don't project false intent to scam back to everything he did.
It has already been explained above why this is at all effects a scam.
And I see a clear malicious intent because he is asking for things that in many countries cost much more than the asset's value of the average investor. Since I don't think that he is willing to pay for official translations, lawyers and time lost for all of his investors, he must know like anyone else that a lot of his bonds cannot be claimed in this way.