Financial Investment Company.
louise1966
Posts: 4,012 Forum Member
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I have recently been contacted by a guy from Caesar Alternative Investments, a company based in Canary Wharf, London, regarding a fractional leasehold - based investment in a gold mine in Ecuador, with a company called Fyfield Minera. Obviously, the first thing I did was look into the history of gold mining in Ecuador, the company, and Caesar Alternatives. The overall prospect seemed quite promising and, although this type of investing is always accompanied by an element of risk, that risk is based on three factors which seem unlikely to occur. I was almost decided to invest whilst, simultaneously, exploring the internet for financial websites, which may contain pertinent information for me.
My concern is that, on a financial website blog, someone mentioned he had made a £10K investment after being told he could withdraw his money at any time (I find that difficult to believe, as I have never been afforded that option). The company who recommended the deal to him, and gave him this information, was Caesar Alternative Investments, which began to cast doubts in my mind, about the reputation of the company. He cannot get in touch with the company, he said, to get his money back. I didn't find any negative reports on Caesar Alternative, this was the first adverse comment I read. Has anyone heard of Caesar Alternative, or had any business dealings with it? If so, what is your impression of it?
I know it is, ultimately, my decision but, we work hard for our money and don't want to give it away, so I don't think I'm being over cautious, in wanting to arm myself with all the facts and figures possible.
Thanks.
p.s. the guy said he was calling, as I had expressed an interest in the investment, but I couldn't remember this.
My concern is that, on a financial website blog, someone mentioned he had made a £10K investment after being told he could withdraw his money at any time (I find that difficult to believe, as I have never been afforded that option). The company who recommended the deal to him, and gave him this information, was Caesar Alternative Investments, which began to cast doubts in my mind, about the reputation of the company. He cannot get in touch with the company, he said, to get his money back. I didn't find any negative reports on Caesar Alternative, this was the first adverse comment I read. Has anyone heard of Caesar Alternative, or had any business dealings with it? If so, what is your impression of it?
I know it is, ultimately, my decision but, we work hard for our money and don't want to give it away, so I don't think I'm being over cautious, in wanting to arm myself with all the facts and figures possible.
Thanks.
p.s. the guy said he was calling, as I had expressed an interest in the investment, but I couldn't remember this.
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Comments
A fool and their money are soon parted
If it looks too good to be true it is.
Are my immediate thoughts ......................
Thanks for all replies.
Caesar Alternatives is the trading name for Caeser Partners Ltd but a quick Google found a few articles, they mainly deal in diamonds, from what I saw, but even then they're questionable:
http://www.alternative-confidential.com/site/?p=373
Which was first registered in November 2011. It has one 28 year old director, James Linin, who is also the sole shareholder. From the latest publically available accounts from Novemer 2012 it had a net worth of -£653.
This is not a substantial company it is at best a bloke renting a serviced office and a phone in Canary Wharf, or more likely using a virtual office service with a substantial sounding address for mail forwarding to his bedroom at his mum's house (he has an 0844 phone number which could be anywhere.).
edit
Another questionable company registered at the same address with no common directors or shareholders:
http://www.chase-hattan.com/
http://www.servicedofficecompany.co.uk/locations/london/
'Our virtual offices in London offer:
•Instantly recognisable London mailing address for your business
•First rate service from our highly trained virtual office managers
•An answering service, London or non-geographical number, in your company name
•Call forwarding to wherever you’re based
•Fast mail forwarding'
Invest your money in my company, OP... there's a huge risk you'll not get a penny back but I'll tell you all about it, it'll make a good story
It would have to be at the right price!:-D
This guy, Harold, told me I would get my money back in the first year, plus 23%. (?) Also, if I was ever in London, they would be happy to buy me lunch, they operate an open door policy. Am I being too cautious? I keep thinking, if I don't take a chance.......
As I said, where money is concerned, I scrutinise everything. Fyfield Minera is a small company but, from what I have found, a prosperous one. They want to maintain 100% ownership of the mine, so I would be a partner, on a fractional leasehold basis.
Caesar does deal in high quality diamonds, gold, silver and oil and gas. It appears to be a broker. The admin fee is £100, which begs the question how exactly are they making enough to pay the wages of the researchers etc? I asked Harold what his position is, and he said he was a researcher. I asked if he had been to the mine, and he said no. Everything he has told me, I have been able to find myself on the internet.
Are you actually reading what myself and Keefy have posted? Do you understand it?
I would have thought the obvious thing to do would be to ignore it in the same way as you'd ignore or delete a spam email.
Kept receiving private number calls on my mobile, so I thought it could be Harold from Caesar. then an email confirming this. Today, I answered it; he said he wondered if I had any questions, and I told him I had decided against it. What are your concerns? I told him I didn't know too much about the company, meaning it's reputation, success, etc. He launched in to the spiel he gave me last time, about how they only source ethical diamonds, etc. Then he started calling me Ddiane, after which he apologised, then proceeded to refer to me as such. Louise, I reminded him - no Diane! Can you not afford it? Just give us a try, before you try the more expensive investments. Can I think about it tonight, and you call me back tomorrow? This seemed to irk him a little. What comments have you read, he asked, when I told him of the negative feedback, as all companies get it. This company hasn't been going 4 years yet. I was getting a rather hostile and, simultaneously, desperate impression and thought, if he won't agree to give me tonight to think it over - although I had already made my mind up - I am right not to do it. When I told him, he hung up!
I think all posters on this thread were spot on; this company is something of a 'con artist' scam outfit. As I said, I have always trusted my initial instinct and, although I did consider it, albeit very briefly, I know I am right not to do any business with both him and his company. Now and in the future. As I also mentioned, I cannot recall expressing any interest in this project, or the company so it was a cold call.
Just think if they contact any elderly people, who lived back in the day when everyone was deemed as trustworthy, or they may not have anyone to ask for advice. If they thought it sounded like a good investment, they may well have wanted a part of it and, consequently, been ripped off.
This cold-call sales technique works on many levels in many different sectors, from "charity publication advertising" all the way up to big money investment cons.
It's a tactic as old as the hills. Like phishing emails - they make a lot of calls and eventually someone will bite and they'll get their money. Best it's not your money, though.