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A reader, Gary, asked me for my opinion about something he saw in Bukit Merah Central.
"... Saw a roadshow in Bukit Merah Central which displayed "24% per annum"! Company is Islandia and I'm not so sure if really can get 24% per annum! Sounds like scam but the strange thing is that there are people manning the booths!"
So, with some help from my friends, Victor Chng and Matthew Seah, I discovered that Islandia is actually a proposed integrated resort to be developed on an Indonesian island called Pulau Abang Besar.
Apparently, construction work started in the middle of last year.
See PDF file:
http://www.cuffzholdings.com/News/The%20Islandia%20AsiaOne%20Feature.pdf
This project is a joint venture by Cuffz Holdings and Huafa Assets.
Digging around a bit more, we found that Cuffz Holdings is actually partnered with IOC Group Limited.
IOC Group Limited is listed on the MAS Investor Alert list: http://www.mas.gov.sg/IAL.aspx?sc_p=I
Scroll down the list and you will see it.
What is the MAS Investor Alert list about?
"The Investor Alert List provides a listing of unregulated persons who, based on information received by MAS, may have been wrongly perceived as being licensed or authorised by MAS."
If I were approached by anyone promising me a return of 24% per annum by investing in a piece of real estate, I would be very wary.
If I were approached by anyone promising me a return of 24% per annum by investing in a piece of real estate that is under construction, what should I do?
Related post:
Invest $10,000 and get 24% yield in 24 months.
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14 comments:
Hi AK,
Cuffz Holdings is also in the MAS Investor Alert List... here
Need to scroll down..
Hi Matthew,
Thanks for pointing this out. I missed this one. :)
There will always be suckers. Unfortunately there maybe examples of success from few individuals, maybe faked, that will draw even more suckers.
Whenever we don't know something, we call it a scam.
Have you done your homework? Do you know why the returns are so high or how they could give you such high returns?
I know how it works because I bothered to find out. If you do your homework, you will know it too.
It's not a scam. But as with all investments, consider if the investment is for you.
You think you invest with the banks here you are safe? Lehman bros collapsed in 2008 and it was a big bank. Why don't we conclude all banks are scams?
Don't be too lazy. You ask a stranger here who is equally blur as you are, of course they will you it's a scam. It's the blind leading the blind.
Unless you tell me you have found out how it works, don't be too quick to label it as a scam.
Nobody is calling it a scam. Only it was pointed out that the owners are on the mas investor watch list
so far all the promises of high returns such as Profitable Plots and OilPods have turned out to be scams. I don't see how this is going to be a real investment. Sure, can find out how they work and they will tell you wonderful stories but they will eventually turn out the same. Invest at your own risk !
Invest into one of the hottest investment sectors in London's city centre, without buying a unit outright from just $62,850 (£41,308)*. Our Secure Exit Strategy™ allows you to invest into exclusive pre-construction projects, for up to maximum of just 5 years, with complete protection of funds and no ownership commitment.
http://singaporeanstocksinvestor.blogspot.sg/2013/07/returns-of-15-per-year-invested.html
-.-"
For a Indonesian project 24% is possible as being in the construction business, most of my peers i have talked to said one would expect around 18% if investing there.
But as always, ask more of how they aim to achieve these profits and then gauge for yourself if your willing to take the risk :)
All investments are risky afterall ...
Hi, my friend got scammed. Is there anyway i can get help/immediate action?
Hi Richie,
If you suspect your friend has been scammed, talk to him and ask if he would like to bring the matter to CASE or the MAS. They would be able to advise him on the next course of action.
Of course, he should try to get his money back from the seller of the product first. He should do this formally in writing.
In the meantime, would you like to share with us the details of this scam you are referring to?
"I first got to know the company Cufflinks Holdings through a good friend.
"She told me that she invested around SGD 100K with this company in a Condotel project in Philippines and has been getting dividend monthly for the last 6 months.
"At first, I was not interested at all, until she brought me to a soft launch of another project by the same company at Batam. It was a soft launch for another condotel project, The Islandica in Batam, Pulau Abang Besar.
"The investment requires SGD 30,000 which is lesser than the Philippine project and my friend who trusted this company managed to persuade me to invest.
"She told me that she knows the bosses, the two brothers who are also Dato of Malaysia,(sorry I forgot their names). what convinces me to invest was that her son was working for that company and was very involved, so it can not be a scam.
"Based on trust, I finally agreed. We invested SGD 30,000 each in the Islandia Project.
"The promise offered was:
"1) We will get monthly dividends starting from 2nd month of investment.
"In 3 years’ time when the resort was built and start running, as in renting out the hotel rooms. They will also give us 2 offers:
"1) They will buy back the unit from us at estimated SGD90,000 (more or less)
2) We stay put the money and allow them to run/rent out the unit/room. At the end of the year, we will be be given out the profit from the rental.
"I did received the dividend for the first 3 months amounting to SGD300 – 400 each month and received regular newsletter.
"But at the fourth month the dividend payment stopped and also the updates.
"I started to get worried and contacted my friend but she assuring me that the company is doing alright. After 4 months of not hearing any news from the company, my friend told me that the company is having revamp and caught up in other projects.
"After about more than 6 months of no news from the company, finally there was an e-mail stating that the lawyers whom the company engaged has run away with investors’ money.
"At a loss and with such lame excuse, I convinced my friend that this is a scam from the beginning..."
Source: http://www.transitioning.org/2015/12/22/single-mum-cheated-of-30000-by-cufflinks-holdings-meant-for-sons-university-education/#sthash.WSzlYimm.dpuf
all this people who went all the way to cheat will die a horrible death and I curse them their whole lives including their siblings and family. I hate cheaters
Reader:
A few day ago some friends ask me about investment. I told them Reit that give 6 to 7% is not bad. One told me it is a not a good deal as he say he would like to get more. I was like :o
Another say there is other investment not listed but give higher yield. I wanted to tell her that safe investment don't want to go but go for unsafe one...
AK:
This one gives 24% per annum!!! ;p
Taken from:
https://singaporeanstocksinvestor.blogspot.com/2018/05/71000-alternative-or-bogus-investment.html
Wong Yao Keng says...
This is somewhat similar to the crimewatch crimes where you stuff your plastic bag with money and expect goldbars kind of thing. Somehow I don't feel this is common. For one, I don't even know where to look for this kind of alternative investment. Even if this is unsolicited, in what circumstances is the fraudster likely to approach the victim?🙁
AK says...
Aiyoh. They are everywhere. Now, they even have roadshows lor. I saw in Toa Payoh and Bukit Merah before. They work very hard to grow wealth (for themselves). :p
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