The investment platform that looked completely real

Raj, 58, saw a video of a well-known Australian businessman endorsing a trading platform on Facebook. The video looked professionally produced — studio lighting, a news-style graphic, even a ticker of "member profits" along the bottom.

He registered out of curiosity. A friendly account manager called within the hour, walked him through the dashboard, and his first $500 deposit "grew" to $700 within a week. Encouraged, he added $5,000, then $15,000.

The dashboard showed his balance climbing past $30,000. Then he tried to withdraw.

That's when the fees started. Account verification fees. Tax clearance fees. Compliance fees. Each one paid to unlock the money. The account manager was always apologetic, always confident it would be resolved "by tomorrow". Raj lost $32,000 before the platform vanished entirely.

The video was a deepfake. The businessman had no idea his face was being used. The dashboard was a fake — there was never any real investment.

The lesson

A celebrity in a video is not a recommendation. Public figures are impersonated in ads constantly. Search "[name] + scam" before you click.
If you can't withdraw, it's not your money. The moment a platform adds fees to get money out, it's a scam.
Check ASIC's warnings. ASIC publishes a list of suspected unlicensed platforms — check it before depositing anything.