Stock Fraud Category Archives — Page 4 of 7 — Securities Fraud Lawyers Blog Published by Securities Fraud Attorneys

Senior Investor Alert: 5 Easy Ways to Spot Scams Targeting Your Nest Egg

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

If you’re a senior investor, you’ve likely been planning and saving for years to build your portfolio. You have rightfully earned everything you have accrued over the years and you deserve to realize the fruits of that labor in your golden years.

Unfortunately, your nest egg marks you as a target for investment fraud. Scammers like to prey on what they consider “easy targets” – those without the means to defend or protect themselves against investment fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has regularly cited senior investor scams as a chronic fraud issue. Most recently, the SEC has pointed to Ponzi schemes as a major vehicle for perpetrating investment fraud against seniors.

Ponzi Schemes Targeting Seniors

Top Investor Tips for 2017

Published on: December 29, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Investor Tips: A Year in Review

With a new year upon us, we thought we’d look back at the most popular questions investors have been asking over the past year. Here are the most popular investor tips for 2017:

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)

Fed Implores Congress to Preserve Key Financial Regulations

Published on: November 3, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

In his remarks to Congress, out-going New York Federal Reserve President William Dudley implored lawmakers to preserve and maintain key financial regulation measures in face of growing support for review of standing requirements.

Dudley recently announced his decision to retire from his position earlier (mid-2018) than his term allots. According to a Reuters article, part of Dudley’s responsibilities as New York Fed President extend to being a “point-person” for Wall Street. The New York branch serves as the Fed’s eyes and ears on Wall Street, providing on-the-ground reports of activity to the central bank.

“Do no harm”

Fraud Watch: Beware of Senior Financial Scams

Published on: October 13, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

A recent report shows that senior citizens have become one of the largest demographic groups target by financial scams and investment fraud. In the past, we’ve offered tips for preventing elder financial abuse, but it seems that the problem is much more aggressive than just making sure that you take steps to protect your investments.

According to the recent report, Americans 62 and older are the targets of widespread and rampant financial abuse.

And these scams aren’t being perpetrated by the seedy criminals you’d expect to be preying on the elderly; instead, the report shows that these senior financial scams are perpetuated by the very people that should be helping you make smart and secure financial decisions. People like:

Know Before You Invest: Initial Coin Offerings

Published on: August 25, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are becoming an increasingly popular platform for raising capital these days, especially within the emerging tech industry. ICOs allow companies to offer virtual coins in exchange for capital contributions from investors. You may be more familiar with virtual currency under names like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or one of the many other forms of cryptocurrency that have popped up.

You have probably heard the hype surrounding ICOs and virtual coins and you may have even considered investing in virtual currency through an ICO. While initial coin offerings can be a great new means for investing, it’s important not to get blinded by the hype. Theses types of offerings are new for many investors. Additionally, they are attached to rapidly evolving and dynamic technologies, some of which you may not fully understand.

Unfortunately, this factor has allowed room for fraudsters and scammers to take advantage of investors. This should not intimidate you from investing in initial coin offerings, however. Education is the best way to prevent investment fraud. Here are some basic things you should know, before you look into investing in an ICO.

Investor Education: Know Your Order Types Before You Buy and Sell

Published on: July 21, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Maybe you want to make it big as an investor. Maybe you just want a nest egg for retirement or financial security for your family. Whatever the reasons, thousands of Americans everyday make their first steps to becoming active investors.

Before hitting the market though, there’s a lot would-be investors need to know; like understanding the different types of stock and securities investments, and how active an investment approach you’d like to take.

Once you’ve got that down, you’ve got to know the buy-and-sell process of trading. For that, you’ve got to know your order types.

Bad Actors: Tips for Spotting the Financial Industry’s Bad Apples

Published on: June 9, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

We’ve all seen bad actors in movies and T.V., but did you know that bad actors can be found on Wall Street and other financial industry institutions? The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently released a statement outlining the need for checks-and-balances against bad actors.

What are bad actors?

FINRA defines a bad actor as one within the financial industry “who seeks to evade regulatory requirements and harm investors for their own personal gain”. Essentially, they’re con artists; fraudsters.

8 Tips for Safeguarding Your Online Investments Against Fraud

Published on: April 28, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

In the internet age, cyber crime has become one of the top platforms for investment fraud and financial crimes. Many investors have begun making online investments instead of using traditional investment platforms. With this, comes the need to educate and inform about fraud targeting online investments.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has published an investor bulletin outlining helpful tips and resources to protect your online investments from fraud.

8 Tips for Protecting Online Investments

Top 8 Investor Complaints

Published on: April 21, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

The investment world is pretty cut-and-dry; either you win, or you lose. Not much can be said for losing, after all, it’s part of the game. Usually when you lose out on an investment, it’s due to the fact that you didn’t account for certain risks. However, there are some instances beyond investors’ control that might derail an otherwise sound investment. These instances give rise to understandable investor complaints.

Investor complaints pertain to how a transaction was executed. Whether it’s against a broker, investment advisor, transfer agent, or an entire brokerage firm, investor complaints focus on how an investment transaction is handled.

Below are the most frequently recurring investor complaints as reported by the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA).

Top 5 Ways to Prevent Elder Financial Abuse

Published on: April 14, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

A recent New York Times article spotlights a renewed approach and increased legislative response to financial elder abuse. Featured in the article are personal accounts of real people whose family members and close friends have been affected by elder financial abuse.

Investment fraud and financial abuse directed towards seniors and the elderly has been a rising concern. We recently featured an issue focusing on the problem of increased elder financial abuse. Most elder abuse is perpetrated against those between the ages of 80-90, suffering from degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Now, the issue is getting legislative attention. According to the Times article, 33 states have considered the issue of specific laws directed at financial abuse against the elderly. Other states are revisiting their existing laws.