Former Parimatch CEO Sergey Portnov Says Scammers Cost Him Heavily

Portnov’s message was brief. He referred to an expensive lesson and the danger of financing someone else’s supposed AI startup. The post gives no details about how the money was lost.

Portnov Urges Checks Before Sending Money

In his LinkedIn post, Portnov wrote, "I got scammed." He followed that with a warning about calls that appear to come from friends or relatives.

He said a familiar voice and accurate personal details could now be reproduced by fraudsters. Video calls were another concern. His advice was to hang up and call the person back using a number already known to the recipient.

Several details remain undisclosed:

• The amount Portnov lost;
• Who received the money;
• Whether a deepfake was used in his case;
• Whether he reported the incident to police.

Portnov did not provide further details in the comments available under his post.

SP Ventures Was Launched in September

Portnov announced his move into venture investing in September 2026, after more than a decade at Parimatch. His new firm, SP Ventures, was set up to back businesses in technology, education and other sectors.

A September profile in Entrepreneur named Trinity Private School in Cyprus as the firm’s first portfolio investment. Other opportunities were under review.

Portnov mentioned an AI startup in his post but did not explain whether it had any connection to his loss. He named no company and did not say whether the incident involved SP Ventures.

His public advice was limited to one precaution: verify a payment request through a separate, trusted contact before sending money.