An Amateur's Experience
This is an excellent thread, and "Google" picks it up in detail.
The link
http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Government/Finance/Regulators/
is really useful.
I have had a few shares for years, last year I inherited a few more from my late mother, which might explain why 4 boiler rooms have been onto me in the last 6 months (some at the registrars leaking?).
Argus......, supposedly of Nevis, tried first; they sent a really glossy racing green brocheur, and made a pitch for my "green" leanings - how did they know that was an interest of mine ? Where did they get the phone number, I'm not in the book ? Fortunately I checked it all out. There seemed to be a history of being chucked out of Switzerland and a posting from the authorities in Nevis warning they were receiving complaints. The "green miracle" technology "just about to be purchased by Exxon (?!?) belonged to a company in Canada. This company seemed to own a cement works; perhaps the technology involved burning waste hydrocarbons to make fire the cement - very green !?!.
Then Oxbridge......... sent a burgundy set of details but lost interest in me fast.
Currently .........XL are mailing my special "spam" hotmail address, I gave them and phoning to ask if I've read their bumph, and a South African sounding bloke is giving me the "red hot opportunity coming up - I'll try to fit you in around my regular mega clients" routine; he claims to be working for "Lion", having left Hargreaves Lansdown (a valid regulated organisation - I've been to their offices, tucked away in a side street in Bristol).
If these crooks are prepared to waste so much time & money on me, it worries me how many people they must be conning. They are also doing untold damage to legitimate organisations with similar names.
"BOILER ROOM" Film on BBC1 @ Midnight 29oct06, make time to watch it, if you have not done so already.
"Which?" is asking for the histories of people who have been scammed in their October issue (see page 8 of the magazine); especially if you are being targetted with "regulation 'S' shares"
(??) get in touch at:
[email protected]
good luck
Harry.