FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2023

Securities Commission uncovers 66 investment fraud victims and issues 34 investor alerts 

Winnipeg – The Manitoba Securities Commission (MSC) is warning the public about a dramatic increase in the number of fraudulent online investment websites, which are attempting and in many cases successfully, exploiting Manitobans at an alarming rate.

An ongoing investigation into cryptocurrency fraud led MSC investigators to uncover a list of 58 possible fraud victims residing in Manitoba. The MSC proactively reached out to these individuals to determine if they were in fact victims of fraud, and to warn them of the dangers of investing any additional money. Of the 58 identified, MSC staff were successful in reaching 54 individuals, all who had been victimized through 29 separate online platforms. While conducting this investigation, an additional five scams were identified affecting eight victims. Losses range from $320 up to $206,000 per individual. The total losses to date are $710,000.|

"Online investment fraud is happening at an increasing rate," says Jason Roy, MSC senior investigator. "We're seeing people of all ages, professions and from around our province lose money to these scams. We were fortunate in this case to be able to connect with these individuals before they handed over any more money. We are all at risk, no matter how savvy we feel."

For Fraud Prevention Month the MSC created a detailed list of simple background checks you should be doing BEFORE you hand over your hard-earned savings to anyone you don't know and who approached you via social media, phone, text, YouTube and WhatsApp.
"The scammers pressure, manipulate, and bully their targets. I can tell you first-hand that it is heartbreaking to be on the phone telling someone that their money has been stolen and that they will likely not get it back," says Ainsley Cunningham, MSC Manager, Education and Communications. "It's vital that we spread the word of these scams to our neighbours, friends and family."

The number one thing all Manitobans can do to protect themselves from investment scams is to check the registration of your adviser before you invest. If the individual or company you are talking to are not registered on aretheyregistered.ca, it is a major red flag of potential fraud. Registration to sell investments in Canada is the law.

All of today's 34 Investor Alerts share these common red flags of investment fraud:

  • NONE of the companies are registered on aretheyregistered.ca to do business in Manitoba or anywhere in Canada
  • ALL targeted their victims via social media, which often included fake celebrity endorsements and fake news articles
  • ALL are promoting Cryptocurrency or Forex trading
  • ALL promise an unreasonably high or quick return on investment
  • ALL started with a small initial investment, usually around $250.00 USD (or the equivalent in Canadian Dollars), designed to build trust with the victim and entice larger investments
  • NONE of the victims could withdraw their initial investment or the fictitious returns that their accounts showed
  • THEY operate offshore, but tell investors they have offices in Canada. 
  • THEY request investors to convert their funds to cryptocurrency making it harder to trace and next-to-impossible to recover 
  • Many investors provided remote access to their computers and phones, which is something no one should provide a stranger

 

Members of the public are advised to contact the MSC if they believe they have been targeted by any type of investment fraud attempt. Get the name of the company, hang up, and call MSC's anti-fraud line at 1-855-FRAUD-MB.
 
The Manitoba Securities Commission is a division of the Manitoba Financial Services Agency, a Special Operating Agency of the Government of Manitoba that protects investors and promotes fair and efficient capital markets throughout the province. 

 

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Media Inquiries:                      
 
Ainsley Cunningham, Manager Education and Communications, MFSA  |  204.945.4733 |  ainsley.cunningham@gov.mb.ca
 
List of Investor Alerts issued by the MFSA this week:

 

 

ENTITY NAME

WEBSITE ADDRESS

ALLEGED ADDRESS

1

NEXON GROUPS

www.nexongroups.com

United Kingdom

2

PM GROUP 365

www.pmgroup365.com

CYPRUS

3

PRESTIGE COINS

www.prestige-coins.com

SWITZERLAND

4

ATOMIC TRADE

www.atomictrade.io

United Kingdom

5

CRYPTO-GUIDER

www.crypto-guider.com

United Kingdom

6

WII CRYPTO

www.wiicrypto.com

Unknown

7

JP CRYPTO

www.jpcrypto.io

Unknown

8

TITAN TRADER

www.titantrader.net

Canada

9

JETbitX

www.jetbitx.com

Unknown

10

WOBIT

www.wobit.io

Netherlands

11

GLOBAL ONE MARKETS

www.globalonemarkets.net

SWITZERLAND

12

CRYPTOSPAIR

www.cryptospair.com + www.cryptos-pair.net

SWITZERLAND

13

SHACKECOINS

www.shackcoins.com + www.shackecoins.com

Unknown

14

INTERACTIVE-CENTER

www.Interactive-center.com

United Kingdom

15

FORTUNE 500 GROUP

www.fortune500group.com

Unknown

16

EVERRISE BROKERS

www.everrisebrokers.com

SWITZERLAND

17

EAGELUP

www.eagleup.finance

United Kingdom

18

FIATVISIONS

www.fiatvisions.com

Mauritius

19

XPRESTRADE

www.xprestrade.com

Unknown

20

LIVE SECURE TRADE

www.LST-IC.net  +  www.LST-IC.COM

SWITZERLAND

21

Prime Market Cap

www.primemarketcap.com

St. Vincent

22

FINO MARKETS

www.finomarkets.com

United Kingdom

23

SWISS ACTIVE

www.swissactive.eu + www.swiss-active.pro

SWITZERLAND

24

CA TRADE CAPITAL

www.catradecapital.com

Unknown

25

PURE CRYPTONIC

www.purecryptonic.com

Marshall Islands

26

IP-T TRADE

www.ip-t.trade

Unknown

27

FX ALTA

www.fxalta.com

Malaysia

28

CRYPOS-WALLET

www.Cryptos-Wallet.com

Canada

29

PRIME SPOT WAY

www.primespotway.com + www.primespotway.net

Germany

30

The Financial Investment Group

www.thefinancialigr.com

United Kingdom

31

MARKETS XPERT

www.marketsxpert.com + www.marketsxpert.co

SWITZERLAND

32

PREMIUM FINANCE SOLUTIONS LTD.

www.premiumfinancesolutionsltd.com

United Kingdom

33

C4U Capital

www.c4ucapital.com

SWITZERLAND

34

Primus Forex

www.primusforex.net

CYPRUS