My Financial Adviser Sent Me a Letter About an Exclusive Investment Opportunity, but It’s Not on Company Letterhead and Something About It Seems a Little “Off.”

As an investment fraud attorney, there are two things about this scenario that worry me: the use of the word “exclusive” and the lack of official letterhead. Although it’s impossible to say for certain without more details, I can tell you that there have been cases of unscrupulous investment advisers luring their clients into scams by passing off fake documents or promising “private” opportunities.

How to Tell if an “Exclusive” Investment Is a Scam

As with any investment, the best way to protect yourself is to do thorough research before handing over your cash. However, here are a few general tips for spotting these kinds of investment scams:

• You are asked to make your check out directly to your adviser or broker rather than the investment itself. 
• Your broker tells you that the investment opportunity is not something his financial institution offers but instead is an exclusive opportunity available to his loyal clients. 
• Your adviser’s employer does not know about the investment.
• The documents you are given use another company’s logo or do not include any contact information.
• The correspondence you receive does not come on company letterhead.

If you’d like to have an experienced investment scam lawyer review the details of your case, we’d be happy to meet with you in a free and confidential consultation to talk about your concerns. Just give us a call today, or fill out our easy online contact form.