Beware of fake VC scams

This scene is extremely infuriating. Well - known VC/PE institutions have been impersonated by criminals, who use the bait of high - return investments to carry out fraud. This not only causes numerous individuals to lose all their capital but may also make the impersonated institutions become the scapegoats, with their business reputations being affected.

Since last November, a so - called investment app named "Qiming Venture Partners QMVP" has been spreading in some communities. It claims to offer "a 15% return in 4 days" and "a 2% daily interest on the current deposit", attracting many deceived individuals. However, this seemingly well - known institution's platform is actually a tool for criminals to conduct illegal fundraising and illegally absorb public deposits under the guise of the well - known VC institution, Qiming Venture Partners. The amount involved in the suspected fraud is huge.

Since January 2025, Qiming Venture Partners has issued official and solemn statements three times on its WeChat official account and official website, clearly stating that it has never launched any official app. Such platforms are all frauds by criminals using its name. Qiming Venture Partners has reported the matter to relevant departments. "Private equity funds only raise funds from specific qualified investors." Qiming Venture Partners reminds investors and entrepreneurs to stay vigilant, distinguish between the true and the false, and avoid property losses.

Qiming Venture Partners is Impersonated

This is a typical case of brand - impersonation fraud.

Criminals precisely selected the well - known venture capital institution, Qiming Venture Partners, as the object to be imitated. They organized a "Ponzi scheme" and induced users to top up through an app named "OKX". Then, they asked users to conduct investment activities on their forged "Qiming Venture Partners (QMVP)" app, telling them that "this is a private equity fund, and you can invest on this app. The principal and interest will be returned together after a certain period."

During this period, criminals induced users to conduct "investment activities" and set extremely high rates of return, which is suspected of violating relevant laws and regulations.

Since the name and logo of this fake app are exactly the same as the abbreviation and logo of Qiming Venture Partners, and it also steals information such as Qiming Venture Partners' website and investment cases in its promotional materials, creating an illusion of "relying on a big tree".

Through this fake fraud app using Qiming Venture Partners' name, criminals carry out so - called "daily tasks" and "fun games", and recruit potential individual participants to provide investment advice and investment project services, thus making profits through illegal fundraising. According to information provided by deceived individuals, the cumulative amount involved in this fake app is huge.

In fact, as a professional private equity investment institution, Qiming Venture Partners only provides services to qualified investors and has never developed an app for the general public.

Since the beginning of this year, Qiming Venture Partners has also issued official statements several times, stating that Qiming Venture Partners has no official app, does not have customer service personnel for end - consumers, and has never operated or authorized any third - party to operate any third - party website or the "Qiming Venture Partners" app.

However, criminals are rampant, and posts like "Qiming Venture Partners is about to run away" frequently appear on social platforms, attracting public attention. All these have seriously damaged Qiming Venture Partners' business reputation.

More urgently, according to information verified from multiple channels, the aforementioned fake app has entered the final "harvest stage", causing countless deceived individuals to face huge property losses.

In response, in the past nearly a year, Qiming Venture Partners has tried to file complaints, appeals, and reports through multiple channels several times, and has done its best to dissuade the public who sent private messages to the back - end of its WeChat official account. At the same time, Qiming Venture Partners has continuously stated that it has no legal or commercial relationship with the above - mentioned infringement acts, has reported the matter to relevant departments, and reserves the right to pursue the legal liability of criminals.

Stay Vigilant

In recent years, the phenomenon of impersonating VC/PE institutions to commit fraud has become increasingly severe. According to incomplete statistics from the investment community, at least 20 VC/PE institutions have issued solemn statements about "impersonators", including well - known institutions such as IDG Capital, CDH Investments, GGV Capital, Northern Light Venture Capital, BlueRun Ventures, and Jiahua Capital.

After sorting out, it is not difficult to find the pattern of this fraud: using the reputation and aura of well - known and legitimate VC/PE institutions for packaging and carrying out targeted fraud.

A friend from a law firm reminded that when encountering such incidents, victims should call the police immediately. According to experience, cases such as soliciting members in the name of a legitimate institution, providing securities investment analysis and prediction advice, or acting on behalf of clients in securities investment and financial management activities; using insider information and "limit - up stocks" as bait to collect membership fees and consultation fees; impersonating professionals to recommend stocks and launching fake "stock - recommendation software" to induce investors to invest money are not uncommon and are all key targets for crackdown.

However, it is distressing that this "imposter" fraud method has become more and more deceptive with technological development, subtly affecting the reputation of the entire VC/PE industry.

"In recent years, many illegal fundraisings have been carried out under the guise of equity investment, creating a bad impression: illegal fundraising = P2P = asset management = funds = VC/PE." An industry insider is quite helpless about this. "The impact is extremely bad, and some LPs may develop a stereotyped impression and stay away from this industry."

For individual investors, this also has great warning significance. For any investment opportunities that have not been actively verified and come from non - official channels, especially those that sound "too good to be true", the best way to deal with them is: don't easily believe, don't transfer money, verify first, and protect your property safety. Once you suspect that you have been defrauded, report it to the public security organs in time.

It's still the simple truth: there is no free lunch.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Investment Community" (ID: pedaily2012), written by Zhou Jiali and published by 36Kr with authorization.