We have received a large number of reports about fake FMA licence certificates being used to try and convince people to invest money with phony investment brokers.
Details of a New Zealand-based entity, Collinson Crowdfunding Limited, which holds a licence for operating a crowd funding service, have been used in these attempts. We can confirm that Collinson Crowdfunding is not involved in this matter.
Complainants have been communicating with the fake licensees on the messaging app Telegram.
Here are some ways you can verify the authenticity of a licence certificate holder:
- All Financial Service Providers (FSP) and FMA licence holders are listed on the FSP Register, you can check registration details here. Make sure the FSP number, name of entity/licence holder, and the registered/licensed service type match the information printed on any certificate provided.
- Most FSP and licence holders are New Zealand-registered companies. Some companies have their contact details or website address displayed on the Companies Register. You can also contact the company/licence holder to verify the licence with them, but DO NOT use telephone or email details given to you by the person showing you the licence certificate. You may simply be directed to an accomplice.
- If the company or licence holder’s contact details are not shown on the Companies Register, search for their website on the internet. New Zealand company websites usually end with .co.nz but could have other domain names.
We encourage anyone reading this warning to share it with friends and whānau, including on social media platforms to help protect others from harm.
Below is an image of one of these fake licence certificates. All incidents reported so far involve similar-looking certificates, with only the name of the licence holder changed. We recommend caution when dealing with any person or entity that provides you with a licence certificate such as this.
