VCC – Red Flags for Private Issuers – How to Identify a Scammer

Venture Capital Cross – 6/2/2024 — It takes all kinds to make the world go round, they say.  We encounter all of the above being in the financial services business.  The reason we like late stage secondaries as our legacy go to market is because of the credibility of the assets, they are companies that have $1 Billion + valuations and have already proven themselves to the market.  However, the real value is in catching the next big thing at an early stage, and herein lies the dilemma.  Investors are not sure which one is going to be the next big thing (i.e. Google, Amazon) and which one is going to totally fail.  And to be fair to issuers, they don’t know too.

We have compiled a short list of ‘red flags’ to look for, these are not by themselves an indication of a bad deal, but overall, these are things you want to be aware of when evaluating earlier stage opportunities.

Red Flags – signs of a bad deal

1. The principal refuses to show any due diligence
2. Insists on meeting in person
3. Does not have a public profile, media following
4. Does not have a lawyer
5. High Returns “Too good to be true”
6. Has lots of stories, but lacks documentation to back them up
7. Is not registered (this by itself isn’t proof that it’s a scam, but many legitimate fund managers and investment bankers ARE registered)
8. Uses words like “Arbitrage” and “Bank Guarantee” and “Insurance”
9. Explains the investment has “No Risk” (Any investment has risk, even Arbitrage has risk)
10. Is private, confidential person
11. Looking for in person referrals
12. Signs of time deadline / hurry
13. Operates from a dark jurisdiction i.e. Seychelles, Argentina, etc.
14. Uses big names “I got into this because of Bill Gates”

Signs of a Scammer

See the video analysis

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Uncover the Secrets of Antarctica film project with Brad Olsen

Uncover the secrets in Antarctica with Brad Olsen

Brad Olsen is raising capital for an expensive but valuable expedition to Antarctica to uncover never before seen sites.  Various permissions have been authorized for travel to these locations, for those who are skeptical.  Some of these sites have been visited by hikers but never explored deeply with a film crew.  Brad is not planning on going to any unauthorized areas.

For more information on the project including a deck, login to Venture Capital Cross and navigate to this page: (registration required – for Accredited Investors only)

https://vccross.com/primary/antarctica-lost-civilization-documentary-film

DISCLAIMER: INVESTING IN PRIVATE PLACEMENTS IS HIGHLY RISKY, AND IS FOR SOPHISTOCATED, ACCREDITED INVESTORS ONLY.  FOR A FULL LIST OF RISKS, SEE THIS PAGE: https://vccross.com/risks 

VC Cross Portal open for Beta

We have been re-coding our platform and we are happy to announce the Venture Capital Cross investor portal is open in Beta mode – that means we are still testing and rolling out the new system, but users can open accounts.

In case you run into any snags we’ve setup support@vccross.com to help troubleshoot any issues.

Visit the portal @ vccross.com

Deal Flow First Look – Get First Look on Deal Flow in real time

Venture Capital Cross — 12/5/2023 — We are revamping our deal portal and optimizing our systems, and we have launched our first Deal Flow First Look list, where we will share bids and offers with our network of accredited counterparties.  We also will share company relevant news, for example if a company has announced a round that the market has been waiting for, and the occasional analysis report from major financial publications.  With the Open AI debacle, VCC has been exploring investment opportunities in Dataminr, Jasper AI (ECP Only), Cerebras, Automation Anywhere, and other established AI companies.

Sign up for our Deal Flow First Look list Typically 1 email a week, or 1 per month, or 5 per week, depending on market activity.  Cancel/Unsubscribe at any time.   Get deals before they hit the order book.

Let your startup fly – Invest in Paradigm Shift

Do you want to invest in the next big thing?  Venture Capital Cross offers investment opportunities in private markets, from seed to Unicorn.  We work on deals where there is a compelling argument for paradigm shift, whether that means disruptive technology, or something else.  In the case of Gab.com – they represent the only real catalyst for Free Speech which isn’t controlled by the Big Monopolies.

Gab.com is a Free Speech platform that is about to close down a successful Reg CF offering, minimum $330/usd (For non-accredited investors).  See more @ gab.vccross.com

Jump ahead of the crowd, ascend into your light-body.