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How offer scams work, and how to not lose your money

Every big listing brings out people selling access to something they do not have.

The pattern is always the same

A major offer gets announced. Within days, accounts appear promising guaranteed allocations, pre-IPO shares at a discount, or a group buy where you send money to one person.

None of that is how a public offer works. Allocation is not something anybody can sell you.

Signals that it is fake

Guaranteed returns. Pressure to act within hours. Payment to a personal account. A channel not named in the offer document. A price different from the published offer price.

Also: anyone claiming a relationship with the company that the company itself has not announced.

The one habit that protects you

Before money moves, confirm the channel against the regulator's register or the exchange's own list. Two minutes of checking, every single time, regardless of who sent you the link.

That includes links from us. Verify independently.

The one thing to remember

Nobody can sell you a guaranteed allocation. If they say they can, that is the scam.

Education, not advice

Swagga MONEY is journalism and education. SwaggaLIVE is not a broker, a dealer or a financial adviser, does not sell shares, does not take orders and does not receive commission on anything covered here. Confirm every figure and every channel against the official offer document, the exchange and your national regulator before you move money. Investing carries the risk of losing what you put in.