A fintech executive and Forbes 30 Under 30 alum has been charged with fraud

Right now, a Forbes 30 Under 30 list it has become very popular due to the high number of immigrants who go on to be accused of fraud. Notable alumni include FTX founder Sam Bankman-FriedFrank CEO Charlie Javice, Joanna Smith-GriffinAI founder AllHere Education, and “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli, among others. Now, another member of that list has been hit with federal charges.

Gökçe Güven, 26 years old from Turkey and the founder and CEO of a fintech startup. To callhe was paid last week and security fraud, wire fraud, visa fraud, and mass theft.

The New York-based fintech startup – which uses the tagline “Turn Your Rewards into (a) Revenue Engine” – says it can help companies create and monetize personal software. The company was founded in 2022, and offers participating companies access to ongoing revenue through its affiliate, Axios. it has already been said.

Güven was featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list last year. Magazine notes in the text that Güven’s clients have included the great chocolatier Godiva and the International Air Transport Association, the trade association that represents most of the world’s airlines. Kalder also says that he was pleased with the support of many famous VC firms.

The United States Department of Justice said that, at the time of Kalder plant around in April 2024, Güven managed to raise $7 million from more than a dozen investors after showing a site that was full of fakes.

According to the government, the Kalder gaming site said that there are 26 versions “using Kalder” and another 53 versions in “live freemium”. However, officials say that, in reality, Kalder, in most cases, only provides low-cost driver programs to many of those companies. The other products “did not have any relationship with Kalder – not even free services,” officials said in a press release announcing the lawsuit. The sports site “falsely claimed that Kalder’s loan amount increased month after month from February 2023 and that by March 2024, Kalder had reached $1.2 million per year.”

The government also accuses Güven of keeping two separate financial books. One of the groups contained “false and exaggerated numbers,” and was given to investors or potential investors to hide the company’s “real history,” the government said. The DOJ also alleges that Güven used lies about Kalder and falsified documents to obtain a visa category reserved for people with “extraordinary skills,” which would allow him to live and work in the United States.

TechCrunch reached out to Güven through his website. The agency said it would share information about the charges on Tuesday.