Numerous complaints from individuals online report ‘Apex’ employees are trying to scam people with fraudulent investment offers, fake job offers and CEO phishing scams. Apex Investment pops up in a lot of scam sites, sometimes called Company instead of Group and other versions of the name.
Job offer phishing payment information
An anonymous blogger posted on Reddit: his story about a job he was offered by Apex Investment Group. He said:
“They said they are moving to the NYC area and don’t have an office yet so everything will be done online. I would need to install the software necessary for the position. Before I can start the training I need to make a payment to one of the vendors so I can get the software. The website they have haven’t been updated since 2007 and if you google the address that is in the US it is just a small building which makes me wonder whether this is legit or not.”
Others on the chat group advised this blogger that jobs that look for money up front to join are most likely a scam. Also the careers page on Apex has never changed since they first put it online.
Oksana Kondakova posted a similar warning about Apex:
“Yesterday I got an email from Emily Philips (emilyphillips.apex@gmail.com) saying that I was chosen for a full-time or freelance translation position. As per the attached Employment terms I had to pay USD 30 just be registered in their database. Such a strange requirement was explained as a need to make sure I am a real translator and was really chosen by a PM. Lots of mistakes in the Agreement text and Gmail address look like scam too.”
Bloggers comment that Apex advises their applicants to ‘hurry up and don’t miss your chance’. These are all red flags of fraud.
Phone scam asking investment offer
Another anonymous blogger from Minnesota posted:
“This company called me telling to be from Apex One Trading Group and supplied selling Heating Oil Options up to $10,000 investment into a German Bank. They sounded very slick and good over the phone. I think they are fishing for more info to then send out a bot to takeover your internet banking and then transfer money.”
The persons from Apex were using names like Ian Wilson, Brian James and Doug Quick.
A victim from Toronto who approached Investigation Counsel PC for recovery lost $50,000 in the investment scam. He got involved with a company called Apex One Financial. They told him about “Profits with Options” that if you give them money somehow you would get triple the amount. After numerous attempts to get him to choose an option, he finally agreed and wire transferred money to them. All the communications were done either on the phone or through email. After he realized that the company was fraudulent, he tried calling and emailing them to get his money back but hasn’t gotten any response.
Norman Groot, a lawyer with the fraud recovery law firm Investigation Counsel PC, advised:
If the money was transferred out of the country, there is little chance of recovery. In any event, if you are dealing with persons on-line only, to prove liability you need to put the person with these fake names behind the keyboard. Some due diligence before transferring your funds is a far better investment than trying to get your money back after through litigation.
President or CEO scam
On the ‘Who Calls Me’-website, yet another anonymous blogger (John Doe) posted a conversation that allegedly took place in November, 2016, between himself and a person who represented that they were from Apex:
Doe – May I ask who’s calling please?
Apex – it’s Doug Quick from Apex One
Doe – I’m sorry he’s on the other line, may I ask what this is regarding?
Apex – that’s ok, I’m about to get on an airplane in half an hour. Can I call him tomorrow?
Doe – Of course sir, you can do anything you like.
Apex –Well look at the attitude on you!! (agitated and voice raised)
Doe – I’m simply asking what the call is regarding please
Apex – mumbled something under his breath and hung up.
At Canadian Fraud News, we recommend that if you receive a suspicious email or phone call, look for red flags like spelling mistakes, too-good-to-be-true offers and unusual payment requirements. Conduct some due diligence before transferring any funds. If the amount being invested is significant, retain a professional to make inquiries.
