IM Mastery Academy Review (2026): What the FTC Case Means for Members

The Short Answer

If you are researching IM Mastery Academy in 2026, the most important fact is this: the Federal Trade Commission and the State of Nevada sued the company and its leaders in May 2025. In May 2026, the founders agreed to a proposed settlement that includes a $795.8 million judgment and a permanent ban on selling trading training and investment opportunities. Business Radar reports that the company, which had rebranded to IYOVIA, effectively ceased operations after a court froze its assets in 2025.

In other words, this is not a program you can sensibly join today. This review explains what IM Mastery Academy sold, what regulators alleged, and what current or former members should know. It also covers what to look for if you still want to build an online income, without the risks that brought this company down.

What Was IM Mastery Academy?

IM Mastery Academy started life in 2013 as iMarketsLive, founded by Christopher Terry. BehindMLM credits Isis De La Torre, also known as Isis Terry, as a co-founder and former CFO. The company sold subscription access to trading education and tools for forex, cryptocurrency and other markets. It also ran a multi-level marketing (MLM) compensation plan that paid members for selling subscriptions and recruiting others.

Products and Tools

BehindMLM lists a range of trading tools and "academies," including Harmonics, Delorean, Steady, Vibrata, GoldCup, SwipeTrades and Pivots, plus FRX, HFX and DCX academies covering forex, high-frequency forex and digital currencies. Members typically paid for a starter pack and then a recurring monthly fee.

What It Cost

Montoya challenge (one-time)$5

Platinum (start + 11 months)$2,014

Elite (start + 11 months)$3,350

The Truth in Advertising (TINA.org) summary of the FTC complaint describes training products costing up to $400 per month. Over a year, that adds up to thousands of dollars, before any money is put into actual trading.

What the FTC and Nevada Alleged

The FTC's May 2026 press release summarizes the core allegations. The defendants allegedly used "false or baseless" earnings claims to sell trading training and to recruit people into the MLM, and the scheme generated more than $1.2 billion since 2018. According to TINA.org's summary of the complaint:

• Recruiting heavily targeted young people on social media, with posts showing luxury lifestyles said to be funded by trading profits and commissions.
• Most recruits earned nothing or lost money. A 2018 income disclosure reportedly showed that 95% of distributors averaged under $300 for the year, before expenses.
• The complaint alleged fake positive reviews, efforts to disable critics' accounts, and coaching on how to post income claims while evading compliance.
• The case included ten counts, among them violations of the Telemarketing Sales Rule and the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA), plus Nevada deceptive-practices counts.

These were allegations in a civil complaint. The settlements resolve them without a trial.

The Settlements and Bans

Lead Defendants (May 2026)

On May 13, 2026, the FTC announced a proposed order with Chris and Isis Terry and their companies. The key terms:

• A monetary judgment of $795.8 million, partly satisfied by surrendering assets valued at nearly $90 million. The assets include eight luxury homes, 13 home lots near Las Vegas, 19 cars, a yacht, and jewelry and watches.
• The rest of the judgment is suspended, but becomes due if the defendants are found to have misrepresented their finances.
• A permanent ban on selling trading-training services and investment opportunities.
• Bans on false earnings claims and other misrepresentations, plus requirements for consent and easy cancellation on recurring charges.

Stipulated orders take effect once a federal judge approves them. The FTC expects total recoveries in the case to exceed $100 million.

Earlier Settlements (2025)

• August 2025: Global Dynasty Network, Jason Brown and Matthew Rosa agreed to pay $2.5 million.
• September 2025: Alex Morton, the former executive vice president of sales, and salesman Brandon Boyd agreed to pay $10.5 million combined.
• August and November 2025: A court granted a preliminary injunction against the companies and the Terrys, then a modified order imposing a receivership and asset freeze.

A Long Trail of Warnings

The lawsuit did not come out of nowhere. TINA.org's timeline traces regulatory warnings back to 2017, when Colombia and France were among the first to issue alerts. Home Business Watch lists warnings from Spain, Belgium and Italy, among others. In 2018, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) settled with the company over acting as an unregistered commodity trading advisor. TINA.org issued its own consumer warning that year, and in 2019 filed a complaint with the Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council over earnings claims.

The lesson for anyone researching an opportunity: regulatory warnings in several countries are a serious red flag, even when the company is still operating normally where you live.

Is IM Mastery Academy a Scam?

We are not in a position to make legal findings, and the settlements resolve the allegations without a trial. What we can say is factual: the FTC described the company's earnings claims as false or baseless, and called the business an MLM scheme in its press release. The founders agreed to a $795.8 million judgment and a lifetime ban from the industry. The company's own 2018 disclosure, as reported, showed most distributors earning very little.

For a reader deciding where to spend money, that is more than enough. IM Mastery Academy is not a program we would recommend to anyone, and in 2026 it is not realistically available to join.

If You Were a Member

• Stop recurring payments: check your card and bank statements for ongoing subscription charges, and contact your card issuer if charges continue.
• Watch for refund news: as of the May 2026 announcement, the FTC had not described a refund program for this case. Any future refund process will be posted on the FTC's official refunds page at ftc.gov. The FTC never asks you to pay to receive a refund.
• Beware of recovery scams: anyone who contacts you promising to recover your money for a fee should be treated with suspicion.
• Report problems: the FTC accepts reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Red Flags to Remember for Any Opportunity

IM Mastery Academy combined several warning signs that also show up in other programs. Watch for:

1. Income shown through lifestyle posts (cars, travel, cash) rather than verifiable data.
2. Recurring monthly fees where most earnings come from recruiting other subscribers.
3. Income disclosures showing most participants earn little or nothing.
4. Regulatory warnings in other countries.
5. Promises that you can profit from markets with little experience.

Our guide on how to spot make-money-online scams goes through these signs in more detail.

A Safer Way to Learn an Online Skill

Many people who joined IM Mastery Academy wanted a way to earn online without a traditional job. That goal is reasonable. The safer route is to learn a business model where you are not paying monthly fees for "signals," and where your income does not depend on recruiting.

Affiliate marketing is one option. You promote other companies' products and earn a commission when someone buys. There are no monthly subscriptions to sell to friends, and no trading risk. It still takes real work and is not guaranteed income, but the cost of learning it can be very low. We point most beginners to Jonathan Montoya's low-cost challenge, which teaches offers, a simple funnel, email follow-up and free traffic for a few dollars. Read our full challenge review for the details and fine print.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Verdict on IM Mastery Academy

IM Mastery Academy is a cautionary tale, not an opportunity. Regulators in the US alleged deceptive earnings claims on a billion-dollar scale. The founders agreed to a $795.8 million judgment and a lifetime ban, and the company's operations were halted. If you want to build an online income, choose a low-cost way to learn a real skill, with no recurring subscriptions to resell and no recruiting at the center of the business.