13/03/2011. Interview with the admin of ExoticFX

BEWARE! THIS PROGRAM HAS STOPPED PAYING! DO NOT INVEST!

Hi all! Hope the weekend’s been treating you well so far. As usual Sunday has been the quietest day of the week so far for news stories so there’s not really that much to report on. Which is just as well really, considering what I do have for you. It’s not all that often I say this about an interview but today I have one with Charles from ExoticFX and let me tell you it’s a real treat. Rarely have I seen such an extensive and detailed explanation of an online investment program, not to mention well written. In fact it may even take you as long to read it as it took Charles to write it, so best to put your feet up and get comfortable! Trust me, it’ll be worth it as I have little doubt that this will be a valuable source of information that ExoticFX members and potential members alike will reference back to for a very long time to come.

If you’re already one of those investors savvy enough to have realized the simply overwhelming potential of ExoticFX then you’ll no doubt be familiar with the utmost professionalism of its manager. Something else you’ll be aware of is the unique management style, with Charles’ frequent news updates combining both the latest information from his own program as well as news from the wider business world. Something you’d do well to pay attention to by the way, even if you’re not currently an ExoticFX member as they’re stacked with handy tips to help you make the most online business opportunities.

There’s really not much else I can say by way of an introduction as Charles pretty much covers everything himself anyway. He’s certainly a man of words! And it’s not difficult to see why he’s impressed so many industry observers, prompting them to label ExoticFX one of the finest programs to hit our screens in quite some time. I can only agree that they are one of the best researched, developed, organized, planned, and executed programs on the net today. On a more personal level though I’m pleased that Charles has opted to use MNO as a platform for speaking to so many people. Over the coming months ExoticFX will slowly become a mainstay of many portfolios, so I’m pleased that MNO will be the first place where we get to “virtually” meet him.

Otherwise let me just remind you that ExoticFx is offering terms of 1% for 120 business days, 1.2% for 140 business days, 1.45% for 160 business days, 2% for 180 business days (daily payments), 1% daily for 2 weeks, 1.28% daily for 4 weeks, 1.55% daily for 6 weeks, 2.3% daily for 8 weeks (payment on expiry), and your principal returned at the end. For a more detailed description of the plans and the other features of ExoticFX (not that Charles doesn’t do a splendid job of doing so himself below!) you can always refer back to my original review of the project first published here.

“1. Hi Charles, please introduce yourself to the readers of MNO and give us a little background information on yourself and your experience in managing other people’s money.

I would be happy to Paul. First allow me to welcome all the readers here. My name is Charles Martinsen. As a brief history, I was born in the U.S. and lived there for most of my life. I obtained a dual citizenship a few years ago and currently reside primarily in Hong Kong, although I enjoy spending as much time as possible in Sweden and Denmark.

I have a Business Management background and co-founded a trust management company about 20 years ago. After collaborating with a select clientele, we privatized our efforts and exclusively manage a handful of trusts for a small group.

About 3 years ago, realizing the state of the global economy, we began looking into alternative investment opportunities when we were introduced to the firm you now know as Dantex Trading Limited.

When Dantex announced that they were creating an online program, I expressed an interest and was given the opportunity to become the Admin of ExoticFX.

I am not a trader, nor do I want to be. I simply administrate the ExoticFX portal in addition to my Trust Management duties. I have spent the last 25 years managing or handling other people’s money. This has never been easier to do, nor more profitable, than the last 3 years since my association with Dantex began.

2. Can you share some facts about the ExoticFX business with us? How long have you been in operation? Are you the sole employee or do you have an assistant or a partner?

When Dantex desired to create this program, they did substantial research on the internet environment. Originally the concept was to become more main-stream. Since Dantex and my firm have both specialized in a more select and out-of-the-limelight clientele, we decided to continue that strategy as it pertains to ExoticFX. We felt there was plenty that could be done in the HYIP realm prior to a more public endeavor.

The concept originated probably about 2 years ago, became serious about 1 year ago, and was completed for launch in February of this year. We have only been online since the 19th of February 2011.

I am the Administrator of the program, which allows me to design and implement features, advertising strategies and management arrangements, etc. I have two primary superiors in Joshua Clements and John Hobbs, both of whom have assisted greatly in the formation and launch of the program. However, they are extremely committed to the financial success of the Dantex and ExoticFX co-fund, and have pretty much left me to handle the day-to-day administrative duties of ExoticFX.

We have 2 primary accountants who act as the Treasurers for the ExoticFX funds, among other duties.

We also have a very dynamic support group of around 12 individuals who endeavor to assist members with any challenges they may face. Our support staff occupies our support room 24 hours per day, 7 days per week as well as answers all support tickets, forum posts and then patrols the various other forums watching for members that may have initiated concerns there.

Overall support has been relatively simple. The main issues seem to be limited to things like Keycode understanding and the occasional deposit that does not get credited properly through an API’s failure to relay batch numbers, etc.

We also have a Blog manager who handles social media, ensures the blog maintains its relevance and provides updates to our members. Our blog is growing very fast, as it should. We recommend to all our members that they subscribe to our blog. This is where we will provide important information regarding Currencies and discuss the overall state of the global economy, plus we will provide updates in the event our website is unavailable.

3. Assuming someone is coming into the online investments industry for the first time, can you talk us through what you do in a typical working day as the owner of ExoticFX?

For the purpose of clarification, I am not the owner. I am merely the administrator.

On a typical day I pay attention to the overall participation level, gather information for updates, coordinate with accountants, manage advertising agendas, and provide administrative support to our support staff when an issue is beyond their ability to solve.

4. What are you offering investors in terms of plans and profits? What is the minimum and maximum amounts one can invest?

We have set the minimum investment very low at only $10.00. The maximum can be unlimited, depending on the member’s choice of investment plans. I will defer to our website for the individual plan details. But I will say here that we have structured the program to provide a wide assortment of plans. We have Term plans that pay out in as short a time period as 2 weeks. The longest Term plan is 8 weeks. You can also choose a Daily Interest payout type plan and select from 120 days to 180 days investment period. Interest rates vary from 1% to 2.3% returns daily. The plans are explained in full on our website.

5. There are some who would say that by returning the investors’ principal on expiry can put too much of a drain on the program’s resources and can have a detrimental effect on the cash flow if you let’s say experience a slow couple of weeks with more people leaving than joining. What do you say to that? Can it really hasten the demise of an online investment program?

I would have to say that they have been participating in the wrong kind of program. Anytime you make an investment at ExoticFX, although your actual investment may or may not be participated in trade, you are earning returns from actual trades. The returns provided are somewhat lower than those we actually obtain. When your term or daily plan expires, your principal is returned because, well, frankly, it is yours.

Returning the principal has nothing to do with new member deposits or new member signups and will have no effect on our program whatsoever. Don’t get me wrong here. We are here to attract a multitude of members. The long term success of the program is based on growth. Otherwise, it would be simply a waste of time to handle a fund of smaller investors. But the return of your principal is not dependent on growth.

To answer the latter part of your question above, it can hasten the demise of a ponzi program or a program that has provided a return on investment above their capability to actually produce. That just is not the case here at ExoticFX. When we finish our progression chart you will then be able to see the overall daily interest our pooled fund earns as well as any losses and the overall average. From this you will see that the sustainability of ExoticFX is infinite and questions or concerns like this are irrelevant.

6. What payment processors are ExoticFX currently dealing with? Are you satisfied with them as partners or do you have any intentions to expand the list and add more options?

Currently we accept Liberty Reserve, AlertPay, Global Digital Pay and HD-Money. We will be adding bank wire transfers soon. We should be adding SolidTrustPay as well. Overall, Liberty Reserve and AlertPay have been the vast majority choices. I am surprised to say that GDP and HD-M fall far short of these two. In fact, we have almost zero participation from HDM. GDP seems to now be gaining momentum. I would be very interested in understanding why GDP and HD-M are not used more.

7. Can you give us any other general statistics on the program, for example the number of active members, total deposits, total withdrawals, etc?

Our membership numbers still exceed our original expectations. As of this writing we have over 950 members, which I feel is quite superior to the growth rate of most programs that have been accepting deposits for only 18 days. We have exceeded $280,000.00 in deposits and have made payouts to ecurrency of only $9500.00. As I stated in one of the newsletters, we are starting to attract several larger investors with many accounts selecting wise compounding and reinvestment parameters.

8. What would be the best and most efficient way of contacting you if I have any questions or problems? Tell us also about your Live Chat support. What kind of schedule do you keep there? Is it a 24 hour service? Can you tell us anything about the operators (such as what qualifies them to provide this service) and do you ever participate there yourself personally?

The best way to make contact is via our Live Support. We have personnel attending there 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. We strive to answer support tickets requiring assistance in less than 2 hours, although there are times it takes longer.

We provide support in English, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Hindu, Urdu, Tamil and Telegu. For other languages, our staff has been trained to use Google Translate so that anyone can be supported if necessary.

Our Support Staff were selected from an exhaustive list of applicants that was derived from the online investing community. We wanted individuals already familiar with the world of HYIP. We selected the best applicants we could find and little did we know that they would turn out to be such a valuable asset. Our support staff goes above and beyond the call of duty to provide fast, efficient and superior service to our members. I cannot think of a better group of support personnel and doubt one exists.

I stay relatively busy, and since the support staff does such a fantastic job, I have not been needed in the Live Support room, although occasionally I go there in an invisible mode to monitor the discussions.

9. What have been the most common questions, problems, or other support related issues that you have had to deal with so far? Is there anything you would like to address here so that members can avoid having to contact you?

As I said earlier, support has been very easy. The most common question is how to use the keycodes and the occasional failure of an API to pass through batch numbers which will result in a Deposit to not be reflected in a member’s account. Other than that, not much is required.

Our programming staff has also done a fantastic job and they continue to amaze us as they too strive to update and refine the script to provide everything necessary to ensure an easy to navigate and highly secure website.

If members have any questions or concerns they should first come to the Live Support room. I know most sites that offer live support do not offer around the clock support, but we are not most sites. You can make instant contact with ExoticFX support via this room 24 hours per day. The staff may advise you to create a support ticket. Should they do so, please provide ALL the information you feel or they advise is necessary to solve the issue. The primary cause of delay in overcoming a challenge is the time spent collecting enough information.

10. Can you tell us in detail about the security of ExoticFX? Who is your hosting provider and how highly do you rate them as a service provider? What script are you running off? Is your website protected with SSL encryption?

Excellent! I have been waiting for this question.

There is not another online investment website that is, has, or will provide a more secure financial environment than ExoticFX.

We have in place some of the most stringent security protocols available online to prevent any sort of malpractice / hacking / DDoS attacks or any other manipulation.
Some of the security measures we use include

1) One-Time Keycodes: For every important procedure and transaction such as changing / resetting the password, adding / withdrawing monies, investments, etc., members would need to use one of their One-Time Keycodes which are issued automatically by the server. Each Keycode can only be used once and the server will automatically issue new codes as old ones expire.

2) Full Encryption of Database: The database is fully encrypted so that even if an intruder were to compromise the physical server, they would not be able to decipher / change the database.

3) Highly Secure Physical Server: is located in the now renowned Pionen Datacenter ‘Bahnhof’, which is centrally located in Stockholm some 30 meters into the bedrock below the Sofia Church. The Pionen White Mountains Datacenter is an upgraded nuclear-safe bunker that the Swedish Civil Defense used during the Cold War.

4) Full PHP Encoding: All PHP Scripts are encoded by state-of-the-art encoding systems which convert source code to byte code and thus no source code resides on the server.

5) Email Code Verification System: Every transaction is doubly secured by use of an email verification code which users must place into every important transaction form in order for it to succeed.

6) Captcha System: so as to prevent remote bots from submitting forms.

7) Virtual Keyboard: so as to bypass any key loggers on the client system.

8) 256 bit SSL Encryption: to prevent any interception of data.

9) Dragonara DDoS Protection: We selected the best available protection against DDoS attack (Distributed Denial of Service). We have protection from every kind of DDoS attacks including SYN Flood, DRDoS, ICMP Flood, ACK Flood, UDP Flood, Tribe Flood Network, HTTP Flood, Trinoo and many others.

These are only the visible automated methods to prevent any security incident; we also have other subtle methods in place on the backend which generate warnings and messages regarding any and all suspicious transactions or behavior.

If you have not seen or heard of the Bahnhof Pionen White Mountain Datacenter we have a video on our site that tours and describes the facility. It is very interesting and worth your time to watch. This place is very ‘James Bond.’

Our script has been custom designed specifically for ExoticFX. It is not a remake of any other script found online. We wanted a first rate, highly secure financial script that exceeded security protocols that were available for online investment programs. We created a script worthy and perhaps even coveted by everyone in this industry, and that is exactly what we have now. But, we are by no means done. Development of our feature-rich script and its high level of security is an ongoing and perpetual process.

11. I said in my review that your security, while undoubtedly amongst the best around at the moment, can appear a little puzzling to those new to earning online. In fact I’ve even gotten a couple of queries myself from my own downline asking to explain it. So first of all can you tell us why this “Fort Knox” approach is unfortunately so necessary these days and secondly can you give us a step-by-step guide in how to sign-up, deposit, and then withdraw from ExoticFX?

During our research we uncovered that, and as probably everyone here knows, programs fail all the time from hacking, script backdoors, DDoS attacks, and a vast array of other security related issues. We wanted to completely ensure that our program was, as you said, a veritable ‘Fort Knox.’ You would be well advised to not participate in any program that has not gone out of their way to provide a secure environment for your funds. If they are not on a dedicated server, don’t even think about it. If they do not provide an SSL, email included verification process, Captcha and secondary password system, then I would say stay away. We selected the keycode system because it provides an even higher level of security than a secondary password.

With ExoticFX you will not have to worry or wonder about the level of security surrounding your investment. It will remain top notch, and if anything, only improve.

A step-by-step guide? Just remember, you asked for it…

To become a Member:
Click on the Open an Account button in the Flash Header. If you have been sponsored by someone, that will be reflected in your account. If you have not been sponsored, the ExoticFX support staff all receive a share of the commissions.
Enter the desired name of your account.
Enter your email address twice.
Optionally enter your mailing address.
Select your country.
Select your time zone. Tick the Daylight Savings box if you have Daylight Savings in your time zone.
Optionally enter your phone number.
Type the 2 words in the Captcha. You may select new words by clicking on the recycle symbol.
Tick that you agree to the Terms and Conditions.
Click on Create Account.
You will receive a message in the email account specified with instructions on how to activate your account. You need to answer 2 easily remembered secret questions as part of that. The next email will specify your account details.

To Deposit:
It is recommended that you request a new set of keycodes from your Account section. They will arrive via email as an attachment.
First, you need to set up your e-currency account(s). You need to set those up under Account/Update Ecurrency Accounts. Please use an unused keycode along with your ecurrency account name, number or email along with your ExoticFX account password. Once you have done that, go to the Deposit section. Use another of the new keycodes to deposit funds. You will be taken to the ecurrency site to approve the transfer. Note: Do not do this while site maintenance is in progress.

To Invest:
Go to Investments/Make New Investment.
Decide which plan you wish to invest in. You may use the calculator on that page to see the result of your choice. Daily plans may be compounded or the profit may be withdrawn daily. Term Plans cannot be compounded and you receive the principal and interest on expiry.
Enter the amount you wish to invest from available deposited funds.
Enter Compounding and Reinvestment options if required.
Enter an unused keycode.
Agree to the Terms and Conditions by ticking the box.
Click on Invest Now.
When you have done that you should have an active investment.

To Withdraw:
Go to Withdraw/Make New Withdrawal.
Select the Ecurrency you wish to withdraw. The amount available will be shown.
Select the Ecurrency account you wish to withdraw to.
Select the Amount.
Enter your ExoticFX Account password.
Enter an unused keycode.
Click on Submit Withdraw Request.
The withdrawal amount will go to Pending. It will be sent to your Ecurrency account within 24 hours of the next start of day GMT time. Withdrawals are usually done within the first few hours of the next day.

12. What other outside business and investment activities are you involved with? Can we see any independently verifiable proof of these activities?

As I stated earlier, I am a Trust Manager for a select and private clientele list. Dantex also handles a Private group of investors. As such, our records are considered private.

We will soon provide a performance chart on our website that will include a visual representation of our performance dating back to September of last year.

13. Tell us more about the general advertising and promotional strategies being used by ExoticFX. In a very competitive market what are you doing to bring the program to a wider investment audience?

We have barely begun our advertising endeavors, actually. We have purchased banners at various forums and acquired sticky threads there as well. We are utilizing newsletter advertising and of course our affiliate marketing program. You can see that at MNO we have banners acquired for the next 4 months and will be extending those soon as we like the return they are creating. We have our blog and social media established and participation is increasing. And of course the Monitors which can almost all be voted on via MaxiVote.

As we make progress we will employ additional advertising campaigns via various social media, Ezine articles, Google ads and expanded SEO endeavors, to name a few.

14. Are there any plans to develop ExoticFX further in the near future? Will there be any interesting changes made soon? How are you planning to keep the program competitive with so many other options open to investors?

There are numerous plans in the works, but like any successful operation, plans need to be implemented in moderation. We will add features and services as time passes by but I really don’t feel that now is the time to discuss them.

As far as keeping the program competitive, that part is easy. We feel that the program choices available to investors are actually more limited than portrayed by the industry overall. The astute investors here can easily discount all programs that provide a return of anything much greater than ours. They can also eliminate all the programs that have not taken the investors’ security to a level adequate to fully protect them. They can again remove all programs from their list that have used some cheap template or copy paste website arrangement. Poorly supported programs can be thrown out. High Affiliate commissions should be feared. All the scripts available have been cracked or hacked and have backdoors. We purchased all of them early on and our programmers threw them all out. Many hackers have created datacenters for the specific purpose of hacking programs involved in HYIP. You should be cautious of programs hosted at most datacenters that were spawned from the HYIP world.

If you have gone this far as to fully scrutinize using the above information, how many choices are truly left? ExoticFX … and a handful, maybe.

15. As the admin of an online investment program yourself, what’s your opinion of the industry in general? Would you have any advice to people new to this business on how best to protect themselves and their money online?

Yes, I do. First, read the answer to question number 14 again. Do your homework. There is money to be made here, no doubt about it. Just don’t blatantly invest in a program because some self-proclaimed guru said it is a good deal and the timing is right. Take an educated approach. Do your best to determine the validity of the program then ask yourself, “Does this look right?” “Does this feel right?” If you have checked out the items I listed in question 14, then that coupled with those two questions will or should get you 90% of the way there. And honestly, that’s about as close as you can get.

I am not saying that every single thing can or should be transparent. It cannot be. This is high yield investing which makes it also high risk. Not just high risk for the member but for everyone involved. Admin included. There is so much at stake everywhere you turn. e-Currencies fail, Hackers are consistently attempting to gain access, Naysayers want to expose everything and attempt every backdoor they can find. Without a certain level of protection this market would not even exist nor would the profits it offers be available.

16. And finally, is there anything you feel that wasn’t covered in this interview that you think the readers of MNO should be aware of? And also would you like to comment on the review of ExoticFX that I wrote? As it was more or less a matter of personal opinion (mine) is there anything in it that you felt was unfair, inaccurate, or otherwise in need of correction?

Actually Paul, your interview was extremely thorough. I fully enjoyed the 6 hours it took me to answer the questions – lol.

I thought your review was very well done. You fully explained all the plans we offer, touched on the hosting facility Bahnhof and voiced your opinion which I found as positive.

One of the things I like most about MNO is the lack of any biased comments because a program advertises with you. I feel that MNO provides the very best and most thorough research around. Your members can rely on you to tell it like it is without fear of any issues being sugar coated simply because a program is also a client. This is rare and should be applauded.

In closing let me make something very clear. We have not embarked on this journey blindly. We take this very seriously and fully intend on determining our own destiny. ExoticFX will become the top online investment program.
Our maxim … “But, I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.”… Robert Frost.”

Not a bad way to close an interview I think, but don’t forget the preceding line to Frost’s poem said “The woods are lovely, dark and deep” making it a more suiting metaphor for the sometimes murky world of online investments in my opinion. Thanks a lot to Charles then for taking the time and making such a superlative effort in completing my questions. I’m sure it will be a valuable reference point for many for a long time to come. The HYIP industry just got interesting again!

P. S. There’s just one other event that I’d like to briefly mention, and that’s that a new program has been added to Standard listing on MNO today – BankOfPanama. This program only started a few hours ago and offers instant payouts to LibertyReserve and PerfectMoney with $10 the minimum to invest. There are various different investment plans available with payouts processed on expiry and a fixed rate depending on the amount deposited: 106%-122% after 1 day, 120%-177% after 3 days, 145%-255% after 7 days, 170%-322% after 10 days, 220%-555% after 15 days, and 800%-1211% after 30 days. BankOfPanama also features a GoldCoders licensed script and is hosted on a dedicated server with AntiDdos protection, like some other currently popular short-term programs listed on MNO. So I guess the level of protection against DDoS attacks is satisfactory enough. As for payouts and if they are really instant you will find it out in my upcoming review of BankOfPanama which I’m planning to publish on MNO tomorrow along with the latest news from the industry. So, stay tuned, everybody, and see you all tomorrow!