What began as a sleek new investment firm promising security and lucrative returns has quickly unravelled into what investigators and experts are now calling a likely coordinated financial fraud targeting everyday investors.
Harbour Investment Partners, which trades under the legal name Harbour FX Pty Ltd, has cultivated the appearance of legitimacy: a corporate address in Sydney’s iconic Barangaroo Towers, a professionally designed website, and claims of experienced financial guidance. But beneath this polished exterior lies a growing body of evidence suggesting a deliberate scheme to deceive retail investors — and quietly disappear.
A Company That Appeared Overnight
Harbour Investment Partners made its first public appearance on September 20, 2024, through a press release tied to the domain harbourinvestmentpartners.com.au. That domain is now offline.
There were no prior mentions of the company in financial publications, no archived business records, and no social media activity. Within weeks, the domain vanished — leaving behind no digital footprint except a wave of concerned investors and a handful of disjointed domains.
Paid Client Success Stories
Adding to the deception, Harbour Investment Partners hosts a dedicated “testimonials” site at testimonials.harbourinvestmentspartners.com — a domain populated entirely by paid actors posing as satisfied investors.
These video endorsements, which cost only a few hundred Australian dollars to produce, are designed to fabricate trust and mislead viewers into believing in the legitimacy of the scheme. What credible investment firm relies on paid performers instead of real clients?
The tactic is not just deceptive — it’s deeply unethical. The actors featured can be found offering their services on platforms like Fiverr, including OldManSteve, Laura C, and BookReviewsStew. These fabricated testimonials further confirm the operation’s intention to manipulate and defraud investors under the guise of legitimacy.
A Trail of Domains and Dead Ends
Rather than establish a clear and consistent online identity, Harbour FX has cycled through a maze of domains, including:
harbour-fx.com.auharbourinvestmentpartners.com.auharbourplatform.com.auharbourinvestmentpartners.net- testimonials.harbourinvestmentspartners.com/
- harbourinvestmentspartners.com
Most of these are now inactive or return hosting errors. Experts say this “domain churn” is a hallmark of digital fraud, used to frustrate search engine indexing, avoid regulatory scrutiny, and eliminate traces of complaints or negative reviews.
Subdomain Sprawl, AI Staff, and a Suspicious Infrastructure
Further technical analysis reveals a troubling pattern: dozens of subdomains tied to a narrow range of IP addresses, likely deployed through automation. These include cpanel.harbour-fx.com.au, whm.harbour-fx.com.au, and similarly structured URLs across affiliated domains.
But it’s not just the web infrastructure that raises red flags. On the business platform Crunchbase, Harbour FX lists 17 employees — none of whom appear in public records. Their profile pictures? Almost certainly AI-generated.
More crucially, none of these individuals are listed on ASIC’s Financial Advisers Register (FAR) — a regulatory requirement for anyone offering advice to retail investors in Australia.
The Director at the Center of It All
At the helm of Harbour FX is Jeffrey Joseph Triganza, whose name is attached to company registration documents but absent from mainstream finance circles. Under his direction, the company has reportedly accepted investor funds without the proper authorisation, issued unlicensed financial advice, and operated without any visible compliance infrastructure.
Legal experts warn that these actions represent severe breaches of ASIC regulations and strongly indicate that the company is functioning as a fraudulent entity under the guise of legitimacy.
Not Licensed to Sell or Advise
Although Harbour FX operates under AFSL №510097, this licence is not their own. It is held by Red Leaf Securities Pty Ltd, who authorise Harbour FX as a representative. According to ASIC records, Harbour FX is not authorised to:
- Provide personal financial advice
- Hold or manage client money
- Offer or sell financial products (e.g., bonds) directly to retail clients
Any marketing claims or investment solicitations that overstep these permissions are not only misleading — they are illegal.
Who Bears Responsibility?
According to Australian regulations, licensees must supervise their authorised representatives. That puts the spotlight on Red Leaf Securities Pty Ltd, whose CEO, John Athanasiou, is now likely to face questions about oversight.
Anyone who believes they were misled by Harbour FX or Harbour Investment Partners should contact the license holder directly:
Red Leaf Securities Pty Ltd
AFSL: 510097
📍 Level 2, 234 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
📞 (02) 8318 4300
📧 client.services@redleafsecurities.com
Regulators Urge Caution
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has not issued a public warning yet, but individuals close to the matter say a formal investigation is likely imminent.
For now, financial experts urge investors to exercise extreme caution.
“Everything about this points to a deliberate and professional scam,” said one former regulatory auditor. “The signs are all there — fake staff, rapid domain rotation, no traceable business history, and unlicensed activities. If you’re thinking of investing with them, don’t.”
How to Protect Yourself
- Always verify a firm’s AFSL and its authorised activities directly through ASIC.
- Be wary of pressure sales tactics, promises of guaranteed returns, or anonymous teams.
- Report suspicious activity directly via: asic.gov.au/report-misconduct
Harbour Investment Partners may have presented itself as a rising star in Australia’s investment scene, but all evidence points to a sophisticated, compliance-free operation built to deceive and disappear. In an industry built on trust, this operation serves as a stark reminder: the glossier the pitch, the closer you should look.
harbour-fx-scam.com 
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