#broker-scam
2 questions tagged with #broker-scam
I think I fell for a 'clone firm' scam, and my funds are stuck with 'BaFin Markets'. What now?
Hey everyone, I'm feeling sick to my stomach about this. I was looking for a reputable broker in Germany and came across 'BaFin Markets'. Their website looked super professional, even had the BaFin logo and what looked like legitimate registration numbers. The 'account manager' I spoke with, a "Mr. Schmidt," was really convincing and helpful. I invested about 8,000 euros directly through a bank transfer, thinking i was safe because of the BaFin association. Now, I'm trying to withdraw some profits, and they're just giving me the runaround. First, it was a 'tax clearance fee,' then an 'anti-money laundering verification charge.' No actual withdrawals ever clear. I looked closer, and the website's URL is slightly off, and the actual BaFin website has a warning about clone firms. I think I've been had. Is there *any* way to get my money back from these clone operations? I'm in Strasbourg, so it felt close to Germany.
My savings are locked with 'GoldStone Markets' and they demand more fees. Is it a scam?
Ok, so, I feel really stupid about this. I signed up with this online trading platform called 'GoldStone Markets' a few months ago. They looked really slick, nice charts, everything. I started with a small amount, watched it grow (or so I thought). Then I put in, like, my entire savings, about 10k euros, hoping to get enough for a down payment on a place. Now, I try to withdraw, right? And suddenly there's a 'tax' to pay, then a 'KYC delay fee', and now they're saying I need to pay a 'liquidity provider' fee before they can release anything. Every time I pay one, another one pops up. Their 'support' is super pushy and keeps telling me if I don't pay, I'll lose everything. My stomach drops just thinking about it. I'm in Eindhoven, so I thought, maybe someone in the Netherlands or here knows about them? I'm so desperate.