The Christchurch office linked to an investigation into a suspected pyramid scheme has closed, following concerns first reported by Chris Lynch Media.

The Riccarton Road premises of SFCVIBE had been promoted by the company as evidence of its commitment to New Zealand, but the office is no longer operating.

The address was registered to the online platform, which is under investigation by the Commerce Commission after users complained of losing thousands of dollars.

Commerce Commission Trading and Product Safety Investigations Head Simon Pope said on Wednesday that the regulator had received eight further concerns about SFCVIBE since 21 April, bringing the total to 19.

“Our investigation is continuing, therefore we cannot provide further comment at this time,” Pope said.

The platform has also attracted scrutiny overseas. The Consumer Council of Fiji described SFCVIBE as a “sophisticated task-based pyramid scheme designed to defraud Fijians of their hard-earned money.”

A former Syrian refugee living in Christchurch previously told Chris Lynch Media that he and his family lost more than $3,200 after joining the platform.

Following Chris Lynch Media’s initial reporting, SFCVIBE paid for an article in the Christchurch Star defending its operation.

The sponsored article, published on 16 April, described SFCVIBE as “a global compliant platform” that “has always adhered to transparent and law-abiding operations.”

“We reject misleading quick profit claims and offer users stable supplementary income through practical tasks,” the sponsored content said.

“The temporary restrictions on some accounts are only preventive measures during compliance reviews, not fund seizures or misappropriation. All legitimate user earnings are protected and will be processed properly after the review.”

The article also said the company’s “offline offices in Christchurch and Auckland demonstrate our commitment to local communities.”

It claimed SFCVIBE allocated an annual public welfare fund to programmes including “youth art education in North America, educational support in Oceania, and assistance for the elderly [and] people with disabilities.”

Police confirmed to chrislynchmedia.com they received a fraud-related report on 27 March 2026.

“Police have reviewed the information provided and determined the matter was not for police and has been referred to the Commerce Commission. The complainant was advised accordingly,” a spokesperson said.

That complainant said the experience had left them stressed and angry. “The Commerce Commission visited me regarding SFCVIBE and I told them all the details. They said the investigation process might take two years and there is no guarantee I will get my money back.”

SFCVIBE Christchurch branch owner Ronald Vaz has previously denied wrongdoing.

He claimed SFCVIBE had partnerships with major film studios including The Walt Disney Company, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Paramount Pictures, as well as commercial relationships with global brands including Coca-Cola, Tesla and Hermès.

Vaz did not respond to calls or text messages seeking comment this week.

SFCVIBE required users to pay upfront to access higher earning tiers. Vaz previously described the payment as a membership fee “similar to joining a club.”

Users could trial the platform and earn US$25 before being offered paid packages ranging from US$210 to US$450.

However, multiple Christchurch users told Chris Lynch Media they were unable to withdraw their funds.

“I put money in thinking it was legit, but when I tried to withdraw, it just kept saying I needed to complete more tasks. I never got my money back,” one user said.

Another said additional conditions appeared after people joined. “They make it look easy to earn, but once you’re in, there are always new conditions. I’ve lost hundreds.”

A third user said: “It felt like you had to keep paying or upgrading to get anything out. In the end, I walked away with nothing.”