Dear turretrock-ga,
I believe the escrow company is a fraud and Universal Capital Partners
which describes itself as ?a lead player in the world's markets? to be
equally dubious. I base this conclusion from the results of my
research and from my previous experience as a New Scotland Yard Fraud
Squad officer.
worldescrowgroup.com?s web site is a outright copy of a genuine escrow
company?s web site with names, etc., changed as appropriate. Addresses
used are insufficient in detail, and no company registration was found
on the Hong Kong Company database. There is a registration on the
Money Changer / Remittance Agent Register for Wing Shun Hong, but at a
different address.
Universal Capital Partners, attempts to give an impression of a
investment advisor with over $2 billion under management. However, the
site is badly designed and worded. The company does not appear on the
New York corporations? database and is not registered as an investment
advisor with the SEC, NFA and Japan?s Financial Services Agency. No
principals? names are supplied, no corporation registration details,
or exactly with whom they are registered as an investment advisor.
Research and links:
worldescrowgroup.com?s web site
?Contact Details
Tel: +852-30146398
Fax: +852-30143580
Address
Company Name: Wing Shun Hong
275 Gloucester Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong?
http://www.worldescrowgroup.com/wawcs0114456/ln-contact-us.html
Domain name registration details. Note that it was registered only in
May 2006 and in a personal name. I am unable to establish if this
person owned the domain name before then. It does not appear on the
?Internet Archive Wayback Machine? - an archive of old web sites.
Registrant:
LEE, Mathew
Fairview Mansion, 51 Paterson Street,
Causeway Bay, Causeway Bay 50485
HK
Domain Name: WORLDESCROWGROUP.COM
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
LEE, Mathew
Fairview Mansion, 51 Paterson Street,
Causeway Bay, Causeway Bay 50485
HK
+1(201)6329256
Record expires on 24-May-2007.
Record created on 24-May-2006.
http://whois.domaintools.com/worldescrowgroup.com
The above address lacks additional information such as block number
and flat/floor number. See the hits on this Google search.
://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=%2251+Paterson+Street%22+fairview+&btnG=Search&meta=
Similarly, the address 275 Gloucester Road needs additional
information such as block number and flat/floor number.
://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=%22275+Gloucester+Road%22&btnG=Search&meta=
The wording and some of the images on the site are copied from a
genuine site of fortis-escrow.com
Look at Our Team page and then compare it with the page from
fortis-escrow.com and you will see the text is exactly them same with
changes made in names, etc.
http://www.worldescrowgroup.com/wawcs0114468/ln-our-team.html
http://www.fortis-escrow.com/wawcs0114468/ln-our-team.html
The individuals? pictures are crunched up and clearly stolen from
another site which I cannot identify.
The ?what is an escrow? diagram is also copied from fortis-escrow. By
looking at the html coding behind the page I can see it has even the
same image name.
http://www.worldescrowgroup.com/wawcs0114744/ln-what-is-escrow.html
fortis-escrow.com is part of the Fortis Group from Belgium and
Netherlands. To see that it is genuine you can go to their page on
Google Finance. Then click on the link to their home page.
http://finance.google.com/finance?cid=667320
From their click> Direct Links> Fortis Companies >Fortis Escrow
Services> Details of fortis-escrow and a link.
http://www.fortis.com/index.asp
Hong Kong Companies House has no live match on the name. There is a
WING SHUN HONG FOODS TRADING LIMITED and a WING SHUN HONG LIMITED
which was formed in 1970 but struck off in 1996.
http://www.icris.cr.gov.hk/csci/
There is a registration on the Money Changer / Remittance Agent
Register but at a different address.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of The People's Republic of China
Joint Finance Intelligence Unit
?In accordance with the Organized And Serious Crimes Ordinance, all
Money Changers and Remittance Agents in Hong Kong are required to
register their business with the Hong Kong Government?.
By publishing this register, the Joint Financial Intelligence Unit
does not guarantee the performance or creditworthiness of any
registered money changer or remittance agent.?
http://www.info.gov.hk/police/jfiu/english/index.htm
"Money Changer / Remittance Agent Register as on 3rd March 2006
Wing Shun Hong
Flat A, 15/F, Suen Yue Building,
48 Bonham Strand West, Sheung Wan,
Hong Kong."
http://www.info.gov.hk/police/jfiu/doc/update-m2z.pdf
Web site for Universal Capital Partners
?Head Office :
Universal Capital Towers
25-1 Sakuragaoka-Cho
Shibuya-Ku
Tokyo 150-0031
JAPAN
Phone: +81-344-964-857
Fax: +81-344-964-320
Register Office :
43 Wall Street
New York
10005
USA?
http://www.universalcapitalpartners.com/
Domain name registration does not show the actual owner of the
company. It appears to be the web design company, but I have not
pursued this avenue of enquiry.
?Registrant:
WebDesign Support
526
Elgen, IL 60123
UM
Domain Name: UNIVERSALCAPITALPARTNERS.COM
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
WebDesign Support
526
Elgen, IL 60123
UM
610-471-2751
Record expires on 15-Mar-2007.
Record created on 15-Mar-2006.?
http://whois.domaintools.com/universalcapitalpartners.com
The domain name has been registered before and one was for a Minnesota
company which may be now defunct. The internet archive only shows the
site as it was in 2003. (details below)
The web site is poorly designed and lacking information. It describes
the company as ?a lead player in the world's markets, and offers the
vision, energy, and experience required to assist clients in remaining
one step ahead in an increasingly sophisticated, dynamic and
ever-changing global market place.?
and
?We are a Registered Investment Advisor with over US $2 billion of
funds under management. Established in 1983, we provide investment
advice and asset management for both Corporate and Private Clients.?
http://www.universalcapitalpartners.com/
If they have been established since 1983 and are major investment
advisors it seems strange there is a distinct lack of reference to
them on financial web sites and that they do not appear on the
following databases.
New State Corporations database
http://appsext5.dos.state.ny.us/corp_public/CORPSEARCH.ENTITY_SEARCH_ENTRY?p_entity_name=%55%6E%69%76%65%72%73%61%6C%20%43%61%70%69%74%61%6C%20%50%61%72%74%6E%65%72%73&p_name_type=%41&p_search_type=%42%45%47%49%4E%53
SEC Investment Advisor search
http://adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Search/iapd_OrgSearch.aspx
National Futures Association
http://www.nfa.futures.org/basicnet/
Japan Financial Services Agency
List of licensed (registered) Financial Institutions including
licensed investment advisors.
http://www.fsa.go.jp/en/regulated/licensed/index.html
Details for previous use of domain name.
COMMERCIAL FINANCE ASSOCIATION
2003 Cfa roster of members
?Universal Services Co., LLC
4400 Baker Rd., Ste. 600 Minnetonka, MN 55343
Michael Catain, Pres. & CEO Tel: (952) 541-8111 Fax: (952) 541-9111
Web site: www.universalcapitalpartners.com?
http://www.cfaatlanta.com/userscripts/upload/CFA%20Roster.pdf
Internet Archive wayback machine.
Web site in 2003.
Universal Capital Partners, LLC
11610 Wayzata Boulevard
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55305
Phone:(952)541-8111 Fax:(952)541-9111
New York Office
460 West 34th St 4th Floor,
New York, NY 10001
Phone:(212)631-0290
http://web.archive.org/web/20030411101846/http://www.universalcapitalpartners.com/contactinfo.html
I hope this answers your question and is sufficient for you to make a
decision. If it does not, or the answer is unclear, then please ask
for clarification of this research before rating the answer. I shall
respond to the clarification request as soon as I receive it. Having
said that, I am only available today 3 August until 1800 GMT and then
away until Monday 0900 GMT.
Thank you
answerfinder |
