Mr. Yang is an ordinary middle-aged office worker. One day, while browsing Facebook, he joined a financial group that claimed to invest in "unlisted stocks." Inside the group, a person who claimed to be an "investment advisor" began communicating with Mr. Yang, initially discussing stock analysis. Soon after, this so-called investment advisor recommended an "exclusive" investment opportunity, claiming high returns could be earned through a "time difference," and asked Mr. Yang to transfer funds to a designated bank account.

Fortunately, a bank teller quickly noticed the anomaly and reported it to the police, successfully stopping the fraudulent activity and protecting Mr. Yang's assets. Mr. Yang expressed relief, saying, "I’m lucky." However, how many people are as lucky as Mr. Yang? More often, the outcome is financial ruin.

But if you truly find yourself in such an unfortunate situation, is financial ruin the only outcome?

From offices to schools, everyone is using technology to watch the stock market.

For many, the first impression of investing is often stock market investment. Even students who are just beginning to learn about financial concepts understand that perhaps putting money in the stock market is a way to generate returns. This is when unlisted stocks come into play.

As a result, scams involving unlisted stocks have become quite common in today's society. One Unified Investigation Agency has assisted in many fraud cases within the stock investment "red ocean." According to information gathered from the agency’s representatives and victims, fraudulent groups often use the following methods to deceive victims into handing over their money.

Impersonating Investment Advisors

Fraudulent groups often impersonate investment advisors or financial experts, using social media, discussion groups, and other channels to approach potential victims. They initially establish trust by offering stock analysis and similar services, then guide the victims toward participating in supposed "exclusive insider information," eventually suggesting investment in unlisted stocks.

The Temptation of High Returns

Fraudulent groups often promise extremely high returns, even claiming that they can access investment opportunities in unlisted stocks through insider information or special techniques, such as exploiting information gaps. However, these so-called "high returns" often blind investors, leading them to make poor decisions.

Time Gap and Limited-Time Offers

Fraudulent groups often use the "time gap" as a selling point, claiming that the best investment price can only be obtained within a specific time frame. This "limited-time offer" strategy is similar to the hunger marketing used by fast-food chains, pressuring victims to make hasty and blind decisions.

No Transparent Information Provided

Legitimate investment opportunities will always provide detailed background information, such as company registration details, financial statements, and past investment performance. However, fraudulent groups will avoid discussing the company's background and, if asked, can only provide vague and unclear information. If investors encounter such a situation, they should sound the alarm.

Request to Transfer Funds to a Designated Account

Once the victim decides to invest, the fraud group will quickly demand the victim transfer funds to a designated bank account, which is often a private account set up by the fraudsters or an unknown financial institution. Such transaction methods are completely unregulated, making it impossible to track or recover the funds.

* OneTip from Yitong Investigations: High returns with no risk? It’s not for me.

How to Prevent Unlisted Stock Scams?

It’s hard for funds to grow quickly, and investing is inevitable for modern salaried individuals. Does that mean we shouldn’t invest at all? Yitong Investigations understands the financial mindset, so we’ve compiled some ways to prevent unlisted stock scams.

Verify the Identity of the Investment Advisor

Before deciding to participate in any investment opportunity, investors should first verify the true identity of the investment advisor. Legitimate investment advisors or institutions are usually supervised by financial regulatory bodies and can provide valid credentials and past investment records.

Stay Alert and Be Cautious of High Return Promises

If an investment opportunity promises extremely high returns, investors should remain cautious. Any investment offering high returns with no risk is even less reliable than promises of marriage from a player, especially in high-risk areas like unlisted stocks.

Choose Legitimate Investment Channels

Investors should choose regulated financial institutions or public markets for their investments. Avoid participating in private transactions or unverified investment opportunities, as these often carry extremely high risks.

Reject Last-Minute Transfer Requests

If you receive a request to transfer funds to a private account, you should immediately raise your alert. Legitimate investment transactions should have transparent and formal payment channels, and provide complete transaction records.

Seek Professional Assistance

If you're unsure whether an investment opportunity is safe, you can seek advice from a professional financial advisor. A professional advisor can help investors identify fraud risks and provide appropriate investment advice.

Yitong Investigation: Breaking Through Sophisticated Scams with Preparedness

Scam tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and even vigilant investors can fall into traps when facing such investment opportunities. Whether in online discussion groups or on social media platforms, anyone claiming to be an "investment advisor" could just be a disguise for a fraud group. Therefore, when selecting investments, carefully verifying and making rational decisions is crucial to protecting your assets from loss. If, unfortunately, you become a scam victim, contact Yitong Investigation and let us be your strong partner in recovering your losses after the fraud.