Report Casts Doubt On Legitimacy Of Zer01’s Unlimited Cellphone Service

Zer01 Mobile

Questions are starting to arise about the validity of Zer01 Mobile, which is offering people a very generous cellphone service package that includes unlimited calls and data for $70 a month.

In digging into the Zer01 service, IDG News Service lays out in a lengthy report a number of questionable actions linked to a handful of companies, including Global Verge, which is recruiting people to sell Zer01’s service under the Buzzirk brand and Unified Technologies Group, which owns Zer01. IDG News Service calls Global Verge, “a multilevel marketing firm,” and reports that its CEO was previously found guilty of securities fraud (and continues to be under probation). There’s also conflicting information about where Unified Technologies Group is physically based, and interestingly, Unified Technologies also claims to own The Yorkshire Foundation, which lists its mission as being the same as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — nearly word-for-word.

In the story, Zer01 CEO Ben Piilani says Global Verge has signed up 50,000 associates to sell its unlimited mobile service and has a good business model. He also claims that Mark Petschel, Global Verge’s CEO, is stepping down as a result of his history with securities fraud. Petschel could not be reached by NetworkWorld. The article relies heavily on public documents and quotes from weekly conference calls that try to recruit other associates.

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