If you think you were taken in by securities fraud, you’re probably right. Unfortunately, it happens a lot. It happens to smart people. It happens to people who are sophisticated and well-educated. It happens to a really wide range of people young and old, wealthy and...
Securities Fraud
Can I sue my financial advisor for lost money?
Yes. Specifically, if your advisor was licensed through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), you can file an arbitration claim to get some or all of your money back. Whether your claim will succeed depends on exactly what happened. All investments...
5 tactics securities fraudsters use and 4 ways to defeat them
It doesn’t matter that you’re a savvy investor. It doesn’t matter if you’re educated, if you’re smart or if you’re self-reliant. In fact, if you’re nearing or at retirement age with substantial assets, you may be just who securities fraudsters and pyramid schemers are...
What happens to my investment accounts if my identity is stolen?
Unfortunately, identity theft is rampant. We can all take steps to limit the exposure of our personal information, but we may be targeted anyway. If your identity is stolen, the thieves will do everything they can to get into all of your financial accounts. That...
SEC charges 8 social media influencers with $100-million securities fraud
You should never make investment decisions based on social media information. It may be tempting to think you have unusual insight and that you are putting pieces together in a way that others are not. Unfortunately, it’s more likely that you’re being scammed. As...
4 tips for avoiding investment fraud on social media
As we consider various investments, we often wish we had an edge over other investors. We would never engage in insider trading, but it would surely be good to get in on the first floor. Savvy investors rely on a great deal of information when choosing stocks....
Experienced hedge fund manager? Try experienced con artist, says SEC
It’s hard to know who to trust these days. A Harvard MBA and military vet with experience managing a $1.15-billion hedge fund sounds like a good bet, right? Except that, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission, he just made up those credentials to gain...
SEC: two advisors breached fiduciary duties, defrauded clients
Two North Carolina executives of a Malta-based investment advisory firm have been charged, along with the firm, with securities fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC is seeking more than $75 million in ill-gotten gains, plus interest, and a...
SEC: barred broker sold fraudulent promissory notes to older clients
In 2016, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) barred a New Jersey man, the owner of Global Business Development and Consulting Corp., from continued securities activities. He had refused to appear for testimony in a case against him alleging that he...
FINRA arbitration data now includes Reg BI disputes
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) publicly posts statistics about the arbitration proceedings held under its auspices. As of this writing on August 5, the 2022 numbers are available through June, providing an interesting overview of the kinds of...