The Cypriot SEC is blacklisting 7 unregistered websites
Regulators are on their toes following the 2012 financial crisis
The CySEC claims it has done right by investors by calling out scammers and helping the crypto ecosystem
promo
The island nation’s financial regulatory body banned sites used for foreign exchange (Forex), CFD, and crypto trading.
Cyprus’ Due Diligence
Cyprus is no stranger to less-than-pristine business dealings. It has long been a center of business and a tax haven. An August 6 memo explains that several companies on the list do not “belong to a regulated entity”.
In other words, with this step, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) is essentially calling out scams.
A professional-looking landing page of cryptotradecentr | Source: cryptotradecentr.com
According to the memo, the CySEC asked investors to do their due diligence:
CySEC urges investors to consult its website (www.cysec.gov.cy), before conducting business with investment firms, in order to ascertain the entities which are licensed to provide investment services and/or investment activities.
Insane Gains
Some of the sites listed promise ridiculous returns, even for crypto. Procloudoptions.online, for example, offers a 100% return on your investment in 60 seconds. All you have to do is send bitcoin to their wallet! It claims to be registered with the CFTC in New York, as well as in Belize and Cyprus.
Procloud falsely offers 100% ROI, almost instantly | Source: Procloudoptions.online
Another site, 246firstinvest.com, claims to be registered in Cyprus, though it’s blacklisted in the CySEC’s memo.
Humorously, an apparent photo of cryptotradecentr.com’s team comes directly from the Wikipedia article for “businessperson”. At least the site warns of the risks. The company is also brazen enough to have an “as seen in” section.
This page touts media outlets that never reported on the project. The list includes Bloomberg News and the Associated Press.
Ironically, Keyoncapital claims to have the most transparent trading | Source: keyoncapital.com
Another blacklisted site is keyoncapital.com. The company’s logo claims it has, “the most transparent trading conditions.” The landing page further claims that the CySEC regulates the company.
The other websites on the blacklist are fxg.market, fxgrowcapital.com, and meritkapital.net. As of writing, meritcapital.net and fxgrowcapital.com were offline.
Keyoncapital falsely claims to be regulated by the CySEC | Source: keyoncapital.com
Not Their First Dance
Cryptotradecentr’s fake team photo | Source: cryptotradecentr.com
Regulation continues to be a hot topic for the small island nation. Substantial sums of money have been brought to the island via wealthy Russians.
Unfortunately, the 2012 Greek-spurred financial crisis left Cyprian banks mostly bankrupt. Germany forced austerity measures before bailing them out in a way some would call legalized theft. EU intervention has left Cypriot legislators on their toes ever since.
In recent years, the CySEC has worked closely with other European regulators. It has since made strides in the fight against money laundering. Nevertheless, there are still some legitimate crypto firms who work out of Cyprus, such as CEX.io.
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Harry Leeds is a writer, editor, and journalist who spent much time in the former USSR covering food, cryptocurrencies, and healthcare. He also translates poetry and edits the literary magazine mumbermag.me.
Harry Leeds is a writer, editor, and journalist who spent much time in the former USSR covering food, cryptocurrencies, and healthcare. He also translates poetry and edits the literary magazine mumbermag.me.
