The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued an alert to investors warning of potential scams such as government impersonators. There are times when investors believe they may have been contacted by the SEC to help with securities transactions. The alert from the SEC warned investors of this, stating that they do not endorse investment offers, nor assist in transactions.
The SEC also states that it will not contact individuals via phone or email in order to recommend investment opportunities, forward offers, advise individuals on securities, discuss reimbursements, seek assistance with fund transfers, or offer any kind of financial aid.
According to the alert, the SEC claims scams may include correspondence using websites ending in “.gov,” “.org,” or “.us” in order to appear official. Some correspondence may even include the official seal of the SEC.
If you receive some kind of correspondence from a government agency making various claims, it’s important to know find out if it is from a real regulator or contact the government agency directly. The SEC warning offers resources to help you find out if an agency is real. Use the SEC complaint form if you were contacted by someone pretending to be the agency.
