Erscheinung:31.01.2024 | Topic Unauthorised business, Consumer protection Identity theft: BaFin warns consumers about the website heptagoninvestments.com
The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) is currently investigating the unknown operator of the website heptagoninvestments.com. The operator uses this website to offer financial and investment services without the required authorisation. The website is not operated by the British firm Heptagon Capital LLP. This is a case of identity theft targeting the aforementioned firm, which is registered with the British Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The FCA has issued a warning on its website stating that a fraudulent “clone firm” is operating under the name Heptagon Capital LLP. That warning makes explicit reference to the website heptagoninvestments.com.
When dealing with customers, the clone firm uses various company names such as Heptagon Capital Investments Ltd, Heptagon Capital, Heptagon Capital LLP and Heptagon Capital Limited.
Furthermore, business documentation available on the website states that FIBINANCE is the operator. According to BaFin’s information, this operator used to call itself AxianceFx. The operator provides two business addresses: one in Valetta, Malta, as well as that of the registered office of the firm registered with the FCA.
Anyone conducting banking business and providing financial or investment services in Germany may do so only with authorisation from BaFin. However, some companies offer these services without the necessary authorisation. Information on whether particular companies have been authorised by BaFin can be found in BaFin’s database of companies.
The information provided by BaFin is based on section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG).
Please be aware
BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.
