Bulgarians are posing as Danish asset manager ArthaScope Kapitalforvaltning A/S and arranging meetings about "investment opportunities". Bulgaria's Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) has warned that this may be investment fraud.
The alert reached the FSC from Denmark's financial regulator. The firm is licensed and supervised by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority.
The people behind the scheme have used the company's name and corporate identity. They have also built a fake website, called "ArthaScope - Extend your business across Europe", that copies the firm's own.
The company has no presence, branch, representatives or business in Bulgaria, it said in a statement quoted by the FSC. It has no link to the people behind the scheme or to the fake site. It has not given anyone the right to offer investment services or hold meetings in its name in Bulgaria. Its only official website is "ArthaScope | Din formue i godt selskab".
The FSC advises investors not to trust what they hear at such meetings. Anyone who has attended a meeting with the fake representatives, or has been invited to one, should cut off contact, as they risk losing money.
Before putting money into any firm, check that it is genuine and holds a licence for the activity from the proper regulator. This can be done on the FSC website, www.sfc.bg, and on the website of the European regulator ESMA.
Anyone who suspects dishonest or criminal activity should report it to the Interior Ministry and the FSC.