An Illinois resident has admitted to participating in a scheme involving the sale of fabricated market survey data, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan.
Frank Hayden, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Landya B. McCafferty, who scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2026.
Court documents state that Op4G and Slice were market research firms based in New Hampshire and Illinois. These companies were hired by clients to conduct market research surveys and maintained panels of individuals eligible to take these surveys. Hayden initially worked at Op4G before joining Slice.
In 2014, Hayden and other conspirators sought to boost company revenues by producing false survey results. They recruited individuals known as “ants,” who pretended to be legitimate survey participants but were paid small amounts for completing fake surveys that resulted in fraudulent data. Some conspirators also acted as “ants” themselves, taking large numbers of surveys and receiving substantial payments.
To avoid detection, instructions were exchanged among the conspirators and the “ants.” These included guidance on answering screener questions, directions on how long to spend on each survey, and encouragement to use virtual private network (VPN) services to hide real IP addresses.
The statute under which Hayden was charged allows for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense—whichever is greater. Sentencing will be determined according to federal guidelines and statutes.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the inquiry into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is handling the prosecution.
