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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Verdict: avoid Pearson Investments. Pearson Investments / Pearson Investments LLC, associated with pearson-investments.com, is listed by Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) as an unlicensed entity. The SFC also says the company was not located at the Hong Kong address it supplied.
That is not the profile of a legitimate regulated broker. An Australian warning also records that the business made unsolicited investment-related approaches and did not hold an Australian financial-services or credit licence. Based on those verified findings, Pearson Investments should be treated as an unauthorized, high-risk investment operation with strong scam indicators.
Is Pearson Investments a scam or a legitimate broker?
Pearson Investments is not supported by a current regulatory authorization record in the evidence reviewed. The decisive warning comes from the Hong Kong SFC alert list, which identifies “Pearson Investments / Pearson Investments LLC” under Unlicensed entities.
The alert names www.pearson-investments.com and says the company claimed a Hong Kong address but “is not located there.” The company’s claimed regulatory status also conflicts with the SFC’s record: archived material attributed to Pearson Investments said it was licensed by the SFC, while the regulator classified the entity as unlicensed.
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No review can prove what happened in every individual transaction or establish that every person using the name acted together. However, the regulator’s warning is sufficient reason not to deposit money, buy securities through the firm or rely on its claimed authorization.
Regulatory warnings against Pearson Investments
| Regulator or source | Finding | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission | Pearson Investments / Pearson Investments LLC listed as an unlicensed entity; claimed Hong Kong address was not its actual location. | April 7, 2017 |
| Australian warning record reproducing an ASIC finding | Unsolicited calls or emails about investing, financial advice, credit or loans; no current Australian Financial Services licence or Australian Credit licence. | August 23, 2019 |
The Australian record is reproduced by Delisted.com.au. It should be read as a record of the reported ASIC warning, not as a substitute for checking ASIC’s current registers.
What the SFC warning says
The SFC alert connects the business with the domain pearson-investments.com and lists three claimed locations:
- Floor 23, Billion Plaza 2, No. 10 Cheung Yue Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- Wall Street Executive Center, Suite 33, 44 Wall Street, New York City, New York 10005
- 15F 16 Hiroshima High Building, 3-1 Kanayama-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-0022
The key point is not that a firm listed offices in several countries. It is that the SFC specifically stated the company was not located at the Hong Kong address it gave. A prestigious address, serviced-office name or international telephone number does not prove that a brokerage exists, holds client assets or has permission to provide investment services.
The SFC advises investors to deal only with licensed entities and to verify firms through its Public Register of Licensed Persons and Registered Institutions. The warning was published in 2017, but it remains available on the SFC’s current website. Its age does not prove that Pearson Investments later became authorized. Any claim of later licensing would need to be checked against the regulator’s current register using the exact legal name, website and contact details.
The company’s claimed SFC licence was not substantiated
Archived material attributed to Pearson Investments described Pearson Investments L.L.C. as an independent limited-liability company incorporated under Hong Kong law and licensed by the SFC. That claim is contradicted by the official SFC alert, which lists Pearson Investments / Pearson Investments LLC as unlicensed.
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The accurate way to describe the record is therefore:
Pearson Investments’ claimed SFC authorization was not substantiated; the SFC instead listed the entity as unlicensed.
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A company’s claimed legal structure is not the same as regulatory authorization. Incorporation, registration of a business name or use of a limited-liability designation does not give a firm permission to broker securities, provide investment advice or solicit clients in a particular country.
Reported sales approaches and investment offers
A 2017 discussion on ScamWarners contains user reports from people who said Pearson representatives contacted them and offered purported shares in companies including Snapchat and SpaceX. These are allegations from a forum, not regulator-confirmed transaction records, so they should not be presented as proof that every reported investment was fictitious.
One poster said representatives explained that a SpaceX share sale was delayed because of block-size requirements. A forum moderator responded that ordinary public investors generally could not buy SpaceX shares through the claimed arrangement at that time. That exchange is historical and independently unverified. It is best treated as a warning sign requiring scrutiny, not as a definitive finding about every customer or transaction.
Even without relying on those reports, the SFC’s unlicensed-entity listing and address finding make Pearson Investments unsuitable for anyone looking for a regulated broker.
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Why the lack of authorization matters
Regulation is not a guarantee that an investment will make money. It does, however, establish who is permitted to provide the service and which rules, disclosures, capital requirements, complaint channels and investor protections may apply.
When a firm is not authorized, an investor may have difficulty determining:
- Who legally holds the money or securities
- Whether client funds are segregated
- Whether the quoted securities actually exist
- Which regulator can investigate the conduct
- Whether a compensation or dispute-resolution scheme applies
The SFC warns that dealing with an entity that is not licensed by the SFC may leave investors without the protection of Hong Kong’s regulatory framework. The same basic principle applies elsewhere: check the regulator in the country where the firm claims to operate and verify the exact entity, not merely a similar company name.
Claims that should not be confused with evidence
“Pearson Investments was licensed by the Hong Kong SFC”
Not supported. The official SFC record identifies Pearson Investments / Pearson Investments LLC as an unlicensed entity.
“It must be legitimate because it had Hong Kong, U.S. and Japanese addresses”
Unsupported. The SFC said the claimed Hong Kong address was not the company’s actual location. Addresses alone do not establish authorization or custody of funds.
“The warning is old, so it no longer matters”
Misleading. The alert was added on April 7, 2017 and remains published by the SFC. A warning’s age does not establish that the firm later obtained a licence.
“Every Pearson Investments LLC is the same business”
Wrong. Similar legal names can belong to unrelated companies. The relevant identity here is the combination of Pearson Investments / Pearson Investments LLC, pearson-investments.com and the addresses named in the SFC alert.
“Charles Pearson Investments International is the same company”
Not established. SEC and UK FCA warnings concerning Charles Pearson Investments International refer to a different name, website and address. Those records should not be merged with this case without documentary evidence linking the entities. See the SEC alert and FCA warning.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches“A review says the website is inactive, so the company is closed”
Not verified. A broker-review site’s observation that a website appears inactive is not an official dissolution, licence cancellation or court finding. The safer conclusion is that Pearson Investments is listed as unlicensed by the SFC and was previously the subject of an Australian warning.
What to do if Pearson Investments contacted you
- Do not send more money. Do not pay a supposed tax, clearance charge, commission, legal fee or account-unblocking fee to release shares, profits or withdrawals.
- Do not treat account screenshots as proof. Statements, certificates and online balances can be fabricated and do not establish that securities or cash exist.
- Preserve evidence. Save emails, contracts, invoices, phone numbers, payment instructions, bank details, wallet addresses, website pages and screenshots. Keep original files where possible.
- Contact your payment provider immediately. Ask the bank, card issuer, wire service or cryptocurrency platform whether a fraud review, recall, chargeback or account freeze is possible. Speed matters, although recovery is not guaranteed.
- Report the approach. U.S. consumers can report suspected investment fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the SEC at sec.gov/tcr. If the solicitation involved Hong Kong, report it to the SFC and contact the relevant regulator in your own country.
- Watch for recovery scams. A person who promises to recover the money for an upfront fee may be connected to the original operators or running a second-stage fraud. Do not give them more money or remote access to your accounts.
The FTC identifies guaranteed returns, little or no stated risk, vague investment details and pressure to act quickly as common investment-scam indicators. Those signs are especially serious when combined with a regulator’s finding that the firm is unlicensed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to check a broker before depositing
- Find the regulator for the country where the firm claims to be based or where it solicits you.
- Search the regulator’s official register using the firm’s exact legal name.
- Match the website domain, phone number, address and legal entity against the register.
- Check whether the firm is authorized for the specific service it is offering—not merely registered as a company.
- Use contact details from the regulator’s website, not the number or link supplied by the salesperson.
- Stop if the firm pressures you to pay by wire, cryptocurrency or a personal account, or asks for additional money before allowing a withdrawal.
Do not rely on a broker-review page, social-media profile, office photograph or a certificate sent by the firm as a substitute for a regulator’s register.
FAQ
Is Pearson Investments regulated?
Not according to the official evidence reviewed. Hong Kong’s SFC lists Pearson Investments / Pearson Investments LLC as an unlicensed entity and identifies the associated website as pearson-investments.com.
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Is Pearson Investments a safe broker?
No. The SFC warning, the reported false or unsupported licensing claim and the Australian warning record make Pearson Investments unsuitable as a safe, regulated brokerage.
Was Pearson Investments licensed by the Hong Kong SFC?
The company reportedly claimed that it was, but the SFC’s own alert says the entity was unlicensed. The claimed authorization was therefore not substantiated.
Can I recover money sent to Pearson Investments?
Recovery is not guaranteed, but contact your bank, card issuer or payment provider immediately and request a fraud, recall or chargeback review. Preserve all evidence and report the matter to the appropriate regulators and law-enforcement agencies.
Is Charles Pearson Investments International the same company?
That has not been established. SEC and FCA records for Charles Pearson Investments International concern a different name, website and address and should not automatically be treated as evidence about Pearson Investments / pearson-investments.com.
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Pearson Investments / Pearson Investments LLC should not be treated as a legitimate regulated broker. The Hong Kong SFC lists it as an unlicensed entity and says its claimed Hong Kong address was not its actual location. An Australian warning record also documents unsolicited investment approaches and the absence of Australian financial-services and credit licences. The appropriate course is to avoid depositing money, stop communicating with the operators except to preserve evidence, contact your payment provider if you have already paid and report suspected fraud.
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