Everyone looking into investing online has likely come across high-yield investment programs. High Yield Investment Program, or HYIP for short, describes a financial vehicle in which the investor could earn a high rate of return. This may seem appealing initially, but unfortunately, most (and I do mean the vast majority) of these “investment funds” are scams. So before you fall for a scam and lose money, this article will inform you of the essential points to look out for. Get the Best information about Cryptocurrency crime investigation.
1. They promise exceptionally high returns.
No reputable investment manager would ever promise a client a specific rate of return. Why? Why not? Because that’s not how real investments work. Months or years of stellar returns are possible, but so are periods of mediocre or negative performance.
Expectations based on the past are helpful but useless for looking into the future. Aside from low-yield fixed-income investments, it would be best to avoid any investment that offers a guaranteed rate of return. One of the most critical warning flags of fraud is this.
2. The Guarantee Against Financial Setbacks
This relates to the first point, but it concerns the degree of danger inherent in the investment. Curiosity got the best of me, and one day I decided to try out live support at one of the significant HYIP sites. When I questioned the safety of my money, I was assured that everything was fine.
Aside from saying it would be managed by specialists with years of trading experience and that it was diversified, the individual I spoke with couldn’t explain how this was possible when I pressed the matter. Of course, nothing here should be taken as a guarantee of safety; it’s all an illusion for the uninitiated.
The final straw was that they also guaranteed it with an undisclosed stash of cash. Even if there were such a funding source, it wouldn’t be enough to repay the principal of all of their investors if the company went bankrupt. It couldn’t, and honestly, it doesn’t need to because it doesn’t exist. Any trustworthy investment advisor will be up-front with you about the potential downsides of your investment. If they insist they pose no danger or play down their situation’s seriousness, you should steer clear.
3. That they control your money directly.
Checks sent straight to the perpetrator are a red flag, as everyone who followed the Madoff scandal knows all too well. Scammers are experts at creating foolproof systems for you to wire them money, often more so than reputable investment funds. They typically accept PayPal, wire transfers, and paper checks.
The veneer of professionalism often dupes customers that this generates, and as a result, they send their money to a company that may very well be a scam, with no third-party control. There is no risk of fraud on the part of the investing firm because the client’s funds are held in their name by a third-party custodian. This requires additional paperwork on the customer’s interest and helps identify potential fraudsters.
4. They lack transparency.
You won’t have complete access to your money in most investment frauds. They may give you a statement every month, but it won’t signify a thing. Unfortunately, it’s possible to convince enough large investors to part up $50 billion by forging a comment. Instead, you need access to your account via login, showing you all changes made in real-time. This encompasses the execution of a trade, the realization of a gain or loss on a business, and the payment of any applicable fees.
Last but not least, I would be wary of relying on the investment firm in the issue as a reliable source of access to this data. Many of these scams use sophisticated software that can mimic the performance of your investments even if your money isn’t being put to work. Third-party custodian access, as opposed to direct directory access through the investment firm, is the only surefire way to avoid an investment scam, as with the prior red signal.
5. They can’t articulate their competitive advantage
Successful investment funds will never reveal their exact return-generating strategies. Still, they should be able to provide a high-level explanation of the market inefficiency that allows them to succeed. You have reason to be skeptical if they refuse to do so or provide a muddled justification. It should not be very intricate, but they should be able to give you a rough understanding of how they make money.
Finally, be wary of those who promise consistent returns on investment review sites or online discussion groups. They may have received payments, which is common in Ponzi schemes but may also be false. In a Ponzi plan, investors are paid regularly with money transferred from other investors’ accounts.
The fact that payments are made consistently is no guarantee that the investment is legitimate; real investments are not cash machines and typically go through periods of growth and decline, just like any other business. You should be able to spot and prevent investment scams with the help of this manual. Please remember that the mere presence of any of these is not always a deal breaker. However, if multiple of these are flagged as problematic, I would hesitate to invest money into that company.
Read Also: Amazon Sale – The Prime Early Access Sale