Estafas de Inversion
Las estafas de inversion atraen a las victimas con promesas de altos rendimientos garantizados, informacion privilegiada o estrategias de trading revolucionarias. A menudo usan sitios web sofisticados, testimonios falsos y prueba social para parecer legitimas.
Tacticas Comunes
- • Promises of guaranteed high returns with little or no risk
- • Celebrity endorsements and fake success stories
- • Pressure to invest quickly before the "opportunity" disappears
- • Initial small payouts to build trust before requesting larger investments
- • Fake trading dashboards that show fabricated profits growing in real time, encouraging victims to deposit more money
- • "Pig butchering" scams (sha zhu pan) where scammers build personal relationships over weeks via messaging apps before introducing a "can't miss" investment platform
- • Using deepfake videos of well-known financial figures like Warren Buffett or Elon Musk to promote fraudulent investment platforms on social media ads
Como Identificarla
- Returns are guaranteed — no legitimate investment can guarantee profits
- Pressure to recruit others (Ponzi/pyramid structure)
- Unregistered with financial regulators
- Complex or secretive strategies that can't be clearly explained
- The platform is not listed on the SEC's EDGAR database or your country's financial regulator website — always verify registration before investing
- Withdrawal requests are met with delays, excuses, or demands for additional "tax" or "fee" payments before funds can be released
- The company has no verifiable physical office address, and its team members' LinkedIn profiles were recently created or use stock photos
Como Protegerte
- Research any investment platform on official financial regulator websites
- Be skeptical of unsolicited investment offers, especially via social media
- Never invest more than you can afford to lose
- Verify the company's registration and licensing before sending any money
- Check the SEC's investor.gov website and FINRA BrokerCheck to verify that any investment advisor or firm is properly registered
- Never invest based on a tip from someone you met online — especially if the relationship started on a dating app or social media platform
- Consult a licensed, independent financial advisor before making any significant investment, particularly if you've been approached with an unsolicited opportunity
Ejemplos Reales
In the United States, a pig butchering scam on WhatsApp led a victim to deposit over $200,000 into a fake crypto exchange app — the platform showed fabricated gains for months before vanishing, a pattern the SEC and FBI have flagged as a top threat.
In the UK, victims were lured by Instagram ads promoting a fake FCA-regulated forex trading platform — the site used cloned branding from legitimate London brokerages and collected deposits in British pounds before disabling withdrawals.
In South Korea, a fraudulent stock trading app called victims through KakaoTalk group chats promising guaranteed returns on KOSPI-listed shares — the app displayed fabricated profits in Korean won while blocking every withdrawal attempt.
In Kenya, a Ponzi scheme disguised as an agricultural investment cooperative promised 30% monthly returns to small-scale investors paying via M-Pesa — early participants received payouts, but the scheme collapsed when new deposits slowed, devastating thousands of families.
In Australia, scammers ran Facebook ads featuring deepfake videos of a well-known Australian TV personality endorsing a fake ASIC-registered trading platform — victims deposited AUD and were pressured by offshore call centers to invest more.
In Mexico, a fake fintech app promoted through TikTok influencers promised high-yield savings accounts with returns far above Banxico's benchmark rate — the app collected deposits in Mexican pesos and disappeared after accumulating millions.