What Happened to IM Academy and IYOVIA? The FTC Case Explained

What happened to IM Academy? In an August 2026 consumer update, the US Federal Trade Commission said International Markets Live — also known as IM Mastery Academy and IYOVIA — was no longer in business following its action. This is a case explainer, not a review of a subscription we have used. FTC consumer update.

Sources checked on September 27, 2026. Publisher disclosure: RoboXpert develops and offers its own trading software. We have a commercial interest in this field. Apply the same evidence standards to our products as to anyone else's. This article contains no affiliate links.

Are IM Academy, iMarketsLive and IYOVIA connected?

The FTC case record names International Markets Live, Inc. as doing business under IYOVIA, iMarketsLive, IM Mastery Academy and IM Academy. Those names appear in the same proceeding; an older brand name can therefore lead to relevant documents.

That does not establish that every later trading community, similarly named website or former participant is part of the same business. Any claimed connection needs its own evidence.

What did the FTC allege?

In May 2025, the FTC and Nevada alleged that unsupported or false earnings claims were used to sell financial training and participation in a multi-level-marketing venture. The latter involved marketing the training to other people. The agency described social-media promotion aimed at young people and challenged the evidence behind purported trading success. These are attributed allegations from the FTC's complaint announcement, not findings from a RoboXpert trading test.

For a prospective customer, two questions must stay separate: does the training teach something useful, and what evidence supports the income being advertised? A lesson, a referral commission and a trading profit are different things.

What changed in 2026?

The stipulated court order filed June 1, 2026 covers the named companies and Chris and Isis Terry, among others. Section I prohibits the corporate and individual defendants defined in that order from selling or promoting trading-training services and investment opportunities, including specified assistance and financial interests.

The order also states that the defendants neither admit nor deny the complaint's allegations, subject to its stated exceptions. A binding settlement order is not a criminal conviction or an admission of every allegation. See the order's findings on page 4 and restrictions on page 9.

The FTC's case index lists that document under June 3; its court filing header says June 1. The index also includes a further order concerning other relief defendants under July 16 and still labels the overall case “Pending.” Those entries should not be confused with whether the business is operating. The later August consumer update says it is no longer in business.

Why trading profits and recruitment income must be separated

When someone promotes a trading opportunity, ask which activity produced the income being shown. A sales commission can establish that a sale occurred; it does not establish that a trading method is profitable. An attractive lifestyle cannot supply the missing account history.

Our editorial test is to trace each claim to the right kind of evidence:

These are general questions for any offer, not claims that we inspected every IM Academy product or participant. If a seller provides a trading-account link, our guide to verifying trading results explains how to examine it.

Six questions before paying for another trading offer

1. What am I buying? Separate education, software, signals, brokerage services and a recruitment opportunity. Ask for a written description.
2. Who gets paid if I join? Identify referral payments, recurring commissions and conditions attached to access.
3. What does the claimed result measure? Distinguish trading profit, sales revenue and withdrawals. Record the starting capital and measurement period.
4. Who is missing from the success stories? Ask how unsuccessful or inactive participants are counted.
5. What are the complete costs and exit terms? Include recurring charges and any separate software or data requirements. Keep the written terms.
6. Can I inspect the evidence before deciding? A refusal leaves the claim unverified. It does not create an obligation to buy in order to find out.

If the pitch centres on doubling your account, our 100% monthly return reality check shows what that claim implies and why a high win rate can still conceal losses.

What if I already paid?

Keep your invoices, terms, cancellation messages and the specific claims you relied on. For US readers, the FTC links to ReportFraud.ftc.gov in its consumer update. A report is not a guaranteed refund. This article does not establish eligibility for compensation, a payment deadline or a recovery timetable; consult current official case information for those details. RoboXpert does not offer a recovery service.

Use an evidence check before your next decision

RoboXpert's guides explain how to inspect trading records, interpret losses and test indicator behaviour. Start with our trading-results checklist and use it on the next offer you encounter — including an offer from us. A recognisable brand or a convincing presentation should never replace the underlying evidence.