11.04.2022
The supposed online broker Smart Trade Group poses as a credible platform for online trading. However, there are numerous indications that things are not above board at Smart Trade Group. More and more investors report telephone terror, rip-offs, and investment fraud in connection with Smart Trade Group. Many have lost their money invested with Smart Trade Group. Serious doubts are announced. Meanwhile, many Smart Trade Group investors are afraid that it is an investment scam. The Smart Trade Group website is no more accessible. All Smart Trade Group investors are wondering if they have become victims of investment fraud? And what can Smart Trade Group investors do if the suspicion of investment fraud is confirmed? Will Smart Trade Group investors get their money back? Does it make sense to file a criminal complaint against Smart Trade Group with the police? What help is available in case of investment fraud?
 

Smart Trade Group: Suspicious assertions on the website
What do surprised investors read on www.smart-trade-group.com? "At Smart Trade Group, we are committed to providing a unique trading experience based on fair and transparent pricing, and outstanding customer service that is always available, with specialized learning and training tools. We are an award-winning and fast-growing multi-asset broker, and our main goal is to meet all of our clients' trading needs." That's just one small snippet of text among the implausible claims investors find on Smart Trade Group's website. None of these full-bodied promises by Smart Trade Group have been kept. Sadly, the suspect business practices tend to make for unhappy investors and miserable experiences!

Smart Trade Group: Hide-and-seek game with the domain entry!
Remarkable for the business practices of the Smart Trade Group makers is that the website does not contain an imprint. Thus, the complete information about the legally responsible operators of the website is missing. If you take a look at the domain data of the Smart Trade Group website, you will not find any information about the owners. However, one learns that the domain was registered with NameCheap, Inc. only on 07/16/2021. The real domain owners hide behind the anonymization service Withheld for Privacy ehf.

Smart Trade Group: Who is behind it?
Answering this question will be rather difficult for many investors, as the Smart Trade Group makers do everything to conceal the true circumstances. However, this is nothing unusual. The perpetrators mostly operate several of these websites with the same fraudulent business model. These are created in advance, quickly put online, and just as quickly shut down. The top-level domain is often changed to deceive financial regulators and law enforcement agencies. But who is the operator? There is scant information about this on the Smart Trade Group website. The company Smart Trade Group with the business address 8 Kew Court, Pynes Hill, Exeter, EX2 5AZ, United Kingdom is given, but the creators of Smart Trade Group cannot be found under this address. In addition, there is the obligatory support e-mail address and the telephone number +447488803800. The worldwide search for Smart Trade Group in the relevant registers leads to no result. That clarifies that it concerns in this case a pure fantasy product.

Smart Trade Group: The customer acquisition of the investment cheats.
Here again and again the same proceeding is found: To win new customers the recommendations of Smart Trade Group are promoted in all possible media and channels. Not infrequently, the offers are false promises. To reinforce the deception, they upload image films on YouTube, in which interested investors are convinced with fictitious references. Here, supposed celebrities report on their experiences with online trading and cryptocurrencies, often with the erroneous reference to the TV show "Die Höhle der Löwen". With the same goal in mind, an affiliate program is usually started to give others incentives to drum up publicity for Smart Trade Group.

Smart Trade Group: criminal business practices.
As soon as the customer has registered on the trading platform, he receives calls from alleged financial brokers who like to refer to their years of experience and satisfied customer base. In many cases, however, the makers of this business model are fraudsters, against whom the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) also warn. Usually, the investors start with a small sum as employment. Beforehand, investors are also often motivated to install remote maintenance software, such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer on their computers, so that assistance can supposedly be provided with the first steps. In many cases, the computer is subsequently manipulated and unwanted transactions are carried out. In the process, the investment fraudsters also frequently gain access to their victims' online banking. What is particularly criminal, however, is when supposed profits are displayed on the trading platform to entice the customer to place further high stakes. In some cases, even small sums are returned to lull investors into a sense of security. Who then does not want to increase the stakes further? But what happens next?

Smart Trade Group: repayment of the money is linked to conditions
Once in, an exit is mostly impossible. Rather, the administrators of the investment scammers tie the repayment of the money to further deposits. This is where employees come in, claiming alleged tax debts and commission payments. If these are settled, it would come to the disbursement of the allegedly obtained profits. The perpetrators send the investors self-made tax and commission statements, often decorated with fake coats of arms. These would have to be paid urgently. A clearing with the allegedly obtained profits is never possible. If an investor refuses further deposits, alleged profits are converted by senseless transactions into losses and the customer is maximally damaged. This is not the end of the horror, but investors are permanently confronted with calls from other dubious providers. This indicates that the contact details of the investors are further traded among the investment fraudsters. In the end, a "savior" regularly comes forward, claiming to have uncovered the whole scam. He impresses with his insider knowledge. No wonder, since he is part of the fraud gang. The next rip-off! And of course, the "savior" wants a small fee - in advance!

Smart Trade Group: Scheme of investment fraud?
There is no legitimacy in the Smart Trade Group trading platform. Smart Trade Group lacks legitimacy from a recognized European supervisory authority, such as the English Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySec), which is frequently used by brokers. Likewise, there is no authorization from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (finma) or the Financial Market Authority (FMA) of Austria, which is responsible for Switzerland. It is easy to see that Smart Trade Group is a scheme of capital investment fraud. All investors harmed by Smart Trade Group are advised to consult an investment fraud attorney immediately.

Smart Trade Group: where do the fraudsters operate?
Unfortunately, the illegal activities of Smart Trade Group are not limited to English-speaking countries. Because Smart Trade Group also addresses German-speaking investors, it is only a matter of time until the defrauded investors of this speaker group will also come forward. A look at the list of regulators is advisable before any financial commitment to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of investment fraud.

Smart Trade Group: investors want their money back!
The circumstances are far better than they appear. The aggrieved investors can take countermeasures and reclaim invested capital. At the moment it is rather not to be expected that the investment fraudsters of Smart Trade Group are caught soon, nevertheless, there is cause to hope. Hope because the money flowed through accounts that were provided by reputable financial institutions. Those responsible for these accounts have demonstrably failed to check the investors' deposits, some of which were large and therefore subject to controls, and their onward transfer for illegality. Such carelessness enabled the investment fraudsters to carry out their criminal activities in the first place.

Smart Trade Group: They want their money back! How does it work?
Knowing this, no one would have agreed to do business with Smart Trade Group. Now the only option left for the defrauded is to try to get their money back. Many investors cannot even imagine that there is any real chance of ever seeing their money again. Probably all of them are now wondering if they can get their money back? Clearly yes! There are numerous legal bases to fall back on. The generic term is "money laundering." When investment fraudsters collect money, the crime of money laundering is committed. Financial institutions must take action against money laundering. This is where one starts with good chances of success. Relevant questions should be clarified in advance. What is the destination of the funds moved by Smart Trade Group? Is there a possibility for the bounced investors to get back their money invested with Smart Trade Group? What are the next steps to be taken? An attorney specializing in investment fraud will best answer such questions for you.

Smart Trade Group: Who can help?
What to do in case of investment fraud? What investment fraud help can Smart Trade Group victims hope for? Smart Trade Group victims will ideally find the help they need from an experienced investment fraud attorney. He or she will be able to take care of your case with Smart Trade Group both in terms of the criminal aspects of the investment fraud, as well as the recovery of funds and possible claims for damages. A lawyer for trading is also a possibility because he is also familiar with the methods of fraudulent brokers, such as Smart Trade Group.

Smart Trade Group: Follow the money!
Such abuses in the grey capital market have been pursued by the internationally active investor protection law firm Resch Rechtsanwälte for over 30 years. The way of the Smart Trade Group is accordingly nothing new. Over the years, Resch Rechtsanwälte has developed effective tools for tracking down disappeared investments and tracing the money flows. Making funds disappear is becoming increasingly difficult in the age of the Internet. The more expeditiously those affected follow the money trail, the better the chances are that they will recover the capital they have invested. Now it depends on the fact that the investors damaged by Smart Trade Group act immediately.

RESCH Attorneys at Law - Experience in investor protection since 1986
If you have become a victim of Smart Trade Group and want to know if and how you can get your money back, call +49 30 885 9770 or fill out the questionnaire. You will receive a free assessment of your case.