The Fintech CEO and Forbes 30 Under 30 alum has been indicted for alleged fraud

Currently, the Forbes 30 Under 30 list has become notorious due to the number of participants being accused of fraud. Notable alumni include FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, Frank CEO Charlie Javis, Joanna Smith-Griffin, founder of AI startup AllHere Education, and “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli, among others. Now, federal charges have been filed against another member of the list.

Gokce Guven, a 26-year-old Turkish national and founder and CEO of fintech startup Calder, was charged last week with alleged securities fraud, wire fraud, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

The New York-based fintech startup — which uses “turn your rewards into… [a] The “Revenue Engine” tagline says it can help companies create and monetize individual rewards programs. Founded in 2022, the company offers participating businesses the opportunity to earn ongoing revenue streams through affiliate sales, Axios previously reported.

Goffin appeared on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list last year. The magazine notes in its article that Goffin’s clients included the major chocolate company Godiva and the International Air Transport Association, the trade organization that represents the majority of the world’s airlines. Calder also claims to have enjoyed the backing of a number of prominent venture capital firms.

The US Department of Justice alleges that during Calder’s seed round in April 2024, Goffin was able to raise $7 million from more than a dozen investors after making a pitch filled with false information.

According to the government, Calder’s promotion claimed there were 26 brands “using Calder” and another 53 brands using “direct freemium.” However, officials say, in reality, Calder was, in many cases, only offering pilot programs at deeply discounted prices to many of those companies. The other brands “had no agreement with Calder at all, not even for free services,” officials said in a press release announcing the indictment. The presentation also “falsely stated that Calder’s recurring revenues had grown steadily month over month since February 2023, and that by March 2024, Calder had reached $1.2 million in annual recurring revenues.”

The government also accuses Goffin of keeping two separate sets of financial books. One of these packages included “false and inflated figures” and was presented to investors or potential investors to hide “the true financial position of the company,” the government claims. The Justice Department also alleges that Goffin used lies about Calder as well as forged documents to obtain a visa category reserved for individuals with “extraordinary ability,” which would have allowed her to live and work in the United States.

TechCrunch reached out to Güven via her personal website. The CEO said she would share a statement about the accusations on Tuesday.