It is no secret that EU member state Cyprus is the center of the global Israeli financial industry, including forex schemes and the high-risk payment segment. Just over an hour’s flight from Tel Aviv, Cyprus is a tax haven for Israeli entrepreneurs off their shores and the front door to the European Union’s common market. That’s why FinTech entrepreneur Ran Cohen has established his BridgerPay in Limassol, Cyprus, for example. His wife Linor Cohen runs several real estate companies and helps Israeli compatriots find real estate and tax savings in Cyprus.
Cyprus Real Estate For Israeli Investors
Our sources in Cyprus report that the settlement of Israeli entrepreneurs and investors in Cyprus is systematic. It is not particularly difficult to obtain a residence permit in this small EU country. To do so, one must establish a company or purchase real estate. Linor Cohen with ICY Properties Ltd (OpenCorporates) and other companies specializes in this settlement of Israeli entrepreneurs.
Currently, ICY Properties offers a modern villa with four bedrooms in Agios Tychonos at €980,000. It is located only 5 minutes from the beach (pictured left).
On its Facebook page and website, ICY Properties focuses on Hebrew-speaking clients and offers them real estate in the high-price and luxury segment. We have heard that BridgerPay co-founder and Forex veteran Ran Cohen is always acquiring properties in Cyprus through his wife’s companies.
The Booming High-Risk Payment Industry
Cyprus is the global center of the online trading industry with its Forex and CFD brokers. However, many of the providers operate illegally and rip off consumers. The Cypriot regulator CySEC is known for its super-relaxed approach toward regulated brokers.
In recent years, the broker scene has, in turn, helped to create a world-unique density of high-risk payment processors in Cyprus. This includes crypto payment processors as well. One of them is BridgerPay, run by Ran Cohen and Nati Harpaz.
In May 2022, the high-risk payment facilitator BridgerPay successfully raised 6 million in a seed finance round led by Nati Harpaz and the Southern Israel Bridging Fund (SIBF). Over the past three years, BridgerPay has consistently come to our attention as a scam facilitator.
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If you have any information about BridgerPay or ICY Properties and the people involved, please share it with us through our whistleblower system, Whistle42.