Champions — endorsement rules and checklist

Blockchain Fraud may publish an athlete or public-figure endorsement only when every line below is true. This is the gate; the page (/champions) renders from public/champions.json, and nothing goes into that file without this checklist completed and filed.

Why the rules are strict

FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255). Endorsements must reflect the endorser's honest opinion and actual experience; any material connection (payment, free service, family, equity) must be disclosed clearly on every platform where the endorsement appears. Fake or undisclosed endorsements are deceptive advertising.
Right of publicity. A person's name, image, and voice can't be used commercially without written permission. Using a real athlete's name before they sign is a lawsuit, not marketing.
This site's own posture. A fraud-investigation firm caught inventing an endorsement is finished. The honest-odds stance is the product.

Checklist (all required before publication)

Signed endorsement agreement, countersigned by UnyKorn LLC, on file. Includes term, territory, platforms, termination and takedown, approval of every quote, and the disclosure language.
Compensation stated as a flat fee (or "unpaid"). Never a commission, revenue share, per-lead payment, or anything tied to client fees or recovered funds (FORGE: no transaction-based compensation).
Approved quote, verbatim. Written or spoken by the Champion, reviewed against docs/decisions/ADR-0002-marketing-copy.md. No result claims ("they got my money back") unless documented, consented by the client, and cleared by counsel.
Disclosure text chosen: paid partnership or unpaid. It appears next to the quote on the site and the Champion agrees to use #ad / "paid partnership" tags on social posts when compensated.
Photo license (if a photo is used): written license from the photographer or the Champion's rights holder.
Identity and status verified. Do not assert honors (Hall of Fame, championships, records) unless verified from the league's or the Hall's own records; state exactly what is verified.
Entry added to public/champions.json with name, role, quote, disclosure, signed (ISO date), optional link and photo. Deploy from the canonical repo.

Approved lines a Champion may use (any wording that keeps the meaning)

"Before you send it, check it." / "Paste it before you pay it."
"Scams don't get a second play."
"Tough on fraud. Honest about odds."
"Hit back with evidence."
"Know what you're dealing with."

Lines a Champion may not use

Anything that guarantees recovery, names a recovery rate, or implies Blockchain Fraud is law enforcement, a law firm, or a licensed adviser.
Anything that presents a paid endorsement as spontaneous.
Any client's story without that client's written consent.

Compensation model that fits the rules

Flat endorsement fee per term (for example, a fixed amount for a six-month term with agreed deliverables), paid by UnyKorn LLC by invoice. Referral value for the Champion's audience is the existing customer discount (10%) and prioritized assessment; the Champion's own referral credit, if any, applies to their own engagements, never as cash per referral.

Ambassadors (added 2026-09-10)

An unpaid, disclosed tier under docs/AMBASSADOR-TERMS.md: no money in either direction, ledger disclosure "unpaid ambassador", same approved and forbidden lines, no exclusivity, ends with one email. Anything of value received converts the relationship to a Champion agreement.

Imagery (ADR-0004)

All imagery is original and illustrative; no real athlete is depicted. A real photo appears only under the person's signed agreement and written photo license.

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