The lawyer named the main signs of questionable investment proposals

Promises of high returns, simple contracts without a notary, and minimal details about the project are all signs of risky investments. Anton Meleshko, Candidate of Law, investor protection lawyer, founder of the Meleshko Consulting Legal Partnership, told Izvestia about this on July 24.

According to him, deception under the guise of collective investments in real estate, securities or startups is rampant. Many investors are faced with the fact that the documents are drawn up superficially, correspondence in messengers or by e-mail is either missing or does not contain all the agreements between the investor and the project organizer, and payments suddenly stop. But in some cases, the court recognizes obligations even in the absence of signed contracts — based on bank transfers, correspondence and a large amount of indirect evidence.

According to the expert, incorrect paperwork is the basis of abuse. In some schemes, documents are not signed with a real facsimile, and investments are accepted in cash.

"Then the fraudster declares in court: "The signature is not mine, the seal is forged." Non—cash transfers (forget about cash investments), legally correct contracts and collateral or guarantees are what can really provide protection," he explains.

Investments must have appropriate guarantees. When investing in a legal entity, it is necessary to obtain a personal guarantee from the head or founder, as well as a pledge or a share in the ownership of a specific object. When investing in a legal entity, the principle should be followed: one legal entity is one object.

"When a project looks promising, but there are no details, this is a red flag. If there are no specific figures, calculations for an optimistic, pessimistic and restrained scenario, if there is no understanding of how income will be generated and how risks will be covered, this is not an investment, but a lottery. In reality, superprofits are rare," the expert adds.

In addition, several people should evaluate an investment before investing money: a lawyer, a tax consultant, and an investment analyst. If a person has already invested money in such a scheme and is faced with problems, it is important not to delay the actions.

"We need to look for a lawyer with experience in investment matters, because the task is not just to win the court, but to actually return the money. It is important that he can effectively organize interaction with a group of investors. Litigation alone can turn into a mistake, as it costs 5-10 times more expensive than cooperation with other investors," Meleshko summed up.

Closed for key: business reduced investments in projects with capital investment protection by 1.5 times

Despite the tax benefits, companies are in no hurry to channel money into long-term development due to high rates.

Fyodor Sidorov, a private investor and founder of the School of Practical Investing, told Izvestia on June 10 that the choice of an investment tool critically depends on the time period: some options are beneficial only for a short distance, others for a long game. In his opinion, bank deposits remain attractive for short-term investments. Despite the reduction of the key rate to 20%, deposits bring in 16-19% per annum. The shorter the term, the higher the yield.

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