The Federal Trade Commission has sued Genesis Tech and a network of related companies, alleging that they used deceptive subscription practices to charge consumers without clear consent. The agency said the group operated through shell companies in Cyprus, Ukraine, and the United States while transferring revenue across borders and concealing its ownership.
The case covers apps and online services including MadMuscles, Harna, Unimeal, Wisey, PDF Guru, PDF Master, Lumi, and Nebula. The FTC said five product groups generated nearly $250 million in global revenue from early 2023 through mid-2025.
FTC Alleges Hidden Subscriptions and Unauthorized Charges
According to the FTC’s official announcement, Genesis Tech’s products were often promoted as free, inexpensive, or available for a one-time payment. Consumers were allegedly enrolled in automatically renewing subscriptions whose terms appeared in small or unclear text.
The complaint also accuses the defendants of adding products without customers’ knowledge, charging twice for the same service, and continuing to collect payments after cancellation requests. Some websites and apps allegedly omitted cancellation options or required customers to provide a reason before ending their subscriptions.
Transactions across the group’s connected PayPal accounts reached almost $700 million during the 12 months ending in September 2025, according to the lawsuit. The FTC said the defendants repeatedly created new companies and merchant accounts to avoid payment processors’ fraud-monitoring systems.
Network Included Apps Across Several Categories
Amo Apps Limited operated the fitness and nutrition products MadMuscles, Harna, and Unimeal. GuruDocs Limited offered PDF Guru and PDF Master, while Bramol Limited operated fashion service Lumi.
Obrio Limited was connected to horoscope and psychic-chat app Nebula, while Koflimin Limited offered productivity and self-help products under the Wisey name. The FTC said the wider network involved 15 companies and eight individuals.
The agency alleges that Cyprus-based affiliates marketed the services to American consumers while Delaware companies processed payments through US financial accounts. Funds were then transferred among related businesses and moved overseas.
Case Filed in Northern California
The FTC complaint alleges violations of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act. The case names Genesis Tech founders Vladimir Mnogoletny and Vasily Ulianov alongside Stamatis Skianis, Oksana Kucher, Iryna Oleksyn, Olga Garbuzenko, Rostyslav Ivanitsa, and Viktoriia Savchuk.
The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. A federal court has temporarily halted the alleged subscription operation, frozen certain assets, and ordered the defendants to explain why a preliminary injunction should not be issued.
Featured image credits: Alpha Photo via Flickr
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