Hotnews No. 79 “Grandpacifictrade” Scam

Dear Clients,

Grandpacifictrade scam

Grandpacifictrade is a scam, a fake stock trading platform. It is an organized fraud carried out through a call center. The companies Olympus Prime and Asgard, based in Belgrade, gave it the appearance of legitimacy. The suspects have been arrested, and criminal proceedings are underway in Belgrade.

In this case, we represent the victims who responded to an online advertisement promoting the cryptocurrency trading platform Grand Pacific Trade. The platform’s website was www.grandpacifictrade.com, but access to it is no longer possible.

As the website seemed reliable to the victim, they decided to make an initial deposit using a credit card. After that, the victim created an account on the mentioned platform. Shortly after the deposit, the victim was contacted by an individual claiming to be a senior manager at Grand Pacific Trade.

How to Protect Yourself from Call Center Scams

Call center scams are becoming more frequent, but there are ways to protect yourself:

Recognize the Warning Signs

• Unsolicited Calls: Be cautious if someone calls you with whom you have no business relationship.
• Requests for Personal Information: Authentic call centers will never ask for your PIN or credit card number.
• Urgency and Threats: Scammers use intimidation to make you act quickly.
• Unwanted Gifts or Offers: Be skeptical of incredible offers in exchange for personal information.

How to Respond

• Do Not Share Personal Information: Never share your PINs, passwords, or account numbers over the phone.
• Verify the Authenticity of the Call: Ask for the caller’s name and company, then call the company’s official number yourself.
• Be Skeptical: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.
• Record Details: Write down the number from which you were called and the caller’s name.

How to Report a Scam

• Contact Your Bank: Inform your bank if you have shared any account information.
• Report the Scam to Relevant Authorities: In Bosnia and Herzegovina, this can be the Agency for Supervision of the FBiH or RS Insurance Sector.

Additional Tips

• Use Caller ID: It helps filter suspicious calls.
• Set Security Questions: Only authentic representatives should know the answers.
• Check Account Statements: Regularly monitor your bank and credit statements for suspicious activities.

Conclusion

Be cautious and informed to recognize and report call center scams. Never share sensitive information over the phone and report suspicious activities to the relevant authorities.

Victims in the ACT Case

We have an open case. Report your damages. If you report and we initiate proceedings against the fraudsters, we can expect a similar outcome as in the Grandpacifictrade case.

Attorney at law
Zoran Miljakovic