Belgium Financial Services and Markets Authority warns against five alternative investment firms targeting wine energy and real estate

The Belgium Financial Services and Markets Authority has warned the public against five companies offering alternative investments in the wine, energy and real estate sectors. The regulator said these offers are often marketed as exclusive, highly profitable opportunities and may include promises of high returns or guarantees while downplaying the risks, even though investors could lose all or part of their money. The warning names Beit Capital Advisor clone, Core Asset Wealth Management, Financière FVS, JMBE Finances and Kelenn Finance. The FSMA said such schemes often rely on growing retail interest in assets such as wine, renewable energy or commodities, and foreign or fractional real estate projects, even though the underlying value can be hard to verify and projected returns may be unrealistic. It highlighted recurring red flags including unsolicited contact, claims of a unique or time-limited opportunity, pressure to invest quickly, weak disclosure on risks and costs, problems withdrawing capital, and requests to send funds to overseas bank accounts or to entities with no clear link to the promoter. The regulator urged consumers to check whether a firm is authorized to provide investment services, treat promises of high earnings or guarantees with caution, avoid making decisions under pressure and look for independent information on the company and its directors.