BJM Recovery Ltd

Documented Case

GPay Ltd

An online cryptocurrency trading platform that attracted clients using fabricated celebrity endorsements. Nearly £1.5m of client funds were lost and the company was wound up in the public interest.

Investment type
Cryptocurrency trading platform
Documented investor losses
Nearly £1.5m of client funds (Insolvency Service)
Date / period
Wound up 23 June 2020
Relevant organisation
The Insolvency Service / High Court
Nature of the matter
Insolvency — wound up in the public interest
All case studies

Background

GPay Ltd operated an online cryptocurrency and trading platform marketed to UK consumers, largely through online and social media advertising.

The advertising used fabricated endorsements from well-known public figures, including a false association with the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com.

What investors were promised

Consumers were told they could achieve returns through a credible, apparently endorsed cryptocurrency trading platform.

How the scheme operated

Clients deposited funds into trading accounts on the platform. The Insolvency Service investigation found the company could not adequately account for how client money had been used.

What happened to investors

Clients were unable to recover deposited funds. Nearly £1.5m of client money was lost.

Insolvency and legal developments

GPay Ltd was wound up in the public interest in the High Court on 23 June 2020 following an Insolvency Service investigation.

What the case demonstrates

Fabricated celebrity endorsement remains one of the most effective techniques used in cryptoasset fraud, and appears repeatedly in matters shut down by the authorities.

Key Lesson

Endorsements in online advertising are frequently fabricated. Verification should come from the FCA Register, not from the advertisement.

Source & Further Information

These case studies summarise matters recorded in public sources including FCA publications, Insolvency Service and Serious Fraud Office material on GOV.UK, court judgments and the Companies House register. They are provided for information only, are not legal advice, and do not describe work carried out by BJM Recovery Ltd for any client. Where an investigation or set of proceedings remains open, the position stated is the position recorded at the date of the cited source.

BJM Recovery Ltd

How We Approach Investment Loss Cases

Every investment recovery matter is assessed individually. The circumstances of the investment, the available evidence, the parties involved and the applicable recovery process will determine the appropriate course of action.

Our starting point in any matter is the documentation. We reconstruct the investment chronologically from agreements, payment records, statements, correspondence and marketing material, and we establish precisely which entities and individuals were involved at each stage, and in what capacity.

We then examine what is on the public record: the Companies House position, any insolvency appointments, regulatory publications, enforcement action and court proceedings. Public records frequently determine which routes remain open, whether that is a creditor claim in an insolvency, a claim against a regulated party in the advice or pension chain, participation in a distribution administered by a regulator, or civil proceedings.

Where a matter has been formally referred to us, we deal with the referring organisation directly and work within the process that applies to that referral.

If you have lost money through an investment that has failed, become insolvent or stopped communicating, we can review the information available and set out the position clearly.

Have you experienced something similar?

Investment losses can be complex and every situation is different. If you have lost money through an investment that has failed, become insolvent or stopped communicating, our team can assess the information available and discuss the potential next steps.

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