TEXAS — Married business owners in Frisco, Texas, are alleged to have used their deceptive organization to scam people out of tens of millions of dollars. Texas secured a $10.76 million judgment against LaShonda and Marlon Moore and their company, Blessings in No Time Operations LLC (BINT), the Office of the Attorney General announced. 

Under the guise of religion, the AG's office said, the Moore’s business was a wealth-building service for Christians. Officials said the two scammed nearly 8,000 people in Texas and around the country with their pyramid scheme.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Moores promised to “bless” their consumers with a great deal of money in exchange for donations in advance. Participants were misled to believe that their investments would be as high as 800%.

The Moores appeared on an Oprah Winfrey Network reality TV show to enhance their reputation and build credibility among consumers.

“[Former] Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the initial lawsuit against BINT Operations LLC for promoting and operating the illegal scam,” according to the attorney general’s office. “The $10.76 million judgment secured by the state of Texas is a critical step toward bringing the Moores to justice for taking advantage of unsuspecting victims, many of whom cited financial distress due to the economic upheaval associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Moores were also ordered to pay up to $2.5 million and no less than $450,000, along with the $10.76 million judgment, for a Texas-administered fund to help the scam victims.