The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has alerted the public on the activities of Property World Africa Network (PWAN), which holds itself out as a real estate investment company and solicits funds from the public for investment purposes through PWAN MAX.

In a statement on Tuesday, the SEC said PWAN/PWAN MAX are not registered either to solicit investments from the public or operate in any other capacity within the Nigerian capital market.

The SEC said investigations revealed that PWAN’s operations exhibit the typical indicators of a fraudulent Ponzi scheme, including the promise of unusually high returns and failure to honour withdrawal requests from subscribers.

“Accordingly, the public is strongly advised to be wary about investing with PWAN/PWAN MAX, as any person who places such investment with these entities, does so at his/her own risk.

“The commission similarly reminds potential investors of the need to verify the registration status of investment platforms via the commission’s dedicated portal: www.sec.gov.ng/cmos before transacting with them,” the SEC said.