Who’s Taking Care of Your Money?
With all the talk about the economy, many investors are taking a closer look at their finances. Who’s taking care of your money? It’s a question you should think about when it comes to investing.
Many people think that a scam won’t happen to them, but according to our survey, one in 20 Canadians has been a victim of investment fraud. We hear stories every day from people of all walks of life who have been approached with various investment opportunities that go sour.
Take a look at our new investor videos in the Check First section on the ASC website to hear from Russ and Lynn -- two Alberta investors who notified the ASC of their close calls with a potentially fraudulent investment opportunity. The videos are part of a new Ask the right questions tool that will help you learn to ask the right questions before making an investment decision. We are also launching a new online resource, Who’s Taking Care of Your Money?, designed to help explore common investor questions: - Who can I trust when it comes to my investments?
- How do I start the process of finding a financial adviser?
- What can I do to manage the relationship once I have a financial adviser?
If you’ve ever struggled with wondering whether you should go it alone, enlist the help of a financial adviser or change your current financial adviser, then this resource will give you some helpful tips.
We also have a new brochure available, Boiler room scams: Could you be vulnerable?, that will help you learn how these common scams work and how to avoid becoming a victim. You can find this brochure and other investor resources in the For Investors section of the ASC website, www.albertasecurities.com.
If you think you’ve been approached with a fraudulent investment or have been a victim of investment fraud, it’s important that you report it to ASC Complaints at 403- 355-3888, complaints@asc.ca or through our online complaint form. Doing this helps raise awareness of potential fraud, assists the ASC in its investigations and may help others avoid investment fraud.
Comment on this blog... | About this Blog We’ve created this blog to present you with answers to some of the more popular questions we receive from investors. We'll have different subject matter experts blogging about what they know best and we'll update it as new blogs arise. We hope you'll find it interesting and helpful. Today's Blogger Hi there. I’m Lorinda Brinton, Senior Advisor for Investor Education at the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC). I’ve been at the ASC for close to four years now and have been a part of many national and international investor education projects aimed at informing and protecting investors. Let us know if the information you find in this blog and on the ASC site is interesting and helpful when you are making important investment decisions.
Here are some links I think you’ll find helpful:
Who’s Taking Care of Your Money?
Check First – investor videos
Scam Stoppers
Boiler room scams brochure
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