Poker-pro hit with Bitcoin Ponzi scam accusations

Jon Pill
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Posted on: March 10, 2021 1:00 pm EST

UK poker pro Lynne Beaumont (not to be mistaken with the broadcaster of the same name) has very publicly called out poker-pro Terik “Tizzy” Brown for allegedly stealing four bitcoins from her. This investment was worth around $27,000 at the time she tried to extract the debt but is now worth around $200,000 thanks to the roller coaster that is crypto.

Both Beaumont and Brown are small-time players in the poker community. Brown has a little under $397k in live tourney cashes. Beaumont has a little under $600k in cashes, and was briefly sponsored by Betfred.

Beaumont made her allegations in a Facebook post to the Mixed Game Poker In Las Vegas group on that platform.

In the allegations, Beaumont does not mince words. She starts out by calling Brown a “thief and/or con-man.” She ends with the threat that she “will be sending a file of all details to the police and lawyers on [her] return to the U.S. this summer.” And she speculates in the middle that “[Brown] has paid other clients off who are in a similar situation to me, with [Beaumont’s] money.”

In the Facebook thread, by way of evidence, she shows several screenshots of conversations that she claims are with Brown. They show him admitting to the debt, but making excuses to delay paying them.

We have contacted Terik Brown for comment, but as yet, have not received any response.

Broke and broker

Beaumont’s long accusation begins with her writing: “I have been putting off posting this for some months now, as I know once the world knows what a thief and/or a con-man Terik (Tizzy) Brown is, I will probably have lost any chance of getting the money that he has owed me […]. I invested almost $40k with him in the summer of 2019.”

Beaumont was using Brown as a cryptocurrency broker, having him trading bitcoin for her. Brown’s LinkedIn page lists him as Business Development Manager at “Bank of Crypto” since September 2019. So this is not implausible.

Until then Brown’s C.V. lists him in a similar role at Beat Technology. This previous role came with a series of vaguely worded job descriptions that do not make his responsibilities in the role clear. Based on the dates listed by Beaumont, Brown was at the Beat Technology job when he took Beaumont on as a client.

After initial investments went well, Lynne claims to have gone in with $40,000. A large investment to file with someone whose credentials appear to simply be that Beaumont “kept bumping into him at the poker tables in Vegas.” Caveat emptor, pal.

The end of the affair

Beaumont then added that “in October of [2019], he suddenly started being difficult to get hold of, and so I asked to withdraw my money. The software showed my ‘investment’ was now worth only $27k. I asked him to purchase Bitcoin with it (at that time, nearly four BTC), and to transfer it back to me. He agreed.”

Agreement or no, Brown is then alleged to have ghosted Beaumont. He blocked her, only getting in touch when a mutual acquaintance nudged him to. Beaumont says at one point he settled BTC 0.805 “(approx $1500 at the time).” This was in December 2020.

Beaumont reels off a list of more personal accusations aimed at the state of Brown’s more general finances. These include the statement that his family have had to bail him out of debts before and that he tells people that Beaumont is “a “crazy bitch” who has tried to extort his family and is spreading lies about him.”

As yet none of this has gone beyond the stage of public denunciation. We will have more on this for you as more solid facts begin to come out.

Featured image source: Facebook