[Update June 2, 2020: The scammers have also diversified their stock offerings with scams now also involving:
PRMW - Primo Water Corporation
ZM - Zoom Video Communications, Inc.]
How Does that Work?
The scammers manage to get your phone number, name, and email address from sources that may include a website where you have expressed your interest.A person speaking perfect English and that sounds knowledgeable with financial matters then calls pitching the unique opportunity to invest in Virgin Hyperloop One IPO (actually Pre-IPO), for instance. Most people will be wary, but then they provide you with a credible company website, including registration numbers from the Bank of Ireland that seem to match, and some information about the IPO. They let you some time to think about it, and then come back the next day where they can complete the deal.
You'll then receive an email with account opening documents, online account access, invoice for the amount you want to invest in, and of course, the W-8 form since the IPO takes place in the US. You'll talk to another employee/scammer to confirm your details. Note that we were told you'll never be asked your passport, a clear red flag.
You'll notice the company where you're asked to pay the invoice to is different from the company promoting the pre-IPO, but they'll tell you it's safer to use a third-party as Escrow to confirm payment for both sides. It's also in a different country.
Once payment is received, you'll get an official receipt, and can log into your account, and your shares will be visible. They'll then call you from time to time, maybe once to twice a month to explain everything goes well, and the IPO should occur in Q1 or Q2 2020 as expected. One day, a call is different, as they'll pitch another stock with a unique opportunity of a positive liquidation scheduled to close in about 45 days. You'll buy some shares now, and in 45 days you more than double your investment. This is a unique opportunity, does not happen very often, and is basically risk-free.
If you decide to invest again, and then be contacted from time to time to keep you updated, and when the time to sell has come, they'll call you to inform you there are some options to purchase for a fraction of the price, and you'll quadruple your initial investment. If you refuse, they'll come back a few days later, saying the sale is complete, and provide with an obviously fake NASDAQ receipt (PDF generated from Excel file) saying you need to purchase mandatory preferred shares to release the funds.
Fake Companies/Websites/Names, Real Companies, and Bank Accounts
So who are those people? We don't exactly, but we do know they are using possibly fake companies, fake names with the phone scammers having some heavy turnaround, as well as real companies that opened last year and are used to funnel the money."Fake" companies & websites used:
Van Gossum Consult (“VGC”)
Singapore: One Raffles Place, Tower 2, 1 Raffles Place #27-62 S048616 London: 110 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4AY Hong Kong: International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong
St Johns Asset Management (“SJAM”).
website: www.stjohnsasset.com
Office#: 386-385-5915
Address: 601 St. Johns Avenue Palatka, FL 32177, USA
Address: 601 St. Johns Avenue Palatka, FL 32177, USA
Crest Security Contracts Ltd
The company was related to the two other companies listed above and has now alledgedly closed due to a lawsuit.Brookfield Investment Funds Plc
website: brookfieldinvestmentfundsplc.netmain email: accounts@brookfieldinvestmentfundsplc.net
Office addresses:
Others
You'll find many others companies related to AirBnB pre-IPO scam. Luxstar Asset Management, based in Luxembourg, specifically asks payments to Kaloca Inc, for which we have more details below.We know of three companies and bank accounts used to transfer funds, but there may be more:
Account Name: VIPCO Holdings Pte.Ltd.
Account address:
11 Keng Cheow Street
No. 02‐11 Riverside
Piazza
Singapore 059608
Account Number: 503 534 950 301
Bank Name: OCBC Bank Singapore
Bank address:
65 Chulia St.,
OCBC Centre,
Singapore 049514
Swift Code: OCBCSGSG
Incorporated in February 2019.
Account Name: Law Office: John Jennings
Account Address: 40213 Duesseldorf, Germany
Account Number: DE34 7001 0080 0097 3868 04
Bank Name: Postbank
Bank Address: Essen, Germany
Swift Code: PBNKDEFF
Very hard to find information about that one. It looks like an individual, instead of a law office.
Account Name: KALOCA INC.
Account Address:
2177 Buckingham Rd.,
Suite 567,
Richardson, TX 75081
Account Number: 4880 7336 0881
Bank Name: Bank of America
Bank Address:
100 N. Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28255
USA
Swift Code: BOFAUS3N
ABA/Routing Number: 026009593
The company was incorporated in 2019.
Some of the (likely) fake names and positions of the scammers include:
Mr. Jason Taylor, Investment Adviser
Carl Bryce, Director of Finance
Damian Williams, Director of Mergers & Acquisitions
David Billington, Accounts Department
Keith Armitage, President
Greg Ellis, Account Services.
Ian Simms, Senior Market Strategist
David Scott, Finance Manager
Daniel Parker, Investment Advisor
Melissa Keating, Accounts
Melissa Keating, Accounts
Some of the phone numbers used to call victims: +35314126374, +35314124540, +44(0)1702623754, +442076601459, "private numbers", and local phones numbers which all have called barring enabled meaning they can call you, but you can't call back
I've been scammed! What can I do?
First, stay calm, and if they call you again just pretend you are still interested, just in case the police need more information. You could also install call recording apps such ACR call record provided it's legal in your home country.Then fill a report to your local police station. You could also fill a report to the authorities of the country where you transferred the funds.
For VIPCO Holdings Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, you can fill a report online to the Singapore Police Force using their iWitness website. Alternatively, you could call the Commercial Affairs Department directly: +65 6325 0000.
For "Law Office: John Jennings" in Germany or other countries in Europe, you can follow the links from Europol website.
For KALACO Inc. in the US, you could contact the FBI in one of their offices in the US or overseas.
You could also contact a lawyer, but this would likely only work if the amount is really significant. Working on international cybercrime is a complex and slow process with the involvement of the authorities of multiple counties, certified translations, bank records, lots of documents and so on.
SafeorScam website also reported on such scams, and they offer services to help to recover the funds. However, we never worked with the company, and can't vouch for them, just make sure not to throw good money after bad.
To be honest, the chance of recovering funds is slim, as the money probably left the country where the money was transferred and spent on third parties. But it still worth a try, and the people responsible for the scam must be held accountable and spend a few years in jail. This will also prevent more victims.
I wish had seen that item about Brookfield Investment Funds earlier. Is there any way to get money back from Kalaco Inc.?
ReplyDeleteSorry for the late reply. Somehow I haven't received comments notification. Apparently it's really hard to get money back, as they work across border. For people based in the US who paid to Kalaco, it might be easier.
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