A Digital Illusionist: How Michael Schuett Built a Virtual Empire of Shell Companies and Misleading Platforms
At first glance, US AG 24 Inc. and Housing Market Group (HMG) present themselves as modern, international service providers. US AG 24 offers streamlined incorporation services for European entrepreneurs entering the U.S. market. Housing Market Group claims to be a global platform for real estate professionals, offering lead generation tools, digital ad campaigns, and client management software.
Both websites are polished. Both claim global reach. And both give the impression of thriving operations backed by professional teams.
In reality, both are the creation of a single individual: Michael Olaf Schuett, a German national with a criminal record for fraud and money laundering — and a long-standing pattern of hiding behind corporate facades.
Slick Branding, No Real Business
Despite their sophisticated digital appearances, neither US AG 24 nor Housing Market Group maintain physical offices or operational staff. The addresses listed in Berlin and Tampa, Florida, are virtual offices rented from the workspace provider Regus. Phone lines lead to voicemail, and no verifiable personnel are listed anywhere.
Schuett has successfully built an illusion of legitimacy: corporate websites with clean designs, vague but promising language, and a strategic focus on trust-seeking clients — mostly from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
A Criminal History in Two Jurisdictions
Schuett’s history in business is marked by legal setbacks. In 2006, he was convicted of fraud in Germany. After serving his sentence, he relocated to the United States and rebranded himself as a real estate investor.
In 2009, he appeared on the German TV program Goodbye Deutschland!, showcasing a life of luxury in Naples, Florida. Behind the scenes, however, he was already under investigation by U.S. authorities.
On February 18, 2010, the FBI raided his residence. Agents seized electronics, valuables, and an industrial check printer used to issue concealed gambling payouts. According to court documents, Schuett had created 424 shell companies and laundered over $70 million related to illegal online gambling. A U.S. judge ordered him held without bail, citing flight risk and a suspicious marriage to a U.S. citizen just months earlier.
One of the central tools in his operation? The website usag24.com — which remains live to this day.
Housing Market Group: A Familiar Pattern Repackaged
In 2017, after a period of low visibility, Schuett reemerged — this time behind Housing Market Group (HMG), an alleged real estate technology company. HMG claims to have over 52,000 real estate professionals using its platform for advertising and lead generation.
But domain records, backend structures, and public reviews reveal that HMG is little more than a rebranded digital construct. There is no verifiable staff. No headquarters. No regulatory oversight. Former users report receiving little to no service after paying fees, with the entire operation driven by automated systems and vague email responses.
Fictitious Representatives and False Registrations
As in previous ventures, Schuett employed straw men and false identities to create the impression of corporate legitimacy. In the case of US AG 24 Inc., a Florida-based man named “Daniel Adams” was registered as a director — only for Adams to later file a legal declaration stating he had never consented to the role. Another figure, “Michael Schmidt,” vanished from corporate registries with no explanation.
Such tactics are not administrative oversights. They are deliberate strategies to obscure responsibility, fragment liability, and delay legal consequences.
Relocated to Thailand, Still Active Online
Multiple sources familiar with Schuett’s business history have confirmed that he has relocated to Thailand, where he is believed to reside permanently. Whether under his own name or aliases, he appears to continue operating online platforms with a similar model: offering services with high promise and minimal delivery, while remaining shielded by international borders and legal complexity.
His move complicates enforcement efforts — and raises new concerns about cross-border digital fraud in an era of remote entrepreneurship and virtual services.
Conclusion: Appearances Are Not Operations
Michael Schuett represents a modern form of digital opportunism: exploiting the tools of global business — websites, branding, virtual offices — without delivering any of the substance. US AG 24 Inc. and Housing Market Group are not functioning enterprises. They are instruments of perception — built to attract trust, secure payments, and deflect accountability.
In today’s fast-moving digital economy, the lesson is clear: not all that appears professional is legitimate. For entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers, due diligence must go beyond website design and office addresses. Legal structure, transparency, and traceable operations remain the cornerstones of business integrity.
