Dec. 14, 2020
The SEC has recently experienced a significant uptick in tips, complaints, and referrals involving investment scams. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy urges investors to be on high alert in order to protect themselves and others from becoming victims of investment fraud.
Fraudsters use times of uncertainty and change, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, to lure victims into investment scams. Below are tips to help you recognize and avoid frauds like Ponzi schemes, fake CD scams, bogus stock promotions, and community-based financial scams.
Watch Out for Ponzi Schemes
In a Ponzi scheme, fraudsters use money from new investors to pay existing investors. What appears to be a return on your investment is actually money from other investors who have been swindled. Look out for these hallmarks of a Ponzi scheme: