When I blogged about the Performance Investments Products Corp scam, I mentioned that its founder, Michael Liew, is also linked to another company with a same sounding name, Performance Foreign Exchange Corp (PFEC). The NBI found the connection when it checked the SEC papers of PFEC. Michael Liew is a director of PFEC.

The SEC papers of PFEC states that PFEC shall operate as a research firm and not as an investment house. The NBI secured a search warrant and carted off computers, logbooks, and contracts to determine if PFEC is involved in any wrong doings.  

PFEC has been agressively encouranging investors to invest in its online foreign exchange trading business. Let’s hope that investors will be able to recover their money from another scam in the making.

After the FrancSwiss scam, another investment program is in the news after its principal went missing. Performance Investment Products Corp has reportedly duped investors of as much as $250M. It’s owner, Michael H,K, Liew, is now in hiding and is being sought after by the police.

The investment scheme involves the trading of sophisticated financial products called “futures derivatives.” The minimum placement is $40,000.

Another company, Performance Foreign Exchange Corp has come up with advertisement differentiating and distancing itself from Performance Investment Products Corp. Interestingly, Performance Foreign Exchange was a split company who came from the same founder, Michael H.K. Liew. Performance Foreign Exchange is into forex trading and is agressive in acquiring clients.

SM Investment Corporation, a publicly listed Philippine corporation has issued a notice that SM Investments Corporation, its subsidiaries, and affiliates are not in any way connected with SMFund.com, sminvestment.com, and any other website asking for
solicitations online. Furthermore, the SM Group of Companies does not sponsor or
endorse any investment scheme contained in the websites with the domain
names “SMFund.com” and “sminvestment. com.”

Accordingly, the SM Group of Companies is not responsible for the
contents of the SMFund.com or sminvestment. com websites and it shall not
be liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage caused or claimed to
be caused by the use of or reliance on any such contents.

There is a preoliferation of Internet based investments schemes offering high interest rates. More popularly known as high yield investment programs (HYIP), a high percentage of this investment schemes are meant to fool the unsuspecting public.

Take the case of Francswiss.com. Francswiss offered $45 a day for an investment of $1,000. That’s a 4.5% interest a day. This program provided a referal fee of 10% to any member that can bring in a new member. Because of this referal program, Francswiss managed to lure a lot of investors.

In the beginning, investors are able to get the interest. Several would even testify that they were able to get their money back with the complete interest. However, after the discovery of their schemes, the late comers are left empty handed.

Money does not grow on trees. Beware of investments programs that are too good to be true.