FINRA Avoiding Investment Scams

Investor Education Series Investor Alert

Key Topics: Avoiding Investment Scams ➤➤ Financial Scams ➤➤ Investment Fraud FINRA is issuing this Alert to warn investors about classic types of investment fraud ➤➤ Fraud Tactics and to help investors spot and avoid the types of persuasion tactics fraudsters use. We also describe key red flags and provide tools to help you avoid fraud. Our Scam Meter ➤➤ Pyramid Schemes (www.finra.org/meters/scam) can help you assess whether an opportunity is too good ➤➤ Ponzi Schemes to be true, and our Risk Meter (www.finra.org/meters/risk) reveals whether you share ➤➤ Pump-and-Dump characteristics and behavior traits that have been shown to make some investors ➤➤ Advance Fee Fraud vulnerable to investment fraud. ➤➤ Offshore Scams Types of Investment Scams Investment scams can take many forms—and fraudsters can turn on a dime when WHAT’S INSIDE it comes to developing new pitches or come-ons for the latest fraud. But while the Avoiding Investment Scams wrapper or hook might change, the most common securities frauds tend to fall into the following general schemes: Types of Investment Scams ➤➤ Pyramid Schemes—where fraudsters claim that they can turn a small investment Psychology of a Scam into large profits within a short period of time—but in reality, participants make Red Flags of Fraud money solely by recruiting new participants into the program. The fraudsters behind these schemes typically go to great lengths to make their programs appear to be Who Gets Victimized? legitimate multi-level marketing schemes. Pyramid schemes eventually fall apart How Can I Protect Myself? when it becomes impossible to recruit new participants, which can happen quickly.

Stage Participants Notes Level 1 8 Each participant recruits 8 new investors Level 2 64 Level 2 pays off Level 1—and so on Level 3 512 Level 4 4,096 Level 5 32,768 Level 6 262,144 Level 7 2,097,152 Level 8 16,777,216 Level 9 134,217,728 Level 10 1,073,741,824 More than triple the U.S. population Level 11 8,589,934,592 More than the world’s population

1 Investor protection. Market integrity. Investor Alert

➤➤ Ponzi Schemes—in which a central fraudster or “hub” collects money from new investors and uses it to pay purported returns to earlier-stage investors—rather than investing or managing the money as promised. The scam is named after Charles Ponzi, a 1920s-era con criminal who persuaded thousands to invest in a complex price arbitrage scheme involving postage stamps. Like pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes require a steady stream of incoming cash to stay afloat. But unlike pyramid schemes, investors in a Ponzi scheme typically do not have to recruit new investors to earn a share of “profits.” Ponzi schemes tend to collapse when the fraudster at the hub can no longer attract new investors or when too many investors attempt to get their money out—for example, during turbulent economic times.

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1. The hub promises 2. Then, the hub 3. Instead of investing 4. The fraud high financial collects money the money, the perpetuates itself returns to new from additional hub pays so-called as long as the hub investors that new investors. “returns” to earlier finds new investors. aren’t available investors from through traditional the new investors’ investments. money.

➤➤ Pump-and-Dump—in which a fraudster deliberately buys shares of a very low-priced stock of a small, thinly traded company and then spreads false information to drum up interest in the stock and increase its stock price. Believing they’re getting a good deal on a promising stock, investors create buying demand at increasingly higher prices. The fraudster then dumps his shares at the high price and vanishes, leaving many people caught with worthless or near worthless shares of stock. Pump-and-dumps traditionally were carried out by cold callers operating out of boiler rooms, or through fax or online newsletters. Now, the most common vehicles are spam emails or text messages. ➤➤ Advance Fee Fraud—which plays on an investor’s hope that he or she will be able to reverse a previous investment mistake involving the purchase of a low-priced stock. The scam generally begins with an offer to pay you an enticingly high price for worthless stock in your portfolio. To take the deal, you must send a fee in advance to pay for the service. But if you do so, you never see that money—or any of the money from the deal—again. ➤➤ Offshore Scams—which come from another country and target U.S. investors. Offshore scams can take a variety of forms, including those listed above. Many involve “Regulation S,” a rule that exempts U.S. companies from registering securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that are sold exclusively outside the U.S. to foreign or “offshore” investors. Fraudsters can manipulate these types of offerings by reselling Reg S stock to U.S. investors in violation of the rule. Whatever form an offshore scam takes, it can be difficult for U.S. law enforcement agencies to investigate fraud or rectify harm to investors when the fraudsters act from outside the U.S.

2 Avoiding Investment Scams Investor Alert

Psychology of a Scam ➤➤ The “Scarcity” Tactic—creating a false sense of urgency by claiming limited supply. “There are The common thread that binds these different types only two units left, so I’d sign today if I were you.” of fraud is the psychology behind the pitch. We’ve all heard the timeless admonition “If it sounds too good to If these tactics look familiar, it’s because legitimate be true, it probably is”—which is great advice, but the marketers use them, too. However, when we are trick is figuring out when “good” becomes “too good.” not prepared to resist them, these tactics can work There’s no bright line. Investment fraudsters make their subliminally. Little wonder that victims often say to living by making sure the deals they tout appear both regulators after they have been scammed, “I don’t good and true. know what I was thinking,” or “it really caught me off guard.” That’s why an important part of resisting these In a 2006 study funded by the FINRA Investor Education common persuasion tactics is to understand them Foundation, the Consumer Fraud Research Group before encountering them. examined hundreds of undercover audiotapes of fraudsters pitching investments scam. The tapes revealed that fraudsters are masters of persuasion, Red Flags of Fraud tailoring their pitches to match the psychological To stay on guard and avoid becoming drawn into a profiles of their targets. They look for an Achilles’ scam, look for the warning signs of investment fraud: heel by asking seemingly benign questions—about your health, family, political views, hobbies or prior ➤➤ Guarantees: Be suspect of anyone who guarantees employers. Once they know which buttons to push, that an investment will perform a certain way. All they’ll bombard you with a flurry of influence tactics, investments carry some degree of risk. which can leave even the savviest person in a haze. ➤➤ Unregistered products: Many investment scams Some of the most common tactics include: involve unlicensed individuals selling unregistered securities—ranging from stocks, bonds, notes, ➤➤ The “Phantom Riches” Tactic—dangling the hedge funds, oil or gas deals or fictitious prospect of wealth, enticing you with something instruments, such as prime bank investments. you want but can’t have. “These gas wells are ➤➤ guaranteed to produce $6,800 a month in income.” Overly consistent returns: Any investment that consistently goes up month after month—or that ➤➤ The “Source Credibility” Tactic—trying to build provides remarkably steady returns regardless credibility by claiming to be a reputable authority of market conditions—should raise suspicions, or expert. “Believe me, as a senior vice president especially during turbulent times. Even the most of XYZ Firm, I would never sell an investment that stable investments can experience hiccups once doesn’t produce.” in a while. ➤➤ The “Social Consensus” Tactic—leading you to ➤➤ Complex strategies: Avoid anyone who credits a believe that other savvy investors have already highly complex investing technique for unusual invested. success. Legitimate professionals should be able “This is how___ got his start. I know it’s a lot of to explain clearly what they are doing. It is critical money, but I’m in—and so is my mom and half that you fully understand any investment you’re her church—and it’s worth every dime.” seriously considering—including what it is, what ➤➤ The “Reciprocity” Tactic—offering to do a small the risks are and how the investment makes money. favor for you in return for a big favor. “I’ll give you a break on my commission if you buy now—half off.”

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Investor Alert

If a Problem Occurs Investor Resources If you believe you have been defrauded or treated unfairly by a securities professional or FINRA Investor Information—Investor Alerts, tools and much more to firm, please send us a written complaint. If help you invest smarter and safer. you suspect that someone you know has been • Investor Alerts • Bond Investing taken in by a scam, be sure to give us that tip. • Saving for College • 401(k) Investing • Fund Analyzer • Financial Calculators Here’s how: Website: www.finra.org/investor Online: Phone: (202) 728-6964 File a Complaint (for you) FINRA Market Data—Data on equities, options, mutual funds and a www.finra.org/complaint wide range of bonds, including real-time corporate bond prices and Send a Tip (for others) FINRA-Bloomberg Bond Indices. www.finra.org/fileatip Website: www.finra.org/marketdata

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