A surge in reports has brought attention to a concerning trend involving the circulation of fraudulent Financial Markets Authority (FMA) license certificates. Individuals are employing these fake licenses to persuade unsuspecting individuals to invest their money with sham investment brokers. Among the cases reported, the name of a legitimate New Zealand-based entity, Collinson Crowdfunding Limited, has been misused in attempts to deceive potential investors.
Collinson Crowdfunding Limited, a licensed entity for operating a crowdfunding service, has been wrongly associated with these deceptive activities. It is crucial to note that Collinson Crowdfunding is not involved in any fraudulent practices. Complaints reveal that communication with the counterfeit licensees has primarily occurred through the messaging app Telegram.
To safeguard against falling victim to such scams, individuals are advised to verify the authenticity of license certificates through the following methods:
We urge readers to share this warning with friends and family, especially on social media platforms, to protect others from falling prey to these deceptive practices.
Below is an image of one of these fake license certificates. All incidents reported so far involve similar-looking certificates, with only the name of the license holder changed.
We recommend caution when dealing with any person or entity that provides you with a licence certificate such as this.
This article is published in collaboration with the Financial Markets Authority
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