Sunday, January 30, 2005

Stock Fraud - How To Avoid Losing Money

Con artists across the globe have stepped up their efforts to rip off investors, especially non-U.S. residents who have lost money in the U.S. securities markets. While it’s natural to want to recoup one’s losses as quickly and as fully as possible, the SEC warns investors to be extremely skeptical of offers to exchange worthless or poorly performing stocks for blue chips or "hot" performers.

Worthless stock is typically just that — worthless. And anyone who promises a quick way to recover from a bad investment is probably just lying to you. We encourage you to thoroughly investigate any investment opportunity, as well as the person promoting it, before you part with your money. This is especially critical if you are a non-U.S. investor seeking to invest in U.S. stocks — or if you learn about the opportunity over the telephone from a broker you don’t know. The "broker" may well be a con artist, and the deal may be a dud. Remember, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.

This alert tells you how to spot potential "stock swap" scams, how to evaluate the offers you hear about, and where to turn for help.

For more, head over to stock fraud at Stock Watchers.

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