A new investment program just launched on June 6 called Tradedfund.com and supposedly it is not like the other “HYIP” scams online. These are only our observations; we do not endorse or recommend any “hyip” programs. The final decision and risk taking is up to the investor.

“What we will provide you with is a steady and stable return of 7% monthly uncompounded. This allows 84% each year. Making your total profit of 252% in 36 months. These returns are based on 12 yearly payments. The term of investment is 3 years, after which you can WD your principle.” – TradedFund

It has to be noted that this new investment opportunity was started by former members of the PIPS Ponzi fiasco. One of the principals in this program is the admin and owner of the investing forum, ROLClub.com, which has been running for a few years. (Maybe after losing money in PIPS, they can do better.)

Keep in mind that because they have been scammed in previous “hyip” programs does not mean they will be successful in running their own investment fund. While it may give those that want to invest some comfort knowing that the program administrators have firsthand experiences of less than legitimate investments, it cannot be assumed that theirs will be legit either.

Even though the returns they are suggesting appear doable and not some outrageous pie in the sky numbers, it gives us pause as to how similar the site is to the common “hyip” scams. Here are some observations and questions we have:

1. “These returns are based on 12 yearly payments.” – We think they meant 12 monthly.

2. In the FAQs: Q: Do you have a referral program?
A: No, we currently do not offer a referral program. It is at our discretion whether or not we choose to offer a referral program in the future.

In “Cancelation” under the Rules:

“Any TradedFund member can cancel or terminate his/her Account(s) at any time and without any notice. This will mean that the member will no longer receive referral commissions but will continue to receive dividends as stipulated within the “Plan” until such time that the particular “Plan(s)” has/have reached maturity.”

So which is it, referrals or no referrals?

3. “It is what it is..” – We do not like the idea of not knowing where the investor’s money is going. The funds are being piggy backed on what they are investing in.

“We have been asked what OUR OWN “Personal & Private Portfolio” consists of, or even what we are ALREADY currently involved in ….. FIRST of all people, it is what it is ….. OUR OWN “Extremely PERSONAL & 100% PRIVATE Portfolio” !! However, this DOES vary, as it largely depends on what is available at any given moment in time !?! >”- TradedFund

4. Limited methods of deposit. At this time, it’s only Liberty Reserves.

5. In the FAQs: Q: Is Tradedfund Legal?
A: Legal and clean! Although every country has different views on foreign investments, TradedFund operates in a jurisdiction where it is 100% legal to manage private funds internationally. Again people, you must ALWAYS realize / understand the fact that YOUR funds SIMPLY “piggy-back” on our own “Personal & Private Portfolio”!! If you are unsure whether you are allowed to participate in your country, please ask a registered advisor of your rights to participate in private investments, private “Clubs”, funds and loan clubs (these are the categories it legally falls in).

We question that considering the site is hosted on 64.15.73.90 which through a reverse DNS shows as being in Canada. Securities laws in Canada are similar to those of the U.S. in regards to the management of investments for individuals, so caution should be taken here.

6. The use of “hyip” Monitors as a rating service is in poor taste with the all the negative history of such so called monitoring sites like Talkgold had with self promoting scammers rating their own sites to get more victims.

7. We are not sure how they can offer a “guarantee” that the principal is protected. If that is the case, then the investment is literally risk free. We have seen many programs that have claimed that or said a smart part of the investors funds was put into a second pool account for “safer” investments to protect or recover the principal in case of catastrophic losses. That turned out to be untrue in when the program collapsed.

If you have been burned one too many times already, ask yourself what makes this program any different from all the other “hyip” scams. Is it the faith and trust in the admin who have also lost money in the scams and finally wants to do something good for others?

There is a 50/50 chance here with this program. Either it does what it says or it will fail like the rest of them. A lot of people are going to try to “test” this investment with a minimum of $100. That is a safe gamble, however, 36 months is a long wait to get the total of your profits and principal back.

As always, do your due diligence and be prudent in your investments. We will see if they are still around in 3 years.

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