A, who was considering investing in dollars regularly, learned about Global Investment Company B through an internet blog. The company promoted that investing in dollar bonds could yield a revenue of 2.4% per month. A deposited 20 million won into the account posted on B's homepage. After noticing it was similar to the Mexican corporate bond investment case, A applied for cancellation, but B rejected it, claiming that the maturity had not arrived.
As cases of impersonating global investment companies to deceive investors with dollar bonds have increased, the Financial Supervisory Service issued a consumer alert of 'caution.'
On the 25th, the FSS warned that cases have occurred in which funds are misappropriated under the pretext of being a global investment company, specifically claiming that investors can earn stable high returns through dollar bonds.
According to the FSS, the methods used by impersonators are similar. They create internet websites that closely resemble those of American Company J. When suspicions of fraud arise, they frequently change the domain address of the impersonated investment company.
They also promote tailored investments in line with the global economic situation. With a strong dollar situation unfolding after U.S. President Donald Trump's re-election, they suggest that investments should be made in stable dollar bonds. The yield on U.S. government bonds is around 4.0% to 4.6% annually, while the yields they present are in the 2% range per month (approximately 24% annually).
They disguise themselves as a credible investment company on platforms like Naver Blog or Knowledge-In and provide investors with information about the popularity of dollar bonds and investment methods. They then lure investors to their fabricated websites.
To avoid suspicion of loan fraud, they open accounts under a corporate name similar to Company J and receive funds. When investors request cancellation, they refuse to return the investment funds on the grounds that 'the maturity has not arrived' and shut down the website.
The FSS advised, "If global investment companies advertise overseas financial product investments with high returns online, it may be an investment scam," adding, "It’s important to remember that they might just misappropriate the investment funds and disappear."