There are many enticing investment opportunities around the world that may lead you to wonder if a particular investment company is real or a scam.
Yes, it’s true that nearly all such tempting investment companies are fake, designed to exploit the greed or desperation of investors and then vanish.
For instance, look at this data, there are thousands of fake companies looking for investors to scam them.
So, if you come across an investment company promising mouth watering returns on investment (ROI), the best course of action is to verify its authenticity.
In reality, verifying a company’s legitimacy is not difficult if you approach it without emotional attachment.
Often, individuals become so attached to companies or the people who recommended them that they fail to cross-check the investment opportunities.
This frequently happens in celebrity investment scams or fraudulent schemes related to pig butchering.
The trust in individuals blinds you, preventing you from seeing the potential risks, and you end up falling victim to scammers.
Here’s how to determine if an investment company is genuine or a scam:
Check the company’s registration status:
This is a crucial step; regardless of your location, there should be tools available to verify the legitimacy of investment companies.
To be real, an investment company must be registered with the government. If not, they are not trustworthy, and investing in such companies is risky.
For example, if you are in the United States, you can check company registration using this free tool.
And if you are In Australia, you can utilize this free tool as well.
I am not in which country you live, and from where you are reading this, but I am sure if you spend a little time to search, you will definitely find a way to verify the registration of the investing company.
You can search the terms like “check registration of company” on Google and it will guide you.
Some investing opportunity create scarcity with time bound opportunities, so you feel like, if I lost this opportunity, I am going to miss a big one.
But that’s not true.
If a company is real, there should not be scarcity and ask you to make quick decisions.
Check the website age:
Investment companies often have websites where they ask you to sign up, create an account, and invest.
In this way, they establish trust.
It’s due to the fact that we want to see our investments with real time data, that’s why they give you control over an account where you can see how much you have in you account.
In reality, if they are scammers, once you send investments, it’s already gone.
Well, here is the other way to check if the investment company is real.
Check domain age of the investing website and see when was that company established.
Use tools like this free domain age checker to see when the domain was registered.
If it’s a recently registered domain, especially within the past year, exercise caution before investing.
Verify using the Wayback Machine:
Some scammers might use old domains to create a façade of longevity.
However, the Wayback Machine stores screenshots of websites over the years.
Input the domain into the Wayback Machine and analyze the evolution of the website through screenshots from previous years.
This can help you determine if the company has been in operation for an extended period.
Use this link to access the Wayback Machine for free.
Check on scam alerts:
Given the prevalence of investment fraud, platforms like Scam Alert exist where you can report fake investment companies, websites, or blockchain addresses.
By contributing to such platforms, you help others avoid falling victim to scams.
Youu can also verify the legitimacy of a website by searching through thousands of scam addresses on Scam Alert.
It’s pretty easy.
- Go to Scam-Alert.io.
- Click Check.
- Insert the website or blockchain address.
- See if it’s reported or not.
Examine reviews and testimonials:
Reading reviews on reputable websites is an effective way to verify the legitimacy of an investment opportunity.
Genuine experiences from people who have been scammed or satisfied with a platform can guide your decision.
So, whenever you find an investing opportunity, you should always start with reading testimonials. It’s a validation that can help you make a wise decision.
Keep in mind that fake reviews and testimonials can be purchased, so it’s essential to consider multiple factors and make an informed decision using the steps mentioned.
Share it with your friends:
As you are investing your hard-earned money, it is imperative not to proceed without ensuring, with absolute certainty, that the company is legitimate.
In this case, I recommend sharing information about the company with someone experienced in investing.
For example, you can enlist the help of a tech-savvy individual to verify the legitimacy of a website. Similarly, consulting an experienced investor to assess the legitimacy of the investment company is a very good decision.
Experienced individuals are better equipped to conduct thorough research compared to beginners.
By diligently going through all the steps we discussed above, I am confident that you will not fall victim to scammers. Therefore, we highly recommend that every investor follows these steps before making any investments.
By the way, if you have been scammed on a fake investment website, here is how to recover from fake investment websites.