Capital Bonds - what do you make of this

Boleyn19

Hi,
I'd be interested in your view on this company
https://capitalsecurebonds.com

Their marketing says they are "AM Invest Services is one of the top leading access points to the highest standard of regulated fixed income bonds" and "FCA Guarantee on Investment
100% Capital secure and your returns are 100% guaranteed" and "Upto 85.000 Per Person Cover With Goverment FSCS (note typo). They give examples of a few bonds on offer.

My IFA thinks it is a scam company. I've looked up the company and it is registered (https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/00672564)and Directors named.

What do you think? I'm curious as to how you judge a promotion such as this, if it is genuine - how can you tell and if it's a scam how can you tell.

Thanks in advance.

jsinc

It's a scam. Google and common sense (language, spelling mistakes, inconsistencies in investment terms and phone number, guaranteed returns that don't exist in the real world, brochure request, never heard of them, newly registered site etc)

https://capitalsecurebonds.com.cutestat.com/

https://bondreview.co.uk/2019/03/19/clone-firm-scams-multiply-bridgepoint-ibm-aberdeen-bt-tpg-airbnb-blackstone/

ColdIron

The FCA are a regulatory body and guarantee nothing. I googled "FCA Guarantee on Investment" and amongst the broken links I found Mango Investments and Best Fixed rate Bonds all with an virtually identical websites

Your IFA is right

eskbanker

Boleyn19 wrote: »

I've looked up the company and it is registered (https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/00672564)and Directors named.

That's a ridiculously low bar to measure them against! Anyone can set up a company and register it at Companies House for buttons - the mere existence of a company's registration there says nothing about how trustworthy and reliable they are....

Reaper

They are just introducers. They don't offer investments, they just get commission passing you on to those that do. As such we can't see what the end investments are but I bet if I could I wouldn't like them.

Think Surge and LCF. Surge got the sales in and might yet get away scot free from that car crash.

rr755507

Clone scam.

A.&M.LEWIS INVESTMENTS LIMITED have been registered since 1960s. The website has hs been going for 4 months, and is hosted on a "bulletproof" host in Iceland.

Reaper

Also that is a terrible 1 page web site, obviously put up with no effort at all. The "Terms and Conditions" and "privacy policy" links don't go anywhere and it contains classic lines such as this:

from various institutions which have a history of googleconsistent returns and security

"googleconsistent". I like that. It shall be my word of the day.

Boleyn19

My IFA sent the following through

"The company is not registered with the FCA, there is a listing for Anthony Brian Lewis (not necessarily the same person) but he is listed as inactive. Also look at this: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/Rc16QH--s9yBDz2F-l8HTESUD1w/appointments . While they may be legitimate, I would stay a country mile from this company. I actually spoke to them following your email, I asked if they were FCA registered and was told everything is covered by FCA/FSCS – I put the phone down at that point. You are correct, individual corporate bonds are not covered by the FSCS however OEIC/unit trust funds investing in them are".

Can anyone legitimately offer what they appear to do without being registered with the FCA?

Reaper

Boleyn19 wrote: »

Can anyone legitimately offer what they appear to do without being registered with the FCA?

To advertise financial products to the general public they must either be FCA authorised or have their material checked and approved by an FCA registered company. Neither appears to be the case.

Linton

Deliberately misleading website. A naive investor could assume that "FCA regulated" and "£85000 FSCS guarantee" means that the capital value of the bonds is guaranteed. Telefonica, Tesco and GE corporate bonds are listed. Their capital is certainly not guaranteed by anyone.


I cannot find them on the FCA register.

Boleyn19

Linton wrote: »

Deliberately misleading website. A naive investor could assume that "FCA regulated" and "£85000 FSCS guarantee" means that the capital value of the bonds is guaranteed. Telefonica, Tesco and GE corporate bonds are listed. Their capital is certainly not guaranteed by anyone. I cannot find them on the FCA register.

My IFA asked them and they said they were not registered but all their products were. Surely you need to be registered to offer this service, legit or otherwise.