SEC Shuts Down Fraudulent Mother-Son Offering Involving Purported Supercomputer

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that it has filed an emergency action and obtained a temporary restraining order and asset freeze to halt an alleged ongoing offering fraud by Las Vegas-based Profit Connect Wealth Services Inc., Las Vegas resident Joy I. Kovar and her son, recidivist Brent Kovar, which has raised more than $12 million from at least 277 retail investors. According to the SEC’s complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada and unsealed July 16, since at least May 2018 the defendants have raised investor funds through Profit Connect while assuring investors that their money would be invested in securities trading and cryptocurrencies based on recommendations made by an “artificial intelligence supercomputer.” As alleged, Profit Connect claims that its supercomputer consistently generates enormous returns, which in turn allows Profit Connect to guarantee investors fixed returns of 20-30 percent per year with monthly compounding interest.