At National Inquiry Agency, we recently had a client come through our door as they had been lured into a Ponzi Scheme. They were promised high returns on the money they invested.
Honestly, who would not like high returns on their investments? It’s a dream come true…right?
As you sit here reading this article, try not to judge, as this type of fraudulent activity can happen to anyone. There are no age, sex, or race barriers on who a victim could be that suffers a loss after being scammed from these types of transactions.
In fact, the person of interest could be so high in debt or be so addicted to gambling or living the “high life” that they will also scam their own family!
Let me give you an example of a recent Ponzi scheme perpetrator, Melissa Caddick. We have all heard of her, and they even made a movie about her.
Ponzi scams will eventually go sour when an investor wants to “withdraw” funds from the scheme. The investments are never “real” investments; they are usually money being transferred from new investors to old investors to keep them interested and not suspicious.
The only problem is, what happens when there are no new investors? The Ponzi scammer can no longer “rob Peter to pay Paul”. This is where the scam starts to unravel, and the scammer can no longer uphold their fake investment promises to their victims.
Just keep in mind that not all scammers are found in dodgy establishments. You may have been referred to Ponzi scheme operator by a friend as they just received a considerable investment dividend and wanted to share the news. Unbeknownst to them, they have just lured their friend into a Ponzi scheme. They may even have a virtual office in which they operate from to make it look all legit.
If you want to make an investment, you need to do your due diligence and investigate the person/company. Better yet, hire a private investigator at the National Inquiry Agency to do the investigating for you. They will be able to “dig” further than you could alone. They have the skills and knowledge of where to look to seek information if the investment is a scam.
National Inquiry Agency recent investigation assisted the NSW Police with tracing Ponzi conman Vincent Vocisano who had stolen $25 million dollars from his investors. We were hired by the client, to screen Vincent when the monies where handed over to him. We managed to confirm:
- Confirm his residential address;
- His vehicle registrations;
- Obtain photographs of him and track his daily movements;
- Ascertain his assets;
- We knew where his relatives lived;
- Where his children went to school; and
- Where his wife worked in the event he did a runner.
He then did a runner. Our investigative techniques helped our client. Our client passed on this information to the police who then apprehended him.
To read about it in the News click on these links:
Vincenzo Vocisano refused bail after allegedly gambling away ‘almost $25 million’ in investor funds
Alleged conman refused bail after stealing $25 million from Sydney residents
Just remember, if it sounds too good to be true…. Call National Inquiry Agency to check it out for you!