Scam Warning: Del Mar Energy

Scam Investment Website

Del Mar Energy has had a series of investment websites (some of which have been shut down). Investment websites may have broken links, forged certificates, questionable details, an unverifiable address, and/or no social media presence. They may include positive reviews or celebrity endorsements - do not blindly trust these as they are easily and often faked. While Del Mar Energy does have social media presence, their websites have several concerning elements.

Listed Address:

Del Mar Energy's address listed on their website is: United States Express Business Center1500 Marilla St, Dallas, TX. 

This is the address of Dallas City Hall. There are no registered businesses at this location. It is a government building which houses the Express Business Center, a division of the Office of Procurement Services, that assists City departments, government employees and the public with printing, mailing, and notary services. 

Falsified Certificates:

Scam investment companies often use fake business licenses or certificates to deceive potential victims into believing they are a legitimate and regulated business. The scam Del Mar Energy company has created several fake certificates, some of which we’ve linked below. These certificates are viewable directly on the website or presented to victims to help legitimize the company.

Del Mar Energy has edited the California State License Board document to create a fraudulent one for a State of Texas Business license. Shown above, the signatures presented on the California license were copied to the Texas one.

One of their posted certificates is stamped by Vanuatu, a small island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean. We searched the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission for anything registered as Del Mar Energy, but found no results.

Promises of “Risk-Free” or “Guaranteed” Profits

Legitimate investments always carry some level of risk. Del Mar Energy guarantees 1% and up to 5% daily returns. Daily returns like this are unrealistic and cannot be guaranteed.

Tiered Plans

Investment scam websites like Del Mar Energy often use tiered plans, each presented with promises of different levels of returns, special privileges, or exclusive opportunities designed to appeal to the victim's desire for greater rewards.In Del Mar Energy’s case, they offer investment opportunities in different “projects” so victims feel like they’re investing in something real. Some of their projects include road repairs, installation of production equipment, field development, construction of bridges and railways construction, pipelines and sewers, power plants, installation of thermal power units, steel production, coal mining, recycling secondary raw materials, and more. Some projects require a buy in as little as $112 where others require investments in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Scammers may encourage the victim to start with a lower-tier plan, telling them they will have total control of their account and can withdraw their money whenever they want. Some of the more sophisticated scams like Del Mar Energy will actually let the victim withdraw money to build trust, whether it’s their own funds or money stolen from another victim. Over time, they will pressure them to "upgrade" to a better plan to guarantee greater financial gains. If the victim complies, the cycle often continues, with the victim sinking more and more money into the scam, believing they are getting closer to the promised rewards.

These plans are designed to create a false sense of control and choice, making victims believe they are investing at a level that suits their needs or expertise. In reality, the tiered options are purely deceptive - there’s no difference in the opportunities offered; they are designed to convince victims that they’re making informed decisions and progressing toward success when they’re simply being manipulated.

Stolen Documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Investment scammers may give incorrect or falsified contact details including addresses, telephone numbers and emails. They may change these contact details over time. Others, like in the case of Del Mar Energy, may also give you details that belong to another business or individual so the information looks genuine

Del Mar Energy is posing as a legitimate investment company focused on projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors. They are impersonating a defunct company with the same name as well as the former CEO that is still actively registered in Texas according to Texas Secretary of State records.

The last filing of the legitimate Del Mar Energy company with the SEC was in 2016. The scammers impersonating Del Mar Energy will provide victims with the outdated filings from the legitimate company they are impersonating: Del Mar SEC Filings 

If asked about the outdated filings, their support will inform you that the company has since gone private and no longer need to update the SEC listing. However, when a company decides to go private, it files a Form 15 with the SEC to terminate or suspend its registration and reporting obligations. This form is recorded in the SEC's system and publicly available, but a search of the SEC records shows that no such form exists.

Improper Communication Channels

Some investment scammers avoid direct communication over the phone, preferring to use messaging platforms like Telegram or WhatsApp. Scammers prefer these platforms to avoid detection and carefully control conversations. 

Del Mar Energy's website suggests using Telegram to talk with investment technical support agents. No legitimate investment firm is ever going to use WhatsApp or Telegram for communication.