The Federal Trade Commission announced distribution of almost $23 million to consumers deceived into investing in Sanctuary Belize and Kanantik real‑estate development schemes. The refund action is part of the FTC’s enforcement program to return funds to victims of large cross‑border investment frauds.

The Federal Trade Commission reported it will distribute nearly $23 million to consumers who were misled into investing in the Sanctuary Belize and Kanantik real-estate development schemes. The action follows litigation and settlement efforts designed to recover investor funds in what regulators described as cross-border, pump-and-dump style real-estate investment frauds that promised high returns on developments that did not exist or were misrepresented. The distribution program directs recovered assets to verified victims, accompanied by outreach to trace and return funds where possible. FTC officials framed the remedy as part of a broader enforcement strategy targeting deceptive international property and investment offerings that leverage aggressive marketing and abuse retirement and savings accounts. The agency said the refund underscores continued priority on consumer restitution, cooperative litigation with international partners and deterrence through civil enforcement. Outreach materials and the claims process will be posted on the FTC recovery site to help affected investors claim their shares of the repayment.