Recently, a Ponzi scheme has been operating quietly, without much publicity or exposure, focusing mainly on offline promotion and social media for attracting traffic. Its main platform is Telegram, and it has partnered with a well-known brokerage firm, HTFX, to increase its appeal. This scheme is known as ACM.
What is ACM?
ACM is an asset management company (full name: A CAPITAL MANAGEMENT). It appears that ACM manages client funds and allocates profits/losses. However, TraderKnows found out that the company's website is not searchable on search engines because it uses an unrelated website title ("Vue App"), making it difficult for investors to find their site.
Partnership with HTFX
ACM claims to have a partnership with the well-known broker HTFX, stating that all ACM operations will be reflected there. The trading orders shared by ACM demonstrate this process, showing only ACM and HTFX. As for fund security, there is no clear assurance as ACM hasn't disclosed any affiliation with institutions related to fund security.
ACM's Website Registration and Traffic
According to whois information, ACM's website acapman.com was registered on December 6, 2024. This is a very recent registration date, indicating that this scam is just starting. Investors should be cautious.
Looking at the website traffic, based on SEMrush data, there is no traffic or minimal traffic to either ACM's login page or their official website, further proving that ACM relies on private domain operations for their Ponzi scheme.
Exaggerated Returns
In previous exposures by TraderKnows, Ponzi schemes like AGA offered an average monthly return of 3%-8%, while OAM Global offered an annual return of 20%-54%, with an average monthly return of 1.67%-4.5%. Even this is highly exaggerated.
However, ACM stands out with a claimed monthly return of 10%-15%! Let's do a simple calculation: with a minimum monthly return of 10%, if you invest $30,000, every month it would increase by a factor of 1.1. After 12 months, your total return would be $30,000 multiplied by 1.1 to the power of 12, which triples your investment, amounting to over $60,000 in a year. If this were true, who would still go to work? Just invest in ACM and relax.
According to ACM's latest report, March yields supposedly reached 11%. It's highly likely these figures are fabricated by ACM itself, as even hiring investment experts like Warren Buffet or George Soros wouldn't ensure a monthly return of 11%.
Can HTFX Ensure Investor Fund Safety?
As an asset manager, ACM should oversee user funds and execute trades through HTFX, acting primarily as an order executor. HTFX is regulated by the FCA, covering the UK and Gibraltar, and also holds a Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) license, making ACM an automatic member of the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF). In case of fraud, victims can receive compensation up to 20,000 euros.
However, HTFX's regulations have no relation to ACM, as ACM lacks any regulatory approval or even basic corporate registration. Therefore, if ACM were to abscond, investors would find it nearly impossible to claim compensation through the ICF.
Who is Behind this Scam?
Chen Zhiyan (Dr. Brilliant) is claimed to be ACM's CEO on their Telegram channel. However, he publicly appears as the founder of SH Academy. This academy and ACM are similarly undiscoverable via search engines, possibly to distance themselves in case of exposure. Chen's title might serve to publicly dissociate from ACM, allowing for a swift exit if necessary. This also explains why HTFX is willing to publish PR with SH Academy but not officially declare cooperation with ACM.
HTFX issued a PR release featuring Chen Zhiyan as an invited speaker: https://htfx.co/archives/53304?lang=zh-hans
TraderKnows also discovered that Chen Zhiyan appeared on a Hong Kong TV show called "Chinese People Abroad," where he was seen working with a company named XY72. The company dealt in forex signals, but it received very few reviews and its website is now defunct.
Conclusion
Currently operating in Europe and participating in exhibitions in Hong Kong to attract investors from the Asia-Pacific region, ACM is an unregulated entity without any corporate information. TraderKnows advises investors to steer clear of ACM due to the lack of investment protection, to avoid falling victim to scams.
