Global Investment Fraud: How to Identify Fake High-Return Investment Projects?
Case Overview:
Mr. Li saw an advertisement on a social media platform claiming that an “international investment company” was offering stable, high-return stock investment opportunities with an annual return rate of up to 30%. The “investment advisor” in the ad communicated with Mr. Li via email and phone, stating that this was a globally recognized investment project with low risk and substantial returns. Trusting the investment advisor, Mr. Li remitted $50,000 to the recommended account as his first investment. However, several months later, Mr. Li discovered that the platform could not process withdrawals, and the contact person had disappeared.
Legal Response:
Evidence Collection:
When Mr. Li contacted Max International Law Firm, he provided all the investment records, including payment receipts, emails, phone records, and company website information. The firm discovered that the company had no clear registration details, and its website was extremely basic, suggesting potential fraudulent advertising.
Financial Investigation:
Max International Law Firm first contacted Mr. Li's bank to request records of the fund transfers. By tracing the flow of funds, the lawyers discovered that some of the money had been transferred to multiple unknown accounts, and the involved accounts were located in several countries, indicating that this could be a cross-border fraud scheme.
Cross-Border Recovery and Litigation:
Through collaboration with international financial institutions, Max International Law Firm discovered during the investigation that the fraudulent company had no actual operations and that its website registration information was falsified. The firm advised Mr. Li to file a lawsuit in an international court, pursue cross-border asset tracing, and seek compensation through judicial cooperation with the relevant countries.
Outcome and Summary:
Mr. Li successfully recovered a portion of his invested funds, and during the case handling, Max International Law Firm assisted him in retrieving funds that had been transferred across multiple countries using international legal measures. This case serves as a reminder to the public: for investment projects promising excessively high returns, one must remain highly vigilant to avoid blindly following the crowd.