– Very uncomfortable – E24

Artist Björn Eitzvak and Central Bank Governor Ida Woldenbach are being abused on a website that lures them with lucrative investment opportunities. – Fraud, says an IT expert.

– It is very unpleasant to be abused in this way, writes the famous artist Björn Eitzvak in a text message to E24.

The website Monetrizer AI touts it with algorithms that have “already made hundreds of Norwegians rich”. On the website, both Eidsvåg and central bank governor Ida Wolden Bache are misrepresented as very complacent investors.

With its name and image, Eidsvåg obviously attracts quick money through artificial intelligence.

– Most people understand that this is deception and deception, but some people are deceived. Eatswak writes that they have retained a lawyer in the case.

Central Bank Governor Ida Volden Bache is depicted as a “Norwegian economist” under the name Ida Volden.

The website depicts the central bank governor recommending buying low and selling high.

“I never thought that trading the stock market could be so easy. With their system, I became financially independent and earned NOK 75,665 per week!” That’s what the false quote on the website reads.

E24 has asked Norges Bank several questions about the use of the Central Bank Governor on the website.

– Unfortunately, from time to time we or our employees experience abuse in various fraudulent attempts. Beyond that, it is not natural for us to comment further on the matter, writes Bård Ove Molberg, press manager at Norges Bank, in an email.

Norges Bank would not answer whether they would take any action to remove it.

Simple procedure

IT expert Torgeir Waterhouse reviewed the website at E24’s request. He had no doubt it was a scam.

– There is nothing like a serious financial operator on this website. He says even those who sell “bad” nutritional supplements are better at looking more half-serious than this.

He believes that the use of Bjørn Eidsvåg and Ida Wolden Bache is the result of a very simple process.

– My guess is that the people behind the website may have searched for “famous Norwegian artist” and “famous Norwegian economist” and added some parameters related to age, he says.

What does an IT expert think people who are being abused in online scams should do?

– There are two things you can do: one, report to the police and most likely face a full automatic shutdown. The second is to ignore it, says Waterhouse.

Does not give hits

E24 has not been successful in contacting the person behind the website.

There is no contact form on the website. However, it says Monetrizer is “a trading name” for Monetrizer LTD, a technology services company.

A search for Monetrizer LTD on Orbis, a global company database containing information on over 425 million companies, returned no hits.

Aside from the “company’s” own websites, a casual Google search only leads to the Spanish Financial Supervisory Authority’s overview of red-flagged companies.

The Whois registry also cannot find out who owns a website’s domain.