The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has launched formal investigations into two online platforms—BE Poland and GrowUp Session—to determine whether their operations may constitute illegal pyramid-type promotional systems. The President of UOKiK, Tomasz Chróstny, has indicated that these inquiries are part of broader market surveillance targeting online investment schemes promising fast and high returns. Both BE Poland and GrowUp Session offer educational packages related to online trading and investments, including forex and cryptocurrency markets. However, UOKiK is examining whether these platforms primarily rely on recruiting new participants as the basis for generating income, rather than on the sale of legitimate services or products. In the case of BE Poland, the platform operates as part of the international BE (Better Experience) network headquartered in Dubai. Polish participants promote the service under the name TPR (Trading People Revolution), selling subscriptions to trading tools and platforms. Recruitment is largely carried out via social media, particularly Instagram, with individuals receiving compensation for referring others. Similarly, GrowUp Session markets training packages and encourages participants to join its affiliate program. Promoters often present themselves on social platforms as financially successful, attributing their lifestyle to income from the program. This image is used to attract new recruits, raising concerns that the system may be structured around recruitment rather than genuine educational services. According to UOKiK, schemes of this nature often use the language of entrepreneurship and self-improvement—described as “programs,” “projects,” or “online earnings”—to mask what may be a pyramid structure. Promoters, sometimes influencers or celebrities, lend legitimacy to these ventures through public appearances or livestreamed events. Participants typically pay for access, then earn money by recruiting others, who in turn do the same. The model becomes unsustainable when the flow of new entrants slows, often resulting in financial losses for those at the lower levels of the structure. UOKiK warns that consumers, particularly young people or those in unstable financial situations, are often drawn into such schemes by promises of high profits with little effort or risk. The regulator urges caution and scepticism when evaluating online business proposals, especially when returns depend largely on bringing in new members. These actions are part of a broader enforcement effort. UOKiK has previously intervened in cases involving platforms such as iGenius, Dream Trips, and Jifu. Last year, fines totalling nearly PLN 1 million were imposed on companies associated with Selfmaker Smart Solution and Selfmaker Technology for similar practices. If a scheme is determined to be a pyramid system, it may also be considered a criminal offence under Article 286 of the Polish Penal Code, which addresses organised fraud. In such cases, UOKiK advises anyone with suspicions to report them to the police or public prosecutor’s office.