[USA HERALD] – A Texas investor has filed a federal lawsuit accusing a well-known online sales influencer and his company of fraud, theft, and breach of contract after a promised overseas real estate investment allegedly dissolved into a year-long series of shifting explanations, undocumented ventures, and unanswered demands for repayment.
The lawsuit, filed December 31, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, names Bajrami Group Inc. as the defendant and centers on its founder and chief executive, Bruno Bajrami — an online influencer who built a following by marketing himself as a young, self-made millionaire and elite sales coach. According to the complaint, Bajrami used that influencer persona to cultivate trust before soliciting a $450,000 investment from plaintiff Daniel Austin
Austin alleges he first encountered Bajrami through an online coaching program marketed under the “Top Closers” brand, where Bajrami presented himself as a highly successful entrepreneur with access to exclusive, high-return investment opportunities. Over time, the lawsuit claims, Bajrami leveraged that relationship to inquire into Austin’s finances and liquidity, eventually pitching what was described as a secure real estate development project in Tirana, Albania. At the time, Austin was undergoing serious medical treatment — a fact the complaint alleges Bajrami knew when making his investment pitch.
In May 2024, Austin signed a written investment agreement and subsequently wired $450,000 to Bajrami Group Inc. in three separate transfers. The agreement, attached to the complaint, explicitly restricted the use of funds to a Tirana real estate project and prohibited any deviation without Austin’s prior written consent. Yet the lawsuit alleges the agreement identified no specific property, address, development plan, or supporting documentation — a lack of detail that would soon take on greater significance.
According to the complaint, no real estate transaction ever occurred. Austin alleges he received no deeds, contracts, closing documents, architectural plans, or other evidence that any property was acquired or developed on his behalf. Instead, when he pressed for updates, Bajrami allegedly began offering new explanations for where the money had gone.
The first pivot, Austin claims, was an alleged oil or diesel transaction tied to foreign markets. When that explanation failed to result in repayment, the story allegedly changed again — this time to a purported tobacco venture connected to Philip Morris, complete with nondisclosure agreements and repeated claims that documentation could not be shared due to confidentiality. The lawsuit states that Austin later found no evidence supporting the existence of such a venture.
The complaint further alleges that Bajrami invited Austin to Albania, where he was shown warehouses and hotels purportedly connected to the investment. Austin claims he observed no active development, construction, or operations consistent with any of the promised projects.
By mid-2025, the explanations allegedly took a more extraordinary turn. Bajrami reportedly told Austin that the funds had been converted into cash, combined with additional money, and physically handed over in Albania to an individual identified only as “Duka.” According to the complaint, Bajrami could not identify the bank involved, the denominations of the cash, the locations of the handoffs, or where the money is currently held — while still acknowledging that Austin was owed the full amount.
Despite repeated assurances that repayment was imminent, the lawsuit alleges Austin recovered only about $2,000 of the original $450,000 over more than a year. Bajrami allegedly cited illiquidity while simultaneously claiming to have millions invested elsewhere and, at one point, suggested Austin provide additional funds to help facilitate repayment.
Austin’s lawsuit asserts causes of action for fraud and fraudulent inducement, violations of the Texas Theft Liability Act, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment. He is seeking at least $448,000 in damages, along with statutory damages, attorneys’ fees, interest, and equitable relief.
As with all civil filings, the allegations have not yet been proven in court, and the defendant has not filed a response. Still, the complaint underscores a growing legal risk zone where influencer branding, online coaching, and high-dollar investment solicitations intersect — particularly when trust built through digital platforms is followed by large, undocumented financial transfers.
The case now moves forward in federal court, where discovery may determine whether the influencer-driven pitch amounted to a failed business venture, reckless mismanagement, or something more deliberate. For now, the lawsuit stands as a stark warning about the power — and potential peril — of mixing online influence with private investment deals conducted largely behind the scenes.
Sources:
- Civil Complaint— Daniel Austin v. Bajrami Group, Inc., Case No. 5:25-cv-01929, filed Dec. 31, 2025, U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas (San Antonio Division)
- Bruno Bajrami’s Flashy Online Persona Collides With A Federal Fraud Lawsuit Alleging $450,000 Vanished Without a Real Investment (USA Herald)
🛑 It should be noted that the assertions in this civil complaint are allegations only and have not been proven in a court of law.
