CLEVELAND, Ohio — Two Instagram influencers who staked their fame on real estate investments are accused of running a Ponzi scheme by dangling cheap properties in Cleveland that they used to swindle investors.
Husband and wife Gregory and Danielle Parker of Philadelphia touted their success on social media, using the Instagram handle “bigbizzneesss,” saying they were self-made millionaires and promising to teach others how to make big bucks quick — for a price. The account racked up some 377,000 followers with more than 33,000 posts.
Federal prosecutors say they took in thousands of dollars from investors that the duo was supposed to use for real-estate investments. Instead, they used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, including leasing luxury cars and using private jets that they featured in social media posts to show off their purported success…