Investment offer by email: genuine or a scam?
Date: | Week 42 | Reading time: 7 minutesAuthor: Simcha Schrijver
In brief
An investment offer by email can be genuine, but email is also a common route for scams. Offers often arrive unasked, look polished and come with a sense of urgency. A few warning signs together are a reason to pause, especially before you send any money.
As an independent expert firm, Paucitas handles hundreds of cases a year, many of which started with a single email. Paucitas works out how an offer is put together and, if you have already paid, where your money went.
Unsure about an email, or have you already replied? Get in touch with Paucitas. A free intake comes with no obligation.
Put simply
Not every investment offer by email is a scam, but an unsolicited email with attractive returns and time pressure calls for care. In doubt? Let Paucitas take a look.
A tidy email, a familiar logo and an offer to invest in crypto or shares, with a healthy return. Perhaps you have already replied, or even paid in a first amount. And now you are not sure. That is completely understandable. Many people recognise this, and it is good that you are taking a moment to think.
Why do so many people get an investment offer by email?
Email is quick and cheap for fraudsters. A message can look like a newsletter, an invitation from a well-known firm or personal advice. That makes it hard to tell genuine from fake. That is not your fault: these messages are often very convincing. The FCA explains how to spot the warning signs of investment scams and how to check whether a firm is authorised (FCA, protect yourself from scams).
An email also often sends you on to a website or trading environment. So it is worth reading how to recognise a fake crypto platform as well.
Which signs may point to an unreliable investment offer by email?
One sign on its own does not say much. When several come together, it is sensible to pause for a moment. These six are the ones we see most often in practice:
- You did not ask for it. The offer arrives out of the blue, sometimes from a sender you do not know.
- High returns, little risk. Attractive or fixed returns are mentioned, as if investing could be free of risk.
- Time pressure. The offer is only open for a short time, or there are only a few places left.
- A familiar name, an odd address. The email seems to come from a well-known firm or news site, but the email address or link is not quite right.
- Quick personal contact. After you reply, a friendly account manager rings you, or the conversation moves to a chat app.
- Being asked for crypto or remote access. You are asked to send crypto or to let someone look at your computer remotely.
Do you recognise one or more of these signs? That does not automatically mean it is a scam. Sometimes an offer turns out to be genuine. You get clarity when someone looks at it independently. Suspicious emails can be forwarded to the NCSC at report@phishing.gov.uk (NCSC). And Paucitas is happy to take a look with you.
I have already replied or paid. What can Paucitas do?
That happens more often than you might think, and there is nothing to be ashamed of. What matters most now is that what happened is mapped out calmly.
Paucitas does more than follow transactions. Paucitas reads through all the emails, chat messages, documents and other communication you have, such as the first email, the messages after it and the conversations with the account manager. That gives a complete picture, with a timeline and, step by step, where all the money went. Paucitas does all tracing itself, without tracing tools.
Sometimes there turn out to be funds left in your own wallet or account that you can regain access to. Sometimes the report shows where the money ended up. And sometimes the offer turns out to be genuine. Whatever the outcome, you will know where you stand. Would you like to know what this means for your situation? Get in touch and we will think it through with you.
An example from practice
A client received an email that looked like a newsletter from a well-known financial news site, inviting her into a crypto fund. She paid in a small amount and soon saw a profit on her dashboard. An account manager rang and suggested she top up. When she wanted to withdraw, she was first asked to pay fees. Paucitas went through her emails, chat messages and payment receipts, built a timeline and followed the transfers on the blockchain to the point where they reached an exchange. With the report she knew where she stood and which steps she could take.
Paucitas values privacy and never shares clients' personal details. This is a composite example: names, amounts and details differ. The situation is, however, one we see in practice.
What can you do with the Paucitas report?
The report shows whether money is still available, or where it went, and what the next steps could be. In the case of a scam, that might be a report to the police via Report Fraud or, in Scotland, to Police Scotland, where the Paucitas report is a strong attachment that sets everything out fully and clearly. Your solicitor or your bank can work with it too. The report is written so that anyone can follow and understand it step by step.
Why do people choose Paucitas?
After a suspicious email, trust is not a given. That is why Paucitas is fully transparent. Paucitas is an expert firm based in the Netherlands, founded in 2021 and registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under number 83489649. Our company details are public, you are welcome to visit our office and you can read our clients' Google reviews on our site. Paucitas handles hundreds of cases a year.
An investigation takes from the same day to about two weeks. Every investigation is tailored: you receive a bespoke quote in advance that we go through together, with no surprises. You can always call, 24/7, on +31 20 244 5774. Through the contact form you will hear from us within 1 to 3 hours, and we answer emails within 24 hours, usually the same day.
Sources: FCA, protect yourself from scams; NCSC, report a scam email; Report Fraud; Police Scotland, scams and frauds.
Questions about your own situation?
Call us directly, 24/7. The first conversation is always free of obligation.
Frequently asked questions about an investment offer by email
Is every investment offer by email a scam?
Paucitas sees in practice that this is not the case. Sometimes it is a genuine firm. When several signs come together, such as time pressure, attractive returns and an odd email address, it is sensible to have it checked first.
I have already replied to the email. Is that a problem?
Paucitas advises staying calm and not sending any more money for now. Replying on its own does not say much. Paucitas looks with you at what happened and what is sensible.
Can I get my money back after an investment offer by email?
Paucitas: that depends on your situation. If you still have access to your own wallet or account holding funds, there may still be options. If everything has been sent to the fraudsters, the picture is different. That cannot be judged from a distance. Paucitas first looks at your situation and tells you honestly what is and is not possible. Be careful with anyone who promises in advance that your money will come back. In doubt? Contact Paucitas and you will know where you stand.
What does Paucitas look into?
Paucitas reads through all emails, chats, documents and other communication and follows the route of the money. You get a timeline and a report anyone can follow step by step.
How quickly can Paucitas help and what does it cost?
Paucitas completes an investigation within the same day to about two weeks. You receive a bespoke quote in advance, with no surprises. You can always call, 24/7.
Do you have questions about this blog?
Feel free to get in touch with Paucitas. Paucitas can be reached by phone 24/7, including evenings and weekends. Through the contact form we usually reply within 1 to 3 hours, and we answer e-mail within 24 hours.
From Amsterdam, for the whole of the UK
Everything can be done fully online. Prefer to meet in person? You are very welcome at our office in Amsterdam, by appointment.
Paucitas is an independent expert firm based in the Netherlands that, for clients across the UK, investigates investment fraud and crypto fraud, establishes the origin and legitimacy of crypto assets and prepares expert reports for legal proceedings and compliance.
Your own situation
If you are reading this, you probably have a question about your own situation. That is exactly what Paucitas does.
The first step is contact by phone. You can book that call by phone or through the contact form, so you do not have to wait. In the call we look together at what can factually be established in your case and what Paucitas can examine for you.