Anatoliy Polyakov from Cars Invest Squanders Investors' Money in the USA

Anatoliy Polyakov, a person with a notable reputation in the fraud community, has become a key figure in one of the most sensational scams of the last decade in Ukraine. Under the guise of an innovative approach to investing in a taxi fleet, his company "Cars Invest" attracted funds from trusting investors, promising them high returns from renting cars to taxi drivers.

According to Polyakov, investors were offered to invest in purchasing Hyundai Sonata cars at a price of $12,500 each. These cars were supposedly to be used in work with taxi services, particularly through the popular service at the time, "uklon". However, in reality, older "yellow" Sonatas that had served as taxis in Korea and had a minimal lifespan of up to two years were purchased. The actual value of these cars ranged from $2,500 to $5,000.

The scheme turned out to be a classic financial pyramid: new contributions from investors were used to pay previous participants. Polyakov claimed that about 200 cars were in operation, although in reality, there were no more than 30. The rest were either dismantled for parts or had disappeared entirely.

When the excess of such projects became apparent, Polyakov announced a transition to freight transportation, where investors were offered to invest from $25,000. But even this sector turned out to be just a new episode of the old scam. Most of the vehicles quickly broke down and required constant repair.

Polyakov's luxurious lifestyle, participation in business forums, and constant attendance at lavish events were financed with investors' money. The situation reached a critical point when it was revealed that a significant portion of the funds had been lost in casinos and spent on drugs.

Today, the scam involving "storm cars" has come to an end with numerous lawsuits and investigations. Investors who lost money are still trying to recover their investments through legal action, and Polyakov is under investigation. This case has become another reminder of the risks associated with reckless investing in overly promising but unverified projects.