ISLANDERS are being urged to ignore an online scam which uses a fake JEP news story in an attempt to encourage readers to visit a website and disclose their personal details to a “concerning” cryptocurrency trading platform.
Social-media posts have started appearing on users’ feeds with links to a fake JEP homepage featuring the false news story, which describes legal action by the Jersey Financial Services Commission against Jersey resident Simon Nixon, a billionaire who founded consumer website moneysupermarket.com.
The coverage focuses on an interview given to the Real Business website by Mr Nixon regarding an online investment platform, but in reality there was no interview, no legal action by the JFSC and the story was never published by this newspaper.
As soon as readers are asked to click on another part of the site, they are redirected to a cryptocurrency trading platform.
Another fake article about Jersey’s Superman film star reads: “Henry Cavill didn’t know the microphone was on, we say goodbye to him forever.”
JEP editor Andy Sibcy said he believed it was likely those behind the scam had sought to lend credibility to their efforts by fabricating a link from a long-established news source.
“Scams have become far much more sophisticated these days, and making a link to a trusted news provider that’s been around since 1890 is the latest way of encouraging unwary Islanders to give away their personal details,” he said.
“Anyone who’s in doubt should look at the JEP – either the traditional printed version or the online edition – or on our website, for which stories are linked via our official social media sites on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.”
A police spokesperson said: “The best way to stay safe is to make sure that you don’t click on any links and even if you do click on links or are drawn in to something, then make sure you do not give out your personal details or your bank details or any credit card details.
“If something sounds too good to be true it often is and remember, get-rich-quick schemes invariably don’t work.”
The JFSC issued a statement to highlight that “all representations made in respect of the JFSC within the advertisement are false”.
The online platform which users are redirected to is for a cryptocurrency trader called Nearest Edge.
Little information about Nearest Edge is available, prompting a warning from Prateek Arora, a writer with the online news provider Techopedia.
In an article published on 22 August, Mr Arora wrote that “significant transparency issues exist, as key details about the platform remain undisclosed”.
He added: “While there is no direct evidence to categorise Nearest Edge as a scam, the lack of transparency and verification raises concerns.”
