Hire a Private Investigator to Perform a Fraud Investigation

A fraud investigation might be conducted in order to determine:

·         whether or not there has been a sale of assets that were either misrepresented or fictitious;

·         whether or not improper payments – kickbacks, illegal political donations, bribes, or payoffs – have been made from within the company;

·         whether or not there has been some sort of intentional misrepresentation or assets, liabilities, transactions or income;

·         whether or not there have been intentional pricing changes created to benefit the business financially;

·         whether or not items have been deliberately left off the books; and / or

·         whether or not possible tax fraud has occurred.

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - In investing, as in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Nowhere is that more clear than with the latest list of scams used to fleece investors, released Thursday by the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA).

Ponzi schemes were No. 1 on the list, which was ranked by prevalence and seriousness.

Named for swindler Charles Ponzi, the plans are pyramid schemes that promise to use money from later investors to pay early ones. After the plans collapse, the people who make most of the money are the promoters who set the plan in motion.

Rounding out the top five were investments pushed by unlicensed securities dealers; unregistered investment products; promissory notes; and investment scams that target senior citizens and their life savings.

Internet fraud appeared in the top 10, as well as oil and gas scams.

With oil prices at record highs, regulators warn that con artists will probably dust off old oil ventures, and sell shares in non-existent oil fields and unproven technologies designed to convert common substances into fuel.

While not technically scams, penny stocks, so-called private placements and investment seminars were given "dishonorable" mention.

Investors should contact state regulators with any questions about an investment product, broker or adviser before making an investment, Franklin Widmann, NASAA president and chief of the New Jersey Bureau of Securities, said in a statement.

"One phone call can save a lot of money and heartache," he said.

For more information on how to regulators from NASAA's Web site, click here.

For more on personal finance, click here.  

REPORT FRAUD ON LINE

ATTORNEY'S ADVICE   ---  NO CHARGE 
 

Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. Maybe we should  all take some of his advice! A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company.
 
1. The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name,  but your bank will know how you sign your checks.

2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED".

3. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit  card  accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For"  line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone handling your check as it  passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to  it.

4. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

5. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy  machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will  know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and  phone numbers to call and cancel.   Keep the photocopy in a  safe

place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either  here or abroad. 

We've all heard horror  stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address,  Social Security number, credit cards.

Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last  month. Within a week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell  phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line  approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to  change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or
someone you know:

1. We have been told we should cancel our  credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those  where you can find them.

2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step  toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here's what is perhaps most important of all : (I never even thought to do  this.)

3. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows  your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to  authorize new credit.

By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done.  There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since  then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my  wallet away This weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, etc., has been stolen:
            

1.) Equifax:  1-800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW):  1-888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union:  1-800-680-7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass along just about everything.  But if you are willing to pass this information along, it could really help someone that you care about.