Global Investment Scams: How to Identify Fake High-Return Investments?
Case Overview:
Mr. Li saw an advertisement on a social media platform claiming that an "international investment company" offered stable, high-return stock investment opportunities with annual returns of up to 30%. The "investment advisor" in the advertisement communicated with Mr. Li via email and phone, promoting this globally recognized low-risk investment program with substantial returns. Mr. Li trusted the advisor and transferred $50,000 to the recommended account as his initial investment. However, several months later, Mr. Li discovered that the platform was unable to process withdrawals and that the contact person had disappeared.
Legal Response:
Evidence Collection:
When Mr. Li contacted Financial Legal Aid, he provided all his investment records, including payment receipts, emails, phone records, and information on the company's website. The company discovered that the company lacked clear registration details and had a very sparse website, indicating the possibility of fraudulent advertising.
Financial Investigation:
Financial Legal Aid first contacted Mr. Li's bank and requested fund transfer records. Tracing the funds, the attorneys discovered that some of the funds had been transferred to multiple unknown accounts in multiple countries, suggesting a possible transnational fraud scheme.
Transnational Recovery and Litigation:
Working with international financial institutions, Financial Legal Aid discovered during its investigation that the fraudulent company had no actual operations and that its website registration information was fabricated. The firm recommended that Mr. Li file a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice, conduct cross-border asset tracing, and seek compensation through judicial cooperation with relevant countries.
Results and Summary:
Mr. Li successfully recovered a portion of his investment funds. Throughout the case, Financial Legal Aid assisted him in utilizing international legal means to recover funds that had been transferred across multiple countries. This case serves as a warning to the public: be vigilant against investment projects that promise excessively high returns and avoid blindly following trends.
