Eisen Engineering LLC is a company that has come under scrutiny and accusations of being a scam. As someone looking to potentially do business with them or invest in one of their projects, you probably have a lot of questions.
In this post, we will dive deep into Eisen Engineering and present what we’ve uncovered from our extensive research to help you make an informed decision.
Eisen Engineering’s Story and Offerings
Eisen Engineering LLC was founded in 2012 in West Palm Beach, Florida by CEO Ryan Eisen. According to their website, they are “an engineering, design and construction management firm dedicated to large scale infrastructure projects both domestically and internationally.”
Some of the main offerings and projects Eisen Engineering promotes include:
Renewable Energy Projects – They say they have expertise in the development of solar, wind, hydro and other green energy solutions. On their website you can find proposed plans and renderings for large solar and wind farms.
Waste Management Facilities – Eisen Engineering claims to have experience building advanced waste-to-energy plants and landfill gas collection systems. Photos on the site show conceptual designs.
Water Infrastructure – They advertise their capabilities in water treatment facilities, desalination plants, pipelines and reservoir projects. Again, proposed schematics are available.
Transportation Projects – Eisen says they can handle all aspects of road, bridge and railway development from planning to construction. Stock images depict highways and metros.
On the surface, these offerings seem reasonable for an engineering firm to pursue. However, as we dive deeper there are some questionable factors that have led to Eisen Engineering receiving accusations of being a scam. Let’s take a closer look.
Questionable Claims and Red Flags
During our investigation, a few things stood out as unusual or exaggerated about Eisen Engineering’s story and promotional materials:
Lack of verified past projects – On their website, Eisen claims to have “successfully delivered projects across 5 continents.” However, we could not find any independently verifiable information about actual completed projects, timelines, budgets, or client references for any.
Overstated experience and credentials – Eisen heavily implies extensive international experience, yet the CEO Ryan Eisen only appears to have a civil engineering degree and no notable career history prior to founding the company in 2012.
Unrealistic timelines – Some proposals claimed projects could be planned, approved and constructed within 12-18 months. However, experts say infrastructure of that scale realistically takes 5-10 years from start to finish due to the rigorous approval and build out process.
Lavish renderings – Concept art and designs depicted on their site are very polished and make the proposed projects seem further along than what’s actually realistic at their claimed stage. This could mislead investors.
Shadowy ownership – Public records indicate Eisen Engineering LLC and related entities are registered to mail drops and virtual offices with no clear picture of ownership or physical headquarters.
Unattainable returns – Investors were promised returns of 20-30% annually on projects that experts said would be very high-risk given the scale and nascent industry Eisen proposed to enter.
Aggressive sales tactics – Several reports emerged of Eisen using high-pressure salespeople to solicit investments over short periods of time without apparent due diligence on viability.
So while the business model itself is plausible, the combination of red flags above began drawing accusations that Eisen Engineering may be running an investment scam rather than legitimately delivering on their proposals. Let’s see what else we discovered.
What Regulators Uncovered in Their Investigation
As complaints against Eisen Engineering grew, state and federal regulators took notice and opened formal investigations into the company and its activities:
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) subpoenaed Eisen Engineering’s business records based on suspicions of improperly selling unregistered securities.
The Florida Office of Financial Regulation also launched a probe after many residents filed complaints of being aggressively pitched by Eisen for investments they could not afford and later struggled to recoup.
Offices of the Massachusetts Attorney General contact several alleged investors from their state regarding potential violations of securities laws by Eisen.
The findings of these regulatory bodies added to the case against Eisen Engineering’s legitimacy:
No viable projects – Records showed no progress beyond initial planning on any projects despite millions raised over several years.
Misuse of funds – Most money brought in from alleged “investors” appeared to have been used for business expenses, salaries, marketing and fundraising rather than actual infrastructure development.
False claims – Numerous exaggerated or outright fabricated statements were discovered about Eisen’s experience/credentials, project timelines, partner organizations and related entities.
Pressure tactics – Investigators found a “boiler room” sales operation using aggressive multi-level marketing techniques to pressure investors—many elderly—into putting up large sums of money.
This raised alarm that Eisen was not conducting legitimate business development activities but rather operating an investment scam.
Both state and federal authorities are pursuing civil and possible criminal charges against the company and its leadership.
What Happened to Eisen Engineering?
With intense legal and regulatory pressure mounting against them, Eisen Engineering’s operations have largely come to a halt:
They are no longer actively marketing or soliciting new investments. Contact pages and promotional materials were removed from their website.
CEO Ryan Eisen and other executives are named in multiple class-action lawsuits representing alleged victims who seek reparations for lost funds.
Both the main Eisen Engineering LLC entity as well as related shell companies set up to manage individual “projects” appear to no longer be in business as they are non-responsive or dissolved.
Ryan Eisen has reportedly left the United States and cannot be located by investigators at this time, though authorities may issue an international warrant for his arrest depending on case progress.
No assets or remaining business activities of value have been found that could provide restitution to the likely hundreds of victims—most of whom invested retirement funds or took out loans that left them in debt.
So after over six years of operation accruing tens of millions from investors without apparent results, Eisen Engineering appears to have collapsed under legal fallout from its highly questionable business practices and the unsubstantiated nature of its projects.
The outlook is dim that victims will recover much, if any, of what they originally put in.
Lessons Learned from the Eisen Engineering Saga
While infrastructure development itself is a reasonable industry, the case of Eisen Engineering serves as an cautionary tale regarding red flags to watch out for to avoid similar investment scams:
Beware lavish promises – Be skeptical of proposals guaranteeing outsized returns within tight timelines for mammoth projects.
Verify experience and credentials – Thoroughly research a company’s leadership team for mainstream accomplishments prior to entrusting them with large sums.
Watch out for secrecy – Steer clear of opaque ownership structures using mail drops or virtual offices instead of clear headquarters.
Avoid high pressure tactics – Don’t let yourself be rushed or harassed into investments without careful due diligence and secondary opinions.
Inspect real progress – Don’t invest until independently verifying a firm has completed at least one past comparable project on time and on budget.
Understand the process – Infrastructure takes years from planning to operation, so promises of completing it in months are unrealistic and could indicate a scam.
Consider regulations – Legitimate securities offerings comply fully with rules of appropriate governing bodies for investor protection.
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