The message looks harmless. Someone in a chat offers Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor, a well-known finance title, or a zip of “video lessons” from famous educators — free, no pressure, just being helpful. The next step is a private chat, a “mentor”, and a platform that needs a deposit. Variants swap in other respectable book names or course brands; the payload is the same.
Real readers share PDFs without asking for your passport and a funded account. Scam crews use the book as social proof: you already trust the author, so you relax when the stranger pivots to “I also use this broker”. Urgency, guaranteed returns and remote-access tools follow. Treat unsolicited “I’ll send materials” DMs as cold outreach. If you want the book, buy or borrow it yourself. If you want a broker, open only firms you verified independently — not ones that arrived attached to a PDF.
If this sounds familiar, start at Get help. If someone is already selling a paid “fix”, read Fake recovery before you send another fee.
This article is for general information only. It is not legal or financial advice. Details change. If you have lost money, contact your bank or card issuer and use the routes on the help pages.