According to Investopedia, affinity fraud is a type of investment fraud in which a con artist targets members of an identifiable group based on things such as race, age, religion, etc. The fraudster either is or pretends to be, a member of the group. These schemes work because the victims are more likely to trust […]
Nikolai Battoo and Tracy Sunderlage – "Sons of Madoff"?
It’s Halloween weekend and kids throughout the country are dressed in costume. (Same for a fair amount of adults in college towns too.) 75 years ago, the public was terrified when the hit movie Son of Frankenstein was released in theaters. Today it takes more than a movie to scare most adults. For this Halloween […]
Court Denies Hedge Fund Loss In Ponzi Scheme Case
A federal judge in Tampa has barred a Swiss hedge fund from making claims against an alleged Ponzi scheme. In an opinion that could have far reaching implications in other investment fraud cases, the court said the fund shouldn’t be allowed to participate in the claims process because it missed too many red flags before […]
22 Year Sentence Upheld In Hollywood Investment Fraud Case
There is a popular perception that courts simply give white collar fraudsters a slap on the wrist – a quick court appearance in the afternoon and then home in time for dinner. While we believe that the government hasn’t prosecuted enough criminal fraud cases against the big banks and Wall Street, federal judges do hand […]
Anderson Scott Hall Faces New Charges In Abaco Securities Scam
In June we wrote about Anderson Scott Hall, head of Abaco Securities International. At the time, Hall was awaiting trial on 20 counts of wire and mail fraud. Prosecutors say he bilked millions of dollars from teacher and school district employees near Jacksonville, Florida. Hall’s case was scheduled for trial in August but a federal […]
Nikolai Battoo – 10 Months Later
With great fanfare and a big press release, the SEC sued Nikolai Battoo, Tracy Sunderlage and BC Capital in September of 2012. A great number of stock fraud lawyers blasted the Internet hoping to drum up clients. If the SEC is correct, Nikolai Battoo and company have ripped off investors to the tune of $1.5 […]
Success Trades Securities In Trouble? FINRA Says Yes (stockbroker fraud post)
by Brian Mahany Success Trades Securities has a great name. They also have the financial backing of many NFL and NBA players. Regulators say that some of these players invested in the company in exchange for a promised rate of return between 12 and 26%. Banking news source bank rate.com says the average interest rate […]
In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash
by Brian Mahany The headline in the Palm Beach Post says it all, “Ex Delray Beach Commissioner ‘Used God’s Name’ In Alleged $1.8 Million Ponzi Scheme.” Stories like this are far too common; fraudster’s using the Church or religious affiliations to steal from innocent victims. What makes this case so unusual is the age and […]
Victim Assaults Ponzi Scheme Promoter
by Brian Mahany Losing one’s life savings to a Ponzi scheme promoter would be devastating to anyone. We often see courtroom footage of victim’s families attacking defendants at sentencing hearings when emotions are the highest. Usually these assaults occur in connection with a homicide or sex crime. In Longwood, Florida it was the victim of […]
BONY To Pay $114 Million To Defrauded Investors – Fraud Recovery Blog
by Brian Mahany Our firm concentrates in fraud recovery. Frequently the frauds we handle involve Ponzi schemes. By the time the fraud comes to light, there are very few assets to recover. Some victims rely on court appointed receivers. Sometimes that works but often the result is a recovery of just pennies on the dollar. […]