SmartCharts.net: Promises and illusions of a guaranteed gain?

Financial Fraud Lawyers has investigated on the business and commercial model of SmartCharts Ltd and its linked entities and trading platforms. Is there a deliberate canvassing of individuals doing the trading training by related platforms? 

(i) SmartCharts: The Trading “Training” 

(a) Theoretical presentation

Smartcharts.net is an online platform offering its users training in trading and speculative financial markets as well as a technical analysis tool. The platform is operated by SmartCharts Ltd, a company registered in Malta under the number C64170. The SmartCharts technology was created and developed by Gregory John Secker, a self-described trader and professional educator. 

In short, the service offered by smartcharts is related to learning how to invest in Forex, Crypto and other financial products available for trading. Reasonably, SmartCharts users can expect qualitative educational content, depending on the service that has been promoted to them. In addition, the initial training package available for purchase costs $3999, or just over €3700.

(b) Practical presentation

However, the suggestion that SmartCharts can also be used for practical trading is noticeable in several respects. This is done through multiple readings, such as “access to the trading platform” seen in the previous screenshot. We can therefore ask ourselves, which trading platform? What exactly is being mentioned? We may reasonably doubt whether it is legal to promote this type of non-transparent information that can be misleading. 

This scheme of action is based on the possible denial of the meaning of the terms used by and on the platform. In short, this technique involves the use of imprecise terms, modal verbs, and the use of the conditional. This seems to be reinforced by the terms of use of SmartCharts, in which it is vaguely mentioned that the information and data of the platform’s users may be shared with third parties:

All of this tells us that SmartCharts relies on third parties to sell its educational content, while using these potentially confusing terms. In a way, it seems as if a special effort was made to allow for this plurality of meanings. One can wonder if SmartCharts is not intended to identify individuals new to trading for specific canvassing and targeting purposes.

(ii) A specific business model for professorship

(a) SmartCharts, Capital Index, Learn to Trade and other related entities

The SmartCharts terms and conditions of use, as mentioned earlier, cite two other entities that presumably have a practical function in the execution of the platform’s services. Learn to Trade would provide educational programs while Capital Index would provide access to a demo trading platform. 

Looking at Learn to Trade and Capital Index, there is an affiliation between Greg Secker, the founder of SmartCharts and the two companies where he is, among others, a director. Here is a diagram showing the links between Greg Secker’s companies:

Simply put, Greg Secker controls Learn to Trade as well as the parent company that owns Capital Index (UK) Ltd. He is also a director of all the entities mentioned, which are in the financial investment business. This shows a certain amount of experience, although according to OpenCorporates, most of Secker’s related businesses are now inactive.

It is therefore clear that Learn to Trade and Capital Index (UK) Ltd are not simply third parties facilitating SmartCharts. On the contrary, given the common thread between all these companies, one may wonder whether there are other issues, administrative for example, that would justify the use of such third parties. 

For example, would there be a deliberate referral of individuals training to trade with SmartCharts to platforms operated by entities owned by Greg Secker, such as capitalindex.com? It is well mentioned on the Capital Index’ platform that they support Secker and the entities he owns: 

In other words, individuals who decide to learn how to trade with SmartCharts could have their information passed on to existing platforms for investing money, especially those owned by Secker. SmartChart would then be a simple tool to identify novice individuals interested in trading. 

For your information, although capitalindex.com claims to be a platform regulated by the relevant financial authorities (it actually mentions the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority) and dully registered, it should be noted that CySEC indicates a “voluntary termination” of its license. 

This significantly reduces the protection of consumers investing on this platform. One wonders what the consequences of such a situation would be for a novice investor using capitalindex.com for the sole reason that the platform was recommended to him after his trading education. 

It also signifies that the approved domain capitalindex.com/eu, for European residents under the guardianship of CySEC, is no longer a working platform. As a matter of fact, the website is unreachable, which theoretically means that European citizens are not allowed, nor do they have access anymore to the dedicated platform. 

(b) A hefty price tag for educational content

If we take into consideration the testimonies of our clients who have had a dispute with SmartCharts, we also notice a tendency to sell a deceptive product. Indeed, according to the testimony and experience of one of our clients, SmartCharts would have encouraged him to deposit around £50K for what he thought was a fund dedicated to trading practice. In the end, this money did not allow him to trade: it was an additional amount of money to access more educational content. 

However, in our client’s experience, the purchase of this additional content was not offered in a clear and transparent manner: he did not decide to spend all his savings on trading lessons; he felt that the £50K was both his education and part of his future investment. So, when SmartCharts representatives suggested that he bring in an additional amount of money for trading, our client expressed his wish to withdraw the £50K he had already deposited from the platform. 

According to him, when he asked for the £50K back, which he mistakenly thought he could use for trading, SmartChart representatives explained that the £50K was for the purchase of educational content and that if he wanted to trade, he would have to deposit additional funds. Our client then turned to our network of law firms for legal representation in his dispute: is there any way to recover his lost funds?

(iii) SmartCharts: User Reviews

Looking at the opinions of SmartCharts users on various forums and networks, there is a tendency to distrust the system due to the dishonest experience of those who wanted to learn how to trade. Like our client, many users have complained about the lack of both quantity and quality of educational content. 

The Quora forum also hosts a discussion page dedicated to Greg Secker and the possibility that he employs non-transparent or even fraudulent trading techniques.

Here is the link: https://www.quora.com/Is-Greg-Secker-a-scammer

The information collected online therefore shows a tendency to scam when it comes to the quality of the educational content offered, but also regarding the specific allocation of the money deposited. Does SmartCharts offer trading or not? 

Disclaimer:

The Financial Fraud Lawyers network aims to inform private investors (traders) of potential malpractices by Forex and CFD brokers. Our mission is to assist and protect traders when they encounter brokerage practices that go against their interests. 

Our articles are intended to warn, share and inform the public about the legal risks of Forex and its players. Trading financial products and CFDs as well as investing on online platforms carry legal risks. 

The article was written in good faith, based on public information and client testimonials valid at the time of publication. Our articles concern the protection of the interests of individuals on online investment platforms and are published in accordance with our right to inform the public about our activity. This article is not to be considered legal advice.