In the past few weeks, the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) has received numerous complaints from worried consumers about fraudulent trading platforms in Belgium. These platforms pretend to offer legitimate investment opportunities but use deceptive methods to attract unsuspecting victims.
Fraudulent platforms often use misleading ads on social media and video platforms to catch people's attention. These ads might feature well-known figures promising quick money through trading. Some platforms also use mobile apps to draw people in.
Once people engage with these platforms, scammers can be very pushy. They might claim to be authorized by fake financial authorities to seem trustworthy. In some cases, they even try to take control of victims' computers to move money without permission. Victims are often pressured into investing more money with promises of high returns but end up losing everything.
The FSMA has noticed several warning signs associated with these fraudulent platforms. For example, they might offer "affiliate programs" that resemble pyramid schemes. Also, be cautious if they contact you through WhatsApp, Telegram, dating apps, or fake social media accounts.
The FSMA noticed that the following websites for trading softwares and courses refer to fraudulent online trading platforms:
Various new trading platforms have appeared on the internet in recent weeks.
The FSMA strongly advises against responding to any offers of financial services made by the following new trading platforms:
To avoid falling for investment scams, here's what the FSMA suggests:
This article was published in collaboration with the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA).
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Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!
As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu
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