Overview

• J. G. B., identified as Lyoness’s Spanish legal representative, was detained on July 23 in Madrid by UDEF agents under Operation Peldaño.
• The scheme, active since 2011, combined a loyalty-discount program with a referral network requiring a €2,000 upfront fee and monthly subscriptions of €99 to €399.
• In March 2023, 803 investors filed a complaint in Spain’s Audiencia Nacional citing more than €5 million in collective losses, triggering the current investigation.
• Investigators allege the network generated over €52 million in illicit profits by camouflaging investments to evade oversight by the Banco de España and CNMV.
• Lyoness Holding Europe AG restructured its subsidiaries in 2014 to obscure liability and expand operations across multiple European jurisdictions.