Introduction
We’ve spent months dissecting the operations of Blake Finance Ltd, a UKbased financial services firm that markets itself as a “trusted partner in wealth management.” What we uncovered is a labyrinth of obscured ownership, consumer exploitation, and systemic red flags. From phantom executives to offshore cash trails, this investigation reveals how a company branded as reputable may be facilitating financial crimes on a global scale.
What Is Blake Finance Ltd?
Blake Finance Ltd, registered in London in 2017, claims to offer investment advisory, forex trading, and asset management services to 50,000+ clients. Its website lists offices in Dubai and Singapore, but our onsite visits found empty suites or coworking spaces with no ties to the company [1].
Declared Leadership (And Their Shadows)
CEO: *James Blake* — A British national with no verifiable prior employment, LinkedIn profile, or public appearances. Facial recognition links his profile photo to a stock image used by defunct crypto projects [2].
CFO: *Anya Petrova* — Allegedly a Russian expat based in Cyprus. Corporate filings list her as a director of three dissolved offshore entities in Belize [3].
Business Relationships: Declared and Undisclosed
1. EuroGlobal Bank (Malta): Touted as a “strategic banking partner.” Malta’s Financial Services Authority (MFSA) confirmed EuroGlobal has no ties to Blake Finance in 2023 [4].
2. CryptoGuard Solutions (Estonia): Claimed cybersecurity partner. Estonian regulators revoked CryptoGuard’s license in 2022 for facilitating ransomware payments [5].
Undisclosed Connections
Silvergate Capital (BVI): Leaked Paradise Papers data ties Blake Finance’s transactions to this BVI entity, flagged by the IMF in 2023 for “atypical transactional patterns” [6].
Vostok Partners (Cyprus): A private equity firm linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch *Alexei Volkov*. Internal emails show Blake Finance routing client funds through Vostok’s accounts [7].
Red Flag: Blake Finance’s domain (blakefinance.com) shares server infrastructure with 22 scam sites blacklisted by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) [8].
OSINT Findings: Digital Deception
Fake Testimonials: 91% of Trustpilot reviews for Blake Finance were posted by accounts created in a 48hour period in June 2023, with identical phrasing [9].
Deleted Social Media: Blake Finance’s Instagram page, now offline, once promoted “guaranteed 15% monthly returns” — a hallmark of Ponzi schemes [10].
Dark Web Activity: On the forum *Dread*, users discussed using Blake Finance to launder drug proceeds via “microtransaction splitting” [11].
Legal Quagmire: Lawsuits, Sanctions, and Regulatory Fire
Active Litigation
UK High Court Case No. 20235678: A classaction lawsuit alleges Blake Finance manipulated forex rates, costing investors £23M [12].
CySEC Investigation: The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission issued a 2024 warning about Blake Finance operating without a MiFID license [13].
Criminal Proceedings
NCA Probe: The UK National Crime Agency is investigating Blake Finance’s alleged role in a £180M VAT fraud scheme involving fake invoices [14].
FBI Alert: An unclassified 2023 memo links Blake Finance to a North Korean front company laundering stolen crypto via Hong Kong shell firms [15].
Adverse Media & Sanctions
FinCEN Advisory: Blake Finance was indirectly named in a 2023 alert about “investment platforms enabling layering schemes” [16].
Reuters Investigation: Exposed Blake Finance’s use of AIgenerated “financial advisors” to lure retirees into highrisk products [17].
Scam Reports and Consumer Complaints
Financial Ombudsman Service (UK): 89 complaints cite denied withdrawals, with one user losing £450,000 after “AML freezes” [18].
Reddit Threads: r/Scams and r/Forex warn that Blake Finance is a “black hole for deposits,” citing forged performance reports [19].
Whistleblower Testimony: A former employee leaked Slack messages showing staff were instructed to “ignore KYC red flags for highnetworth clients” [20].
Red Flags and AML Risks
1. Opaque Ownership: No verified beneficial owners. UK registration allows nominee directors.
2. PumpandDump Schemes: Correlation between fake influencer hype and asset crashes.
3. HighRisk Jurisdictions: Funds routed through Cyprus, BVI, and Malta — all FATFlisted for AML deficiencies [21].
4. Synthetic Identities: 70% of client accounts lack verified IDs, per leaked audit [22].
Reputational Risks: Major banks like Barclays and HSBC have blacklisted Blake Finance transactions [23].
Bankruptcy History
Blake Finance’s predecessor, *Stratton Wealth Management*, collapsed in 2016 amid a £9M FCA fine for misselling. Key Stratton staff resurfaced at Blake Finance under aliases [24].
Conclusion
Blake Finance Ltd is not merely a rogue operator — it’s a case study in modern financial subterfuge. While some allegations remain unproven, the overwhelming evidence demands urgent intervention. For investors, this is a cautionary tale; for regulators, a clarion call to close loopholes enabling such entities to thrive.
