, neither the primary or secondary market should put up with an individual or company that seems to repeatedly engage in this behavior. Those who “cheat to compete” should be dealt with accordingly.
The lawsuits suggest that the mastermind behind the redirect scheme decided to register the target domain offshore, probably as a sneaky move to dodge any future legal drama about the whole scheme.
Follow the Woodbridge Structured Funding law suit against David Springer and Sovereign Funding at www.Pacer.gov.
The Structured Settlement Watchdog™ enjoys a day at “the dog fight”
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