Scope of this review
This review covers crownandbates.com and the business name Crown and Bates. It addresses a New Zealand regulatory warning and does not decide the facts of every contact made in the name of the website.
The FMA warning and the domain
On 1 October 2026, the New Zealand Financial Markets Authority (FMA) added Crown and Bates and crownandbates.com to its warning material about initial public offering scams. The entry also records contact details used in the promotion. That record is a material reason to stop and verify an offer before providing funds or identification.
An IPO promotion should be capable of being checked independently. The issuer, prospectus or disclosure document, offer timetable, appointed broker and regulator record should all point to the same legal transaction. A website's account page or a caller's assurance is not a substitute for those records.
How to verify an IPO offer
Start with the company said to be issuing the shares. Use its own investor-relations channel and the relevant securities register to confirm that an offer exists, who is allowed to distribute it and where money should be sent. Do not use a phone number or link supplied in an unsolicited approach as the only verification route.
The payment instructions should name a legitimate, documented counterparty. A request for cryptocurrency, a personal bank account or a last-minute change to the beneficiary deserves particular scrutiny.
What you should check before you act
- Compare the domain and contact details with the FMA's 1 October 2026 warning.
- Confirm the alleged IPO with the issuer and regulator through independently found contact details.
- Read the official offer document and identify the licensed intermediary, if one is involved.
- Preserve emails, messages and payment instructions if you have already been approached.
This article is general research, not financial, legal or investment advice.