The Colorado Division of Securities has slammed the brakes on a YouTube financial influencer for allegedly making false claims in his promises to “accelerate wealth” for unwitting potential investors.

Connor Robertson aggressively marketed his investment ventures on social media platforms like his “My BnB Accelerator” and “Syntacz” channels on YouTube, and portrayed himself as a savvy investor with a robust portfolio and lucrative returns, the state alleged.

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Robertson’s company, Syntacz, LLC, is a Colorado limited liability company based in Eagle. However, state records indicate that Robertson’s last known residence is in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, with his notarized signature on state documents suggesting he still resides there.

During an undercover recorded phone call between state investigators and Robertson in February of last year, he made several claims about his business operations, a stipulation for consent order filed by the Colorado Division of Securities revealed.

He described running a “syndication” rather than a traditional fund, which he claimed would allow him to avoid SEC regulations.

Investor funds were to be spread across multiple properties, and he boasted of having many investors who preferred his deals over others, namely, Grant Cardone, a famous online investment influencer, the state alleged. 

Robertson claimed to have 102 properties between Colorado and Florida and made payments to over 4,000 investors monthly. In the undercover call, he claimed to keep about $2 million in cash in the management company bank account, owns properties worth $78 million, and earnings of $330,000 per month from short-term rentals. Additionally, he claimed to have a management team of 32 people.

The state investigation found that Robertson’s claims were either false or misleading. While Robertson did have a portfolio on AirBNB which earned just under $330,000 in a two-year subpoenaed timeframe, this was vastly different from his claims of earning $330,000 per month, as he portrayed to potential investors.

As outlined by the state, Roberson represented on YouTube that “if you put $10,000 into (presumably his) AIRBNB Hedge Fund on average the investor would get an 18 to 22 percent return.”

Robertson omitted to disclose that he did not, in fact, have a hedge fund, the state alleged. 

Findings from the state also discovered that Robertson’s account holdings were “nowhere near” $2 million, like he had claimed, and likewise, his real estate portfolio was overstated to be worth $78 million, according to state authorities. Additionally, given that Robertson is often a partial owner in the properties, the value he owns is a fraction of the value of the properties, the state said.

In contrast to his claims of having a full staff of 32 employees, the state said it found that Robertson had only a single employee.

“We alleged that Mr. Robertson was making misrepresentations to try to lure Coloradans to invest with him,” said Commissioner Tung Chan. “We are glad to have reached a settlement restricting him from future sales of securities.”

As a result of the stipulation and consent order, Robertson is now barred from offering or selling any securities in or from the State of Colorado for a period of three years and attempting to sell or selling any security in or from Colorado unless he is in compliance with state laws, the state said. 

At the time of publication, YouTube library data said the My BNB Accelerator YouTube account had posted 183 videos, but only 25 of those were publicly available. A YouTube account under the name “Syntacz,” where “Dr. Connor Robertson” is listed in the bio, had been scrubbed of all content.

Additionally, Robertson had deleted his LinkedIn account where he had listed himself as “Dr. Connor Robertson.”

The Denver Gazette reached out directly to Robertson for comment, but he could not be reached in time for publication. 

The Colorado Division of Securities urges potential investors to explore its Smart Investor Checklist before committing to any investment opportunity. 

The state asked people who have become a victim of investment fraud to call (303) 894-2320 or dora_SecuritiesWebsite@state.co.us.