Have you noticed an increase in unsolicited text messages or social media messages recently? If that's the case, you're not alone. These pieces of information are used by scammers as bait to carry out investment scams, causing consumers to suffer heavy economic and emotional losses.

Scammers only need to receive a response from the other party to the messages or text messages they send on social media. Then they successfully attracted the target and began to deceive them. This scam usually transfers to private messages and develops a relationship through dialogue, which may include fake relationships, fake profiles, and fake websites. Ultimately leading to financial fraud.

In addition to economic losses, most victims also suffer serious emotional consequences such as high stress, anxiety, insomnia, or depression.

But you can take some measures: pay attention to these danger signals and take the following steps to protect yourself and your loved ones.

What are the warning signs of investment fraud?

• Promise high returns and risk-free/low-risk: Please note that investments without high returns are risk-free, even low-risk.

• Unsolicited proposal: This is a way for fraudsters to find victims.

Unregistered products: Most securities must be registered.

Complex strategies are "proprietary" or "difficult to explain": legitimate professionals will explain their strategies, while scammers will not.

• Require you to register an unverified website platform to view your returns: Scammers are creating online platforms that display huge returns on their accounts, which are all fake.

Urgency or Confidentiality: The pressure to "act immediately" or "not tell anyone" is a sign.

Payment methods: Sending gold by mail, making payments through cryptocurrency, or wire transfers to personal accounts are all red flags.

How to avoid investment fraud?

Do not reply. Social media is the preferred method for scammers to find victims: do not reply to unsolicited messages.

• Ask questions! If it sounds unbelievably good, then it's likely fake. If the other party's answer is "complex" or unclear, do not invest.

Use the internet to conduct basic searches for companies, personnel, phone numbers, and email addresses.

• Obtain a written copy of the quotation.

Check the background of sales personnel to ensure they are legitimate professionals.

Slow down and pause. No legitimate investment is so urgent, this is your money.

If you have already invested in a project that you believe may be fraudulent, or if you have been asked to pay more money in order to retrieve your investment funds, please stop losses immediately and report to the relevant authorities.