Investment group chats
Lesson 9 of 14 in our free Scams & Fraud guide: a 5-minute money game with the key points below.
Reading is cool. Playing is cooler.
This lesson is a 5-minute game. Free, no sign-up needed.
The story so far
Ronnie Rugpull: Welcome to the VIP Wealth Circle! Our members made 40% LAST WEEK. Screenshots below. Limited spaces!
Dex: Bro, look at the screenshots. Everyone's winning. That's just data.
Chip: Screenshots are easy to fake, and half the 'members' might be the scammer's own accounts.
Nana: Check any firm on the FCA register and the FCA Warning List. If they're not authorised, don't touch it.
Quick facts
- Red flag: “Our expert mentor's signals made members 30% a week,” — Unrealistically high, consistent profits.
- Red flag: “zero risk, profit guaranteed.” — No real investment is risk-free or guaranteed.
- Red flag: “Join our trading platform via this link” — Unknown platform — could be fake, showing made-up balances.
- Red flag: “and deposit at least £250 to unlock VIP signals.” — Pay-to-join pressure.
- Red flag: “Only 3 spots left today!” — Fake scarcity.
- Your account shows big gains but you can't withdraw without paying a 'fee' → Scam tactic. Fake platforms invent gains, then charge to 'release' money that doesn't exist.
- Investments can go down as well as up → Normal reality. That's the honest truth about investing.
- A 'recovery' company offers to get your lost money back for a fee → Scam tactic. Recovery scams target people who've already been scammed.
- Regulated firms appear on the FCA register → Normal reality. You can check them yourself, for free.
- A 'clone firm' uses a real company's name but different contact details → Scam tactic. Always use contact details from the register, not from the message.
- Myth: “If a firm uses a real company's name, it must be that company.” — Clone firms copy names and logos. Check the contact details on the FCA register.
- Fact: “Being told to keep an 'opportunity' secret is a warning sign.” — Secrecy stops friends and family from spotting the scam.
- Fact: “Higher promised returns usually mean higher risk — or a scam.” — Return and risk travel together. Sky-high promises are a giveaway.