DANNY : DE HEKAt first glance, Giovanni Orantes — also known as “CryptoGio” — presents himself as just another enthusiastic crypto educator from Los Angeles. But behind the motivational videos and Spanish-language Zoom webinars lies a darker truth: Giovanni Orantes is actively promoting OakSmart, a fraudulent MLM crypto Ponzi scheme already hit with securities fraud warnings in California and New Zealand.

Today, we’re going to name and shame Giovanni Orantes, expose the red flags around OakSmart, and highlight the network of individuals openly participating in this scam through online Zoom meetings.

Who Is Giovanni Orantes?

Giovanni Orantes runs a modest YouTube channel (@giovanniorantes) and a Linktree packed with OakSmart recruitment links. His entire online presence — including his Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, and Linktree — is laser-focused on promoting OakSmart, pushing promises of “passive income,” financial freedom, and wealth-building without disclosing any of the real risks or legal issues behind the scheme.

Giovanni’s content is textbook Ponzi promotion:

  • Endless Zoom “presentations” selling OakSmart as a legitimate financial opportunity.
  • Emotional sales tactics about achieving “your dreams” through crypto.
  • Urgency-driven language pushing people to sign up immediately.
  • No mention of OakSmart’s Desist and Refrain Order from California’s DFPI.
  • No disclosure of New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority fraud warning.

Instead of protecting his audience, Giovanni funnels vulnerable Spanish-speaking investors directly into a financial death trap.

Red Flags About OakSmart

OakSmart ticks every box for a textbook Ponzi scheme:

  • No real products or services outside of recruiting new investors.
  • False claims of legitimacy by waving around meaningless FinCEN registration.
  • Promises of 8% to 15% monthly returns, which no legitimate investment can safely sustain.
  • Recruitment-focused compensation plan, where investors earn commissions not based on products sold, but on how many new victims they bring in.
  • Recent launch of an internal token, “OAK USD Coin,” — a classic exit-scam tactic used to trap remaining investor funds before the collapse.
  • Leadership hiding behind fake corporate fronts while funneling investor money offshore.

If you hear the name OakSmart — run the other way. It’s the same recycled fraud model dressed up with crypto jargon and false promises.

Monitoring Giovanni Live on Zoom

In an undercover operation, we infiltrated one of Giovanni Orantes’ live Zoom presentations. There were initially about 35 participants at the start of the meeting. As we began posting warnings in Spanish in the chat, alerting attendees that OakSmart was a scam, people started quietly exiting the meeting. By the end, Giovanni had lost about 10 participants and was left with only 25. Eventually, realizing what was happening, he kicked us out of the meeting.

We recorded the entire Zoom session, and we will include clips in this blog to show exactly what went down. If you are a Spanish-speaking viewer who attended one of these sessions or who has more information about Giovanni Orantes, we would love to hear from you.

The Zoom Room of Shame: Victims and Promoters

On the monitored Zoom meeting hosted by Giovanni Orantes, the following individuals appeared — either as recruiters, promoters, or unwitting victims:

Giovanni Orantes (CryptoGio), Ingrid, Marcelo Casas, Pilar, Magda, Jose, Alba Nunez, Teresa, Hilaria Socia, Norma L Lupercio, Uziel Mendoza, Guillermo Aguilera, Manuel Solis, Juan Tapia, Cripto Master, Tony, Rebeca, Christopher Garcia, Leoncio Zarate, Gn

Some of these names may be early victims still unaware of the scam they are participating in — but others are actively promoting OakSmart and sharing referral links.

Regardless, ignorance does not excuse participation. Once your name appears alongside known scammers promoting a fraudulent opportunity, it’s your responsibility to do your research and stop aiding financial crime.

Giovanni’s Direct Accountability

Giovanni cannot plead ignorance.
He has published over 26 OakSmart promotion videos between November 2024 and April 2025, even after OakSmart was formally ordered to stop operating in California.
He continues to host public Zoom meetings, pushing fake promises to recruit new investors.
He has failed to warn or protect his followers despite clear public records proving OakSmart is a scam.

This is not carelessness. This is willful participation in a fraudulent operation designed to steal from hardworking families.

Final Warning to the Public

Giovanni Orantes, CryptoGio, OakSmart — no matter how they package it — are part of a coordinated effort to defraud Spanish-speaking and minority communities under the guise of financial education.

Do not let slick presentations, emotional stories, or promises of passive income blind you.

If you have already been approached by Giovanni, someone in his downline, or anyone promoting OakSmart — get out now.
Cut your losses. Protect your financial future.

And warn others.

We will continue to expose these bottom feeders until they can no longer hide behind staged Zoom calls and fake smiles.

About the Author Danny de Hek, also known as The Crypto Ponzi Scheme Avenger, is a New Zealand-based investigative journalist specializing in exposing crypto fraud, Ponzi schemes, and MLM scams. His work has been featured by Bloomberg, The New York Times, The Guardian Australia, ABC News Australia, and other international outlets.

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¡ALERTA! Giovanni Orantes y OakSmart Están Engañando a Nuestra Comunidad

Giovanni Orantes ha sido expuesto por promover activamente OakSmart, un esquema Ponzi disfrazado de oportunidad de inversión en criptomonedas. Hemos infiltrado y grabado sus reuniones de Zoom, demostrando cómo engañan a las personas, especialmente a la comunidad hispanohablante. OakSmart ya ha recibido advertencias oficiales de fraude en California y Nueva Zelanda. Si ha sido contactado por Giovanni Orantes o cualquier persona de su red, le recomendamos que se retire de inmediato. ¡Proteja su dinero y advierta a otros antes de que sea demasiado tarde!

UPDATE: Giovanni Orantes Responds to Our Video

After publishing our exposé video titled “¡ALERTA! Giovanni Orantes y OakSmart Estafa: Zoom Meeting Infiltrated and Exposed,” Giovanni Orantes (aka @cryptogio) left the following public comment under the YouTube video:

Good morning update your video on the following, actually we don’t get pay on recruiting people and i can give you an interview im not even mad cause of exposing me. Thanks

We appreciate his calm tone, but his statement contains factual inaccuracies — and we have responded accordingly.

Our Response (English):

Thanks for confirming you’re not mad — because what we’re exposing is verifiable.

Let’s correct your statement:

Yes, OakSmart does pay people for recruiting. You clearly explain this yourself in your Zoom presentations — earning 5%–50% commissions from downline activity and level-based matching bonuses. That’s textbook MLM. It’s not just recruitment-driven — it’s recruitment-dependent.

You’re promoting a company that was issued a Desist & Refrain order by California’s DFPI for securities fraud, warned by New Zealand’s FMA, and is now pushing a fake coin (OAK USD Coin) as part of an exit scam. You didn’t disclose any of that in your meetings.

As for an interview — happy to host you in a live session, but be prepared for facts, not feelings. This isn’t personal — it’s accountability. You made your Zoom calls public. We simply recorded them.

Your move.

– Danny de Hek

The Crypto Ponzi Scheme Avenger

Nuestra Respuesta (Español):

Gracias por confirmar que no estás molesto, porque lo que estamos exponiendo es completamente verificable.

Vamos a corregir tu declaración:

Sí, OakSmart sí paga por reclutar personas. Tú mismo lo explicas claramente en tus presentaciones por Zoom — comisiones del 5% al 50% según la actividad del equipo y bonificaciones por niveles. Eso no solo es marketing multinivel, es un sistema piramidal disfrazado.

Estás promoviendo una empresa que recibió una orden de cese y desistimiento por fraude de valores del DFPI en California, una advertencia oficial de la FMA en Nueva Zelanda, y ahora está empujando una moneda falsa (OAK USD Coin) como parte de un claro exit scam. Nada de esto lo mencionas en tus presentaciones.

Sobre tu ofrecimiento de entrevista — encantado de recibirte en una sesión en vivo, pero prepárate para hechos, no emociones. No es personal, es rendición de cuentas. Tú hiciste públicas tus reuniones. Nosotros solo las documentamos.

Te toca a ti.

– Danny de Hek

El Vengador de las Estafas Ponzi Cripto