Broker misconduct or outright fraud take many forms. Some are easy to detect, others require careful investigation and analysis. We represent investors who lost money as a result of broker misconduct or fraudulent activities such as:
Excessive Trading or Account “Churning”
Unsuitable Investment Recommendations
Lack of Diversification or Over-concentration
Recommendations That Lack Reasonable Basis
Unauthorized Trading
Sales of Fraudulent Investments
Misrepresentations or False Promises
Failure to Disclose Risks
Unvetted Investment Products
Sales of Unapproved Investments
Theft of Customer Funds
Sales of Ponzi Scheme Investments
Most investment professionals are honest and take their duties very seriously. In fact, we are sometimes contacted by investment professionals who bring to our attention questionable transactions in their new “customer” accounts by previous advisors. Those few financial advisors who are dishonest, however, can wreak havoc with an investor’s life savings.
We often see one or more of these products or transactions in cases that involve broker misconduct and fraud:
Oil and Gas Investments
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
Variable Annuities
Investments in Real Estate
Tenant-in-Common (“TICs”) Programs
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMO”)
Collateralized Debt Obligations (“CDO”)
Auction Rate Securities
Asset Backed Obligations
Private Placements
Hedge Funds
Algorithmic Trading (“formula-based” trading)
“Alternative Investments”
High-Yield Bonds
Commodities
Options and Margin Trading
Forex
Offshore Funds
Promissory Notes
To be sure, these products are not necessarily fraudulent or inappropriate. However, our experience is that fraudulent or inappropriate conduct by investment professionals often involves some of these products.
Contact us and tell us about your case
We have represented thousands of victims of investment fraud, against financial institutions that failed to discharge their duties and protect the investing public. Each case is different and our past successes are not indicative of future results; we will be glad to review your case and advise you as to your options, at no charge.
We generally represent investors on a “contingency fee” basis, meaning we do not charge any legal fees unless and until we recover money for you. Our general practice is to advance the case costs on the client’s behalf and recoup them out of (and up to) the amounts recovered. A few jurisdictions (states) require the client to be responsible for the case costs; whenever that is the case we explain to the client what those costs entail.
If you believe you lost money because of investment fraud, it is important to take action. You may call at 585-310-5140, email us, or contact us by using the “Contact” form on this page, and tell us about your case. There is no charge for us to evaluate your case.
