Fraud Prevention & Detection

Important tips on how to avoid investment scams, and protecting yourself when investing on-line.

Investing On-line?    

Brokerage companies offering online services are vested in ensuring your investment activity is safe and maintained in a secure environment. However, scammers still prey upon investors, attempting to gain access to your account. To reduce this risk, consider the following:

  • Do not respond to unsolicited emails from a company that you already do business with requesting that you re-validate your personal information by clicking on the link to their site. Companies already have this information on file and will never ask you to disclose it at some later point.  
  • Avoid using unprotected public computers to log into your accounts.
  • Be careful using public wi-fi connections to access your accounts. Sophisticated scammers are known to eavesdrop on internet traffic.
  • Take advantage of two-step authentication features for an added layer of security. Biometric fingerprint and facial recognition are valuable safety measures. Take full advantage of all security features provided by the firm or investment company.
     
Investor Alerts

Investigate and Verify First

Today, we have a variety of tools at our fingertips to investigate and verify whether an investment opportunity is legitimate or a scam. It is recommended that investors keep the following in mind:

Lower Body:
  • Use common sense – watch out for claims of guaranteed returns with low or no investment risk.
  • Do your homework – Contact the N.H Bureau of Securities Regulation at 603-271-1463 to be sure the seller and investment are registered. 
  • Beware of unsolicited telephone calls, emails, or mail solicitations. Delete unsolicited emails and social media messages, and hang up on aggressive cold callers. 
  • Understand what you are buying. Take your time…don’t be rushed into making decisions  
  • Ask questions about the investment product and verify the answers provided.
  • Legitimate investments are sold with appropriate documents and disclosures. Insist on receiving these and read them before investing. 

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If you believe you are the victim of an attack:

If you believe you are the victim of an attack:

  • Change your on-line password(s) immediately
  • Contact your brokerage or investment advisory firm
  • Monitor your account activity.  

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