The Commerce Commission is investigating a suspected pyramid style scheme operating in Christchurch, after multiple residents reported losing thousands of dollars.

Th online platform, known as SFCVIBE, is linked to an office on Riccarton Road and has already been the subject of a warning from the Consumer Council of Fiji, which described it as sophisticated task-based pyramid scheme designed to “defraud Fijians of their hard-earned money.”

New Zealand Commerce Commission Head of Fair Trading and Product Safety Investigations Simon Pope told chrislynchmedia.com the Commission had launched its own investigation.

“Last week, the Commission opened an investigation into SFCVIBE Rating upon receiving reports that it is a suspected pyramid scheme. To date, we have received two reported concerns about the scheme,” Pope said.

“While the investigation is in its very early stages, we hope making public comment now will help limit any potential harm. We understand SFCVIBE Rating is operating in several countries including New Zealand, where it has a number of offices.”

Pope said the scheme attracts users by offering high payouts for completing basic digital tasks, such as rating and reviewing movies.

“The scheme involves the recruitment of others and requires new participants to join via a referral link and to pay a subscription or deposit before starting work,” he said.

“We strongly advise anyone who comes across SFCVIBE Rating to exercise caution. If what the scheme offers seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

“The Commission is continuing to investigate the exact nature of the scheme and will provide updates in due course.”

Multiple Christchurch residents, who say they lost money, have come forward to chrislynchmedia.com, alleging the operation established a physical presence locally, which increased trust and encouraged more people to join.

The company was first registered in Christchurch on 27 January 2026 according to the Companies Office.

One user said he was introduced to the platform through a colleague and could not sign up without a referral. “I was told to contact an agent on WhatsApp who said I needed to pay USD $460 to become a team member. They guided me through setting up a crypto account and transferring the money.

“They claimed to be a registered company with offices in Christchurch and Auckland, which made it seem legitimate. The tasks were simple, watching short movie clips and rating them, but I was pressured to recruit others to earn more,” he said.

“Eventually I noticed people being removed from the group, and then I was blocked along with my entire team.” Another Christchurch resident, who asked not to be named, said the existence of a physical office on Riccarton Road helped convince people the operation was genuine.

“They were paying about $5 per video rating, and more than 1000 people were involved. It was all run through WhatsApp groups,” the person said. “When they opened an office in Riccarton and also in Auckland, people trusted them more. Families and friends joined, and it became like a pyramid scheme.”

Another person said they suffered financial loss after being misled by what appeared to be a legitimate service. “They presented themselves as professional, but it became clear it was deceptive. I’ve lost money and it has caused significant stress,”

Another Christchurch resident said their family had been hit hard. “The SFCVIBE on Riccarton Road scammed me and my family more than $3200. I have already filed a police report.”

Another person told chrislynchmedia.com “we were required to rate short videos, in order to get a payment and we just assumed it was safe because they had a Riccarton Road address.” She said she spoke to someone on WhatsApp who told her it would take three months to return her money.

She said she was required to pay an $820 joining fee to start the job, with assurances the money would be returned once she completed enough video ratings. The money was never returned. Chris Lynch Media visited the Riccarton Road address on Monday morning, but no one was present and the office was locked.

When contacted via the telephone number displayed at the premises, a man who identified himself as running the Christchurch branch denied responsibility for the complaints and said he was operating as a “franchisee.”

“First things first, this is not my company,” he said. “I’m just running a franchisee.”

He confirmed users were required to pay to join the platform. “That’s the business module,” he said.

“So you put a deposit, you start making money out of it, and it’s an ongoing procedure.” He said complaints raised with chrislynchmedia.com were linked to another group within the platform. “The ones who have been calling you, all the accounts have been put on hold because they’re under investigation,” he said.

He claimed those users were being scrutinised for “using wrong means” and creating fake accounts. “They have to deal with their service manager and their supervisor,” he said.

“They are not even under my referral link.” He said payments were handled by others within the system.

“I am not the one who’s paying. It’s their service manager who’s dealing with it,” he said. He said the ‘service manager’ was based overseas.

“They’re based in the United States,” he said. Asked where the money originated to pay users, he said he did not know. “I wouldn’t know what their business model is,” he said.

He confirmed he operated from a physical location on Riccarton Road, which he said was used to “collect data.” He also defended the recruitment structure. “That’s the business model,” he said.

“You come, you earn, and then you call your friends and family, and everybody earns.”

He said he was not aware of any investigation by New Zealand authorities and maintained no wrongdoing had occurred.

“We haven’t done anything wrong as of now,” he said.