“Cockroaching” – I must admit until I picked up today’s Wall Street Journal, I wasn’t familiar with term. Although the term was new to me, the underlying practice is unfortunately well known in the world of investment fraud lawyers. Cockroaching refers to the practice of stockbrokers jumping from one troubled brokerage firm to another. The […]
Affinity Fraud? SEC Charges Broker in Alleged $4.7 Million Ponzi Scheme
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Larry Dearman Sr, an investment advisor working for Focus Group Advisors, with defrauding dozens of investors between 2008 and 2012. They say that many victims entrusted him with their savings because of his affiliation with a small town Oklahoma church. According to published reports, Dearman at one time served […]
Investment Fraud – "Guaranteed Returns" Was Really a Scam
Every week we hear about people who gave money to a promoter offering “guaranteed returns.” About the only thing guaranteed is the loss of all or most your money. Unless you are putting money into government savings bond, nothing is guaranteed. (Many of our readers would question the safety of savings bonds!) One of the […]
FINRA Issues Warning On Nontraded REITs – Stockbroker Fraud Post
We have written several times about the dangers of nontraded or thinly traded REITs. They are a popular way of investing in real estate but they can be difficult to sell or liquidate if an investor suddenly needs cash. There are other potential pitfalls as well. This week the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority – FINRA […]