One of the firms analyzed is GO4REX, which has 64 complaints between 2022 and 2024. This firm, says the PDI, encourages people to invest by offering promises of profits through investments in companies such as SQM or Codelco (in the latter, there is not even the possibility of investing, since it is state-owned).
âThis platform operates outside of those regulated by the CMF. In addition, its operations are generally carried out abroad. To carry out this illicit activity, it is necessary to have intermediaries in the country,â the report highlights.
The study goes further. âFrom a psychological perspective, these people attract clients in a similar way to the role known as âdealerâ, which involves a network of relationships, influences and consequences that significantly impact the lives of victims. Their job is to attract, influence and secure as much money as possible.â
âIn summary, victims were primarily contacted through online advertising by large companies and public figures, as well as phone calls, all with the promise of high returns on investment. The scammers used persuasion tactics and demanded more money from the victims, before disappearing once they had obtained what they wanted (as much money as possible),â the report stresses.
Sub-prefect Carlos Paz, head of the Economic Crimes Brigade of La Serena, explains that they are leading an investigation in the area, where there is a lot of mining activity and retirees from that industry with amounts to invest, which is why scammers are looking for them.
One of these cases is a man who invested $130 million. After searching on Google, he found a trading platform that appeared to be regulated and real. In addition, they pointed out that other famous people had already made money. And so they were able to detect that a person from Africa was the owner of the website, but that he had âwhite collar agentsâ in Chile, who were attracting clients.
âThey have a kind of executive related to their account, and that is their broker who tells them that a certain stock is going to rise and they have to transfer more money to make a profit. Then they make up the story that a cryptocurrency is on the rise and they have to invest. At first, they always invest less than a million, and the next day they see double the amount of money on their platform and so the amounts go up,â he explains.
