Fraudsters often target people who have already fallen for the bait of other scammers. The calculation is simple: those who were trusting in the past may succumb to persuasion again. As a result, people not only do not receive help, but also lose money again. Let’s figure out how to recognize scammers.
What “services” do scammers offer?
Most often, pseudo-lawyers “take on” cases that in reality can only be helped by the police and the court. They often offer solutions to problems that are contrary to the law. Below is a list of the most common promises made by pseudo-lawyers.
“We will quickly return the money invested in financial pyramids”
Pseudo-lawyers often prey on injured investors. They promise to return lost money for a commission. Their reward usually ranges from 10,000 to 50,000 rubles, depending on how quickly the issue is resolved. In reality, these are one-day firms that do no real work. The scammers disappear immediately after they receive money from deceived investors.
It is almost never possible to return at least part of the money invested in financial pyramids. Even real lawyers are unlikely to help: at best, they will help to draw up claims and collect documents for the court.
“We will help you get your money back from your broker”
Pseudo-lawyers often search social networks and forums for people who complain about problems with the return of investments. First of all, scammers are interested in those who traded successfully, earned huge sums, and now cannot withdraw money from a brokerage account. The scammers promise legal assistance to the victims and offer to take on the search and return of funds.
In fact, these scammers are trying to profit from people who have already fallen victim to fake brokers . In such cases, it is important not to have any illusions and admit that successful deals and growing income charts were just an imitation. There were no real earnings. And the money that you transferred to the brokerage account actually ended up with criminals. Only the police can find out where exactly your savings went.
How do pseudo-lawyers attract clients?
Fraudsters use proven techniques:
- They advertise themselves aggressively. This could be advertising on the Internet: in search engines, banner ads and social networks. Fraudsters almost always act very professionally. They set up contextual advertising specifically for those users who were looking for news about the collapsed pyramid.
They call defrauded investors using databases. In conversations they introduce themselves as lawyers and pretend to be real people from the Bar Association.
Sometimes they resort to email newsletters and even street advertisements.
The main thesis of their messages is “100% result” . People lose their vigilance and succumb to bright slogans, since the desire to get their money back sometimes overshadows the ability to soberly evaluate information.
- They drive up their price. Prices for pseudo-lawyers’ services are often greatly inflated compared to the average cost of legal services. Fraudsters use a marketing ploy: people are used to the fact that an exclusive product or service is expensive. And they convince clients that the high price is justified, because they “solve particularly complex”, “non-standard issues”.
The first consultation as a bait can be free. But the final price tag for the services is often incomparable with the result. For example, you can be tricked out of 15,000 rubles, but as a result you will receive only 3,000 rubles in dividends. Or it will turn out that you are not entitled to anything at all.
- They lie about their affiliation with government agencies. Fraudsters try to inspire trust in every way possible, so they can hide behind government organizations and illegally use their symbols.
In order to gain trust, a person is sent various “Government decrees” and “instructions from the Bank of Russia” by e-mail , “court decisions” stating that the victim is supposedly entitled to compensation.