POSTED IN FRAUD
How does an investment fraud actually happen? How is it discovered?
Sometimes, in fact many times, the Fraud is remarkably
simple and direct.
I want to share a recent settlement announcement of an investment fraud
claim that makes this point.
A Financial Advisor targeting wealthy individuals was charged with
stealing over $2 Million from clients to invest in purported movie projects.
When the Financial Advisor was unable to raise the entire amount needed,
he allegedly took funds from other client accounts over which he had control
and used the money to finance the projects.
One of the clients that rejected
the sales pitch to invest had over $500,000 removed from their account through
the alleged forging of documents to make it appear as though a transfer had
been authorized. After the client discovered the unauthorized investment, he
demanded his money back, and was made whole in Ponzi-like fashion by the
Financial Advisor taking money from the account of another wealthy client.
The full article detailing the claim can be found here.
There is nothing special or unique about this claim. Texas courts are
routinely confronted with civil actions involving similar investment frauds.
Sometimes it is not movie projects but rather real estate schemes. Sometimes
the victim investors are professional athletes, sometimes they are independent
business owners. Sometimes signatures are forged, other times invoices are
doctored.
Yes, there
exist elaborate frauds built upon creative and painstaking deception. But
frequently the Fraud is simple. As an Investor, one must be diligent and know
that should a Fraud ever occur there are laws and authority in Texas state and
federal courts to enforce recovery.
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