Reform UK city councillor Susan Lawrence promoted HyperVerse — a scheme described in US court documents as an alleged pyramid and Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of $1.89 billion (£1.41 billion). Lawrence now sits on Wolverhampton City Council’s audit and risk committee, which oversees financial reporting on a budget of several million pounds. Some participants who took out loans to invest said they experienced suicidal thoughts after losing access to their funds; in some cases, participants harmed themselves. Authorities have not personally accused Lawrence of wrongdoing. Reform UK said Lawrence lost her pension savings and tens of thousands of pounds, later joined HyperNation to recoup her losses, and is no longer involved with such schemes. Lawrence did not respond to a request for comment.