Ganadores: Spanish-language seminars and English-only contracts
The FTC sued Florida-based Ganadores in June 2023, alleging it marketed real estate and online business coaching to Spanish-speaking consumers through free seminars and Spanish-language ads while supplying key contract terms in English only. Orders in January 2024 carried a $29,175,000 partially suspended judgment and about $6 million in asset surrenders, and a June 2025 order against the last defendant, Robert Shemin, carried a largely suspended $20,268,895 judgment.
- Year
- 2024
- Where
- United States
- Outcome
- Settled
- Reported loss
- $29.2 million
- Victims
- Not stated in the sources
- Schemes
- Real estate investing seminar scams
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-29
The facts, as recorded
- The FTC sued the companies behind Ganadores Online and Ganadores Inversiones Bienes Raices in June 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida; the complaint named Vision Online Inc., Ganadores IBR Inc., three further Vision Online entities, Richard and Sara Alvarez, Robert Shemin and Bryce Chamberlain.
- The complaint alleged Ganadores targeted Spanish-speaking consumers with false or unfounded promises that its "infallible system" could help them find financial freedom and replace their day jobs.
- The sales funnel started with social media and online ads for free "seminars," which the FTC says were sales pitches for three-day workshops costing consumers hundreds of dollars, which in turn pointed attendees to pay more than $28,000 for "by the hand" mentoring.
- The FTC alleged the mentoring rarely delivered: customers often met mentors on large group calls, were told to use public websites like Google or Zillow instead of the company's often faulty software, and did not earn back what they paid.
- The complaint alleged the company relied on a clause buried in sales paperwork that gave consumers only three days to ask for a refund, and that contracts and key disclosures were often provided in English although sales were conducted largely in Spanish.
- The FTC alleged violations of the FTC Act, the Business Opportunity Rule, the Consumer Review Fairness Act and the Cooling-Off Rule; a court entered a temporary restraining order, appointed a temporary monitor and froze the owners' assets.
- On January 17, 2024 the FTC announced proposed orders banning the companies, Richard and Sara Alvarez and Bryce Chamberlain from offering ecommerce or real estate coaching, with a total monetary judgment of $29,175,000, partially suspended based on inability to pay.
- The companies and the Alvarezes were to surrender about $6 million in funds, real estate and other assets, and Chamberlain $35,000, for consumer refunds.
- On June 20, 2025 the FTC announced a proposed order against Robert Shemin, the last settling defendant, with a permanent ban on ecommerce and real estate coaching and a total monetary judgment of $20,268,895, largely suspended based on his inability to pay.
- The FTC's 2023 complaint alleges that Richard Alvarez, Shemin and Chamberlain had previously participated in Zurixx, and that Richard and Sara Alvarez had taken part in FBA Stores, and that Ganadores closely mirrors those schemes.
- FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Samuel Levine, 2023: "This scheme made grand promises of life-changing returns in Spanish, but hid key terms in English-language contracts that many consumers could not read."
Why this case matters
Ganadores is the most recent of the three and the one the FTC describes most explicitly as a repeat of earlier schemes. It is also the case where language becomes part of the mechanism: the FTC alleges the selling was in Spanish and the binding terms, including the refund window, were in English.
Free seminars and the price ladder
Social media and online ads promoted free seminars where, the FTC says, the presenters promised strategies to make money in real estate or online businesses. The seminars were sales pitches for a three-day workshop costing hundreds of dollars, and the workshop was a step toward mentoring that cost more than $28,000.
“By the hand”
The mentoring was promised as one-on-one, with six-figure incomes and special money-making software. The FTC’s complaint says customers instead often joined large group calls, were sent to public websites like Google and Zillow instead of the software, and did not earn back what they paid.
The three-day window
The complaint alleged that when consumers realised the promises were false and asked for refunds, the defendants often refused, relying on a clause giving them only three days.
The caveat
Every account above comes from the FTC’s complaint and press releases, which describe allegations. The case was resolved by stipulated orders, not a trial, and the judgments were partially or largely suspended based on the defendants’ claimed inability to pay, becoming payable in full if they lied to the FTC about their finances. Ganadores’ statements about the earlier Zurixx and FBA Stores involvement are likewise allegations from the complaint. The June 2025 order against Robert Shemin was announced as a proposed order, with the Commission vote 2-0-1.
Sources
- FTC Acts to Stop Real Estate and Online Commerce Coaching Scheme 'Ganadores' Targeting Spanish-Speaking Consumers With Brazen Money-Making Pitches. US Federal Trade Commission. Accessed 2026-09-29. Supports: The June 2023 complaint: defendants, the funnel, the $28,000 mentoring, the group calls, the three-day refund clause, English-only contracts, the laws cited, the temporary restraining order and the Levine quote.
- FTC Action Leads to Ban for Ganadores Real Estate and Income Scam, its Owner, and Managers. US Federal Trade Commission. Accessed 2026-09-29. Supports: The January 17, 2024 proposed orders, the $29,175,000 partially suspended judgment, the approximately $6 million asset surrender and Chamberlain's $35,000.
- Operator of Ganadores Ecommerce and Real Estate Business Opportunity Scam Faces Lifetime Ban as a Result of FTC Action. US Federal Trade Commission. Accessed 2026-09-29. Supports: The June 20, 2025 proposed order against Robert Shemin, the $20,268,895 largely suspended judgment and the ban terms.