Investment platform scam - Beginners Guide

stebee

A close vulnerable relative has been caught up in a scam investment platform, and I can't find anybody complaining about it online yet so just seeding the URL name where I can to generate a digital footprint.

I caught wind of the activity and spotted the URL.  I did and found the following for the (nicely designed) website.

1. Reverse image search (tinyeye) on the testimonials revealed they were fake
2. Checked the "awards" listed - no such awards exist as far as I can see.
3. FAQs were empty
4. Checked the domain and saw a previous closed similar domain (with 'crypto' prefix) 
5. Searched for independent reviews/forum chat.  It's called Beginners guides !!!!!!!  ie impossible to google search their name, as the search is caught in the wash of internet guff beginners guides.  Clever tactic.
6. No real company information listed (eg company number)
7. No phone app on app stores - just a web app

During a panicky call to the individual, I then found out that the following nailed on scam flags...

1. The original funds added couldn't be withdrawn until they add more money to a 'silver standard'.  Classic scam tactic - give me more to get your original funds back.
2. My relative had been tapped up personally through another contact and guided to the website - so had been prepped by a real human contact and sent to the website.
3. The contact was in the "top 1 percent" of something investor related something or other.
4. The technique was sold as a "grey area" in terms of legality, hence the sketchy details
5. The website included a web app, which showed earnings and funds, looked pretty kosher - but of course enormous 'profits' showing on the account.  Just can't withdraw any money "at the moment", funnily enough.

I think the biggest learning for me was that this didn't start with a digital hook - it was a real individual who put my relative on to another real (online) individual who did the scammy !!!!!!.

I realise a lot of people would have red flags waving, but my relative is pretty vulnerable at the moment.  The relative is still, I think, in contact with the scammers and won't really listen to me about it, and won't give me their contact details - which is a little heart breaking.  I'm sure there's nothing I can do at this point other than spam forums with their URL - but if anybody has any ideas, let me know.

This is the URL: https:// beginner-guides .com 

Thanks for reading

(The forum won't let me post clickable links annoyingly, I'll come back and edit to include the actual clickable url when the forum allows me to do it)

stebee

Oh, looks like the forum also censors gentle expletives with exclamation marks - makes me look like an exclamation mark spammer - ugh!  Thanks, MSE for making me look lame, MSE.

flaneurs_lobster

The scam website was registered in June of this year, quite a while ago - these sites don't often last that long.

Surprising that useful-sounding domain wasn't registered (or still be wanted) years ago.

Personal contact as initial hook into these scams isn't that unusual, often a friend or relative who genuinely believe they have found a way to make £££ for little or no effort and are keen to spread their good fortune.

Actually more dangerous/effective than random Facebook ads.

stebee

Thanks - good info - when you say registered in June, on which platform was it registered as scam?

kaMelo

stebee said:

Thanks - good info - when you say registered in June, on which platform was it registered as scam?

The domain was registered in June 2025
https://www.whois.com/whois/beginner-guides.com

A large red flag that all is not what it seems would be whilst they purport to be a business they have privacy protection activated on the domain registration. 

ColdIron

It's not registered on a 'platform' or as a scam. The domain (the website address) was created in June

stebee

Oh - sorry - gotcha - I misread your comment. Yeah, another good flag.

Eyeful

1. Below is what one scam checking website, thinks of the website you mentioned.
Take a look at the date it was created, the scores they give for Phishing and Malware.
https://www.scam-detector.com/validator/beginner-guides-com-review/

2. Try this second web checking site. Put in the URL your interested in and see what they think.
https://fraud-detector.eu/test-the-reliability-of-websites/

Eyeful

Instead of telling them its a scam, may be you should encourage them to learn about investing.and realise for themselves about investment scams.

1. Try and get them to watch these two videos and compare it with what they are being told they should be doing.
https://www.kroijer.com                     
https://meaningfulmoney.tv/2023/05/20/how-to-choose-investment-funds-too-many-options/?sfw=pass1725654817

2. If they are more into reading, get them to read these and compare them to what they are being told
 https://www.vanguardinvestor.co.uk/investing-explained/what-are-lifestrategy-funds?intcmpgn=lifestrategyfunds_learnmore_link
https://monevator.com/passive-fund-of-funds-the-rivals/

Eyeful

You could get your relative to watch "Investment scams" video on YouTube and compare it to what they are being told to do.Here's just one video of many:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFkFXvEDrRQ