“When I spoke to Paul — a retired New Zealander trying to survive on $1,000 a fortnight — he told me he wasn’t scamming anyone. He said he was just sharing a system, just putting it out there, just trying to make a bit of extra money.

But that’s exactly how these systems spread!

Not through masterminds or criminals at the top… but through ordinary people at the bottom, unknowingly promoting a structure that only works if someone else loses.”

I’m Danny de Hek, a New Zealand–based investigative journalist known for exposing Ponzi schemes, MLMs, and online scams. I don’t just look at the people running these operations — I also call out those promoting them, especially when they should know better.

Because when someone in New Zealand, trying to make ends meet, starts recruiting others into a system like this… it doesn’t stay harmless for long.

It becomes a chain reaction.

And if I see people being led toward the edge — I step in, document it, and expose it before more damage is done.

How This Investigation Started

This didn’t start with an ad.

It started with a conversation.

A man named Paul Ashton (Wanganui, New Zealand) reached out to me and introduced something called the Powerline Team Building Engine. (powerlineteambuilder[.]com, powerlinepayout[.]com, or powerlineteambuildingengine[.]com) He wasn’t aggressive. He wasn’t pushy. In fact, he came across as genuine.

He told me he’s:

Retired
Living on limited income
Trying to make a bit of extra money online

He shared this onboarding funnel: pashton.ptbeonboarding[.]com/onboard

On the surface, it looks like someone trying to help others.

But once you step inside the system, a very different picture emerges.

From Victim to Promoter: How The Cycle Repeats

During this investigation, I came across a Facebook post from Paul Ashton, where he shared his personal journey into online marketing.

And this is where things become very clear.

Paul explains that:

  • He got started online later in life
  • Bought courses ranging from $997 to $2,500
  • Was left “in the dark” with no results
  • Struggled to make any money

That alone is a familiar story.

Because it’s the same path many people take:

  • Buy into the promise
  • Get no real outcome
  • Go looking for the next opportunity

Then in November 2025, he discovered the Powerline Team Building Engine.

What convinced him?

Not a product.

Not a business.

But a promise.

He says:

“If you upgrade… we will also do some marketing for you… build up your team… put your links to your products out there… so you get sales.”

And for $50 a month, he believed everything would finally work.

That’s the hook.

That’s what pulls people in.

And then comes the most telling part:

“I am getting leads and team is building all from their input, for me.”

This is where belief turns into promotion.

Because once someone feels like they’re finally getting traction — even if it’s just leads, not real income — they start telling others:

“It’s working.”

Paul didn’t break the cycle — he became part of it.

“I’m Not Scamming Anyone” — The Excuse That Keeps It Alive

After I challenged him, Paul responded:

“I’m not promising anything… it’s up to the individual… I’m not collecting money… I’m just putting it out there.”

This is one of the most dangerous justifications in the online marketing space.

Because it removes responsibility.

The platform blames the users
The users blame the platform
And the people at the bottom carry the loss

This is how these systems continue operating in plain sight.

What Is The Powerline Team Building Engine Really?

It presents itself as:

A lead generation system
A marketing platform
A way to build passive income online

But once you go through the onboarding process and internal playbook, the truth becomes clear.

This is a multi-level marketing structure built around recruitment.

Not products.

Not services.

Just people bringing in more people.

The Pay-To-Play Reality

To earn inside this system, you must upgrade to:

$50 per month

Free members?

Can join
Can watch
But cannot earn anything

That’s not a business model.

That’s a paywall to participate in the opportunity itself.

The Compensation Plan That Gives It Away

The platform openly promotes:

$5 per direct referral
$1 per person across multiple levels
Earnings extending 6+ levels deep

They even provide a calculator showing “potential earnings”:

5 people → 15 → 45 → 135 → 405 → 1,215 → 3,645

Let’s be very clear.

That is not customer growth.

That is exponential recruitment.

To reach the income they promote, you need:

Thousands of people beneath you

And every one of those people is being told:

“You can do this too.”

The “Money Train” — Systems Promoting Systems

One of the most revealing features is something called the Money Train.

Users are encouraged to:

Add multiple affiliate offers
Promote different “opportunities”
Bring their team into those same offers

This creates a loop:

People promoting platforms… that promote other platforms… that promote more platforms

There is no real product.

There is no external value.

Just a chain of recruitment funnels feeding into each other.

The Illusion of “Autopilot Income”

You’ll hear phrases like:

“Done-for-you system”
“Passive income”
“Leads on autopilot”

But here’s the reality.

There is no such thing as automatic income without real demand.

What’s actually happening:

You are placed into a funnel
You receive shared or low-quality leads
You are expected to convert them into paying members

That’s not passive income.

That’s repackaged recruitment.

The Playbook That Tells You Not To Think

Inside the onboarding system, users are told:

“You do not need to understand everything”
“Follow the path”
“Don’t skip ahead”

That’s not guidance.

That’s control.

Legitimate businesses encourage:

Understanding
Transparency
Independent thinking

This system does the opposite.

Why They Avoid Public Platforms

Another key observation:

Their videos are hosted on Vimeo, not YouTube.

That’s not accidental.

It allows them to:

Avoid public scrutiny
Disable comments
Limit visibility

This is about controlling the narrative, not transparency.

The Real Risk: People Like Paul

Paul isn’t the mastermind behind this.

He’s the target audience.

He’s already:

Lost money in previous schemes (including Hyperverse)
Paid into questionable “recovery” efforts
Been pulled into another system promising results

And now, without realising it, he’s doing exactly what was done to him:

Bringing others into the same cycle.

He even stated:

“If they are on a platform where they have to get people under them, we can give them those people.”

That is not marketing.

That is feeding people into a structure that depends on recruitment to survive.

A Familiar Pattern: From One Scheme to the Next

What makes this situation even more concerning is that this isn’t happening in isolation.

Paul’s history shows a pattern that we see far too often in this space.

He has previously:

Lost approximately $3,500 in Hyperverse
Paid money toward what he believed was a legal recovery process connected to Rory Conacher

This is important context.

Because it highlights something bigger than just one platform.

It shows how people move from:

One failed opportunity
To a supposed recovery or solution
Straight into the next system promising results

And each time, the story sounds slightly different…

But the structure stays the same.

In many of these cases, individuals become caught in a loop of:

Loss
Hope
Reinvestment
Promotion

Until eventually, they are no longer just participants…

They become promoters of the next opportunity.

What You’ll Be Told If You’re Contacted

If someone reaches out to you about this platform, expect to hear:

“You can join for free”
“There’s no pressure”
“You don’t have to recruit”
“It’s just a tool for marketers”

But behind that messaging is a system where:

You must pay to earn
You must build a downline
And the majority will never reach the levels being advertised

Accountability — And A Clear Warning

We have chosen to name Paul Ashton in this investigation because he is actively promoting this system and attempting to recruit others into it.

At the same time, this is not about attacking an individual.

It’s about highlighting behaviour that puts others at risk.

If Paul — or anyone else — continues promoting:

This platform
Or similar multi-level recruitment schemes

They will be publicly exposed.

Because once you understand how these systems work…

Continuing to promote them is no longer ignorance.

It’s a decision.

Final Thoughts: This Is Not New — It’s Repackaged

The Powerline Team Building Engine is not innovative.

It’s a rebranded version of a very old model.

Dress it up with:

Automation
Traffic systems
Done-for-you funnels

But strip it back, and you’re left with one thing:

People paying to recruit other people who also have to pay.

That’s it.

And when that’s the foundation, the outcome is predictable.

A small number at the top benefit.

The majority at the bottom lose.

Before You Join Anything Like This, Ask Yourself One Question

Where is the real value being created?

If the answer is:

Bringing in more people
Building a downline
Promoting other opportunities

Then you’re not looking at a business.

You’re looking at a cycle.

And cycles like this don’t end with success.

They end with someone holding the loss.

Disclaimer: How This Investigation Was Conducted

This investigation relies entirely on OSINT — Open Source Intelligence — meaning every claim made here is based on publicly available records, archived web pages, corporate filings, domain data, social media activity, and open blockchain transactions. No private data, hacking, or unlawful access methods were used. OSINT is a powerful and ethical tool for exposing scams without violating privacy laws or overstepping legal boundaries.

About the Author

I’m DANNY DE HEK, a New Zealand–based YouTuber, investigative journalist, and OSINT researcher. I name and shame individuals promoting or marketing fraudulent schemes through my YOUTUBE CHANNEL. Every video I produce exposes the people behind scams, Ponzi schemes, and MLM frauds — holding them accountable in public.

My PODCAST is an extension of that work. It’s distributed across 18 major platforms — including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and iHeartRadio — so when scammers try to hide, my content follows them everywhere. If you prefer listening to my investigations instead of watching, you’ll find them on every major podcast service.

You can BOOK ME for private consultations or SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, where I share first-hand experience from years of exposing large-scale fraud and helping victims recover.

“Stop losing your future to financial parasites. Subscribe. Expose. Protect.”

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