investment scams Tag Archives — Securities Fraud Lawyers Blog

Protecting Your Investments Against Affinity Fraud

Published on: April 15, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

In a recently filed complaint,The SEC charged a prominent pastor in a scheme to defraud investors out of millions of dollars. Using his religious clout and reputation, the pastor leveraged investments out of devoted followers, mainly elderly. Between 2013 and 2014, the SEC alleges that Kirbyjon Caldwell, Pastor of the Windsor Village Methodist Church and Gregory Alan Smith, a financial planner previously barred by FINRA managed to dupe investors out of nearly $3.5 million. Caldwell and Smith used most of the funds to cover personal expenses. They funneled the remaining funds to off-shore accounts.

The case represents a pervasive issue for financial and securities regulators: affinity fraud.

What is affinity fraud?

Inexperienced Investors Targeted in Day-Trading Scam

Published on: December 26, 2016 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged two individuals in a fake day-trading scheme targeting inexperienced investors.

According to the SEC’s press release, the two men in question scammed investors out of more than $1.4 million through the operation of a false day-trading investment firm.

Luring Investors with Day-Trading

Top Investment Scams

Published on: November 14, 2016 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

We’ve talked a lot about investment scams in the past. Fraudsters are always finding new ways to take advantage of unwitting investors. However, there are several top investment scams that fraudsters favor and which serve as the basis for many new types of investment fraud.

Investors should recognize most of these, but being able to spot signs of these top investment scams may help you in assessing new potential investment risks or signs of fraud.

Pyramid/PONZI Scheme

5 Ways to Recover Your Financial Investments

Published on: October 27, 2016 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Risk-taking is a natural part of making financial investments

These should be calculated risks, though; risks based on performance projections of whatever is being invested in.

Though financial investments should not include those unforeseen or unaccounted for risks like fraud, investors are constantly facing it.

Investment Scams May Spike Following Hurricane Matthew

Published on: October 12, 2016 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Investment scams are the last thing people want to worry about following a natural disaster.

Last week, Hurricane Matthew swept along Florida’s east coast on its way to the Carolinas. Major property damage was experienced in northeast Florida, coastal Georgia and North and South Carolina due to flooding.

Natural disasters result in millions of dollars in insurance claims and with that, come the threat of investment scams.

Zika Virus May Carry Threat of Investment Fraud

Published on: September 2, 2016 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

It seems that mosquitoes aren’t the only thing people will have to watch out for on the Zika front. As with any public crisis, the outbreak of the Zika virus has come with the threat of investment fraud in tow. Crooks and scam artists exploit crises like this one by preying on public anxieties. This sort of behavior is not only detrimental to victims of investment scams, but also further clouds public perception of a crisis by circulating false information.

As such, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued an Investor Alert in an effort to prevent anyone falling victim to financial fraud. The SEC’s investor alert covers several tips and warning signs to know if you may be getting involved in an investment scam.

Unregistered investment professionals