Scam websites continue to target unsuspecting consumers, with Annoushka standing out for its dual approach: operating as a Ponzi scheme and exploiting the identity of a legitimate jewellery company.
This analysis delves into the Annoushka scam (annoushka-b2c.com), highlighting its false promises of high returns and its use of the brand identity of the real Annoushka Jewellery based in London, UK.
This is consistent with a pattern seen across a network of Trouva-linked scams that impersonate legitimate companies to gain credibility.
The Deceptive Structure of the Annoushka scam: Unrealistic Returns and Referral Schemes
The Annoushka scam markets itself as a jewellery retail investment platform, claiming users can earn income by purchasing products. Promotional materials circulating on social media detail specific returns based on jewellery purchases, such as:
- Earrings priced at R110, promising a daily income of R4.84 over 45 days, totalling R217.80.
- Items priced at R580, with a daily income of R26.1 over 46 days, projecting R1200.60 in returns.
- More expensive pieces priced at R1160, offering a daily income of R53.36 over 47 days, promising a total of R2507.92.
These returns are blatantly unrealistic and financially unsustainable. Such promises are common in Ponzi schemes, where early investors are paid using funds from new recruits rather than any genuine business revenue.
The marketing materials attempt to lure in users with the prospect of easy, passive income. The short validity periods (45-48 days) create a sense of urgency, pressing users to invest quickly without questioning the long-term sustainability.
Referral Incentives: The Hallmark of a Ponzi Scheme
Screenshots from the Annoushka scam platform show a user dashboard that reinforces the illusion of daily income, displaying a “Receive” button for users to collect their supposed earnings.
This is designed to give users a sense of ongoing profitability. Beyond product-based income, the Annoushka scam also pushes a multi-level referral programme:
- The first referral earns a bonus of R5.
- Subsequent referrals yield R10, R20, and additional bonuses, encouraging users to recruit more participants.
- Another promotional offer promises an extra 5% bonus on new members’ first purchases, further incentivising recruitment.
These referral bonuses indicate that the Annoushka scam depends not on product sales, but on continual recruitment—classic Ponzi structure traits, where users’ returns come from the investments of newer members.
Additionally, a note in the marketing materials warns that “when the company releases other referral benefits, this benefit will be automatically cancelled,” suggesting that Annoushka reserves the right to arbitrarily change the terms, another red flag.
Identity Theft: The Annoushka scam in the Trouva-Linked Scam Network
The Annoushka scam’s strategy of misappropriating a legitimate company’s identity is not isolated. This tactic aligns with the broader Trouva-linked scam network, which consistently impersonates reputable brands to deceive consumers. For example:
- Trouva Scam: Websites like trouva-o2o.com and trouva-c2c.com were designed to mimic the real UK-based e-commerce platform Trouva (trouva.com). By co-opting Trouva’s name and likeness, these scams attempted to present themselves as trustworthy.
- Centamin Scam: This scheme used domains like cm-gold.com, centamin-za.com, ctmza.com, centa-xty.com, centamin-sa.com, and cmin-lw.com to impersonate the well-known mining company Centamin (centamin.com), headquartered in Jersey, Channel Islands. By leveraging Centamin’s name and industry affiliation, these sites targeted investors with false promises of mining-related returns.
In the case of the Annoushka scam, the scammers have stolen the identity of Annoushka Jewellery in London, UK (annoushka.com).
They copied the brand name and logo to mislead potential customers into believing they are purchasing from a reputable company.
This is evident in promotional images and logos that mimic those of the legitimate brand, creating a false sense of legitimacy.
Lack of Registration and Financial Regulation Compliance
It also goes without saying that the Annoushka scam is not a registered South African company, nor is it registered with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) as a Financial Services Provider.
Despite advertising “investment services” and promising high returns, it has no official authorisation to offer such services within South Africa.
We checked, and there is no record of Annoushka with the FSCA or any relevant South African regulatory authority. This lack of registration further supports the conclusion that this platform is a fraudulent operation.
Key Indicators of the Annoushka scam
Several red flags indicate that the Annoushka scam is operating as part of a larger fraudulent network:
- Identity Theft: The use of a reputable company’s name, logo, and industry positioning to gain consumer trust.
- Guaranteed High Returns: Promises of fixed daily earnings, which are financially unsustainable and a hallmark of Ponzi schemes.
- Aggressive Referral Incentives: A structure heavily reliant on recruiting new members to sustain the payout model, without any tangible business operations.
- False Claims of Partnership and Profits: The Annoushka scam claims users become “partners” and receive 30-50% of profits, but there is no transparency about how these profits are generated.
The Annoushka scam exemplifies a broader pattern of fraudulent schemes that exploit the reputation of legitimate brands to lure in victims.
By appropriating the identity of reputable companies like Annoushka Jewellery and mimicking Ponzi structures seen in other Trouva-linked scams, this platform poses a serious risk to consumers seeking investment opportunities.
Potential investors are encouraged to thoroughly vet any platform before investing and to verify the legitimacy of any online company through official websites.
Avoiding platforms like the Annoushka scam can prevent financial losses and help curb the spread of such scams.
If you come across similar schemes or have been affected by this type of fraud, report it to the relevant authorities for further investigation.
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