Every week Utah residents lose money by investing with friends, family or neighbors – people they knew and trusted. Investment fraud is a big problem here in Utah, largely because our close-knit communities are a prime target for “affinity fraud.” Our state has a long history of financial scams and Ponzi schemes, many of which have… Read more »
Note: this is a re-post of an excellent article that was published on January 3, 2019 in FINRA’s Alert Investor newsletter. The article was co-authored by FINRA staff and The PIABA Foundation. The vast majority of interactions between investors and investment professionals are positive. However, sometimes the relationship doesn’t go as planned, and the situation can’t… Read more »
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from a guest post that I wrote for The White Coat Investor, a fantastic website that provides financial tips and education to medical professionals. I have represented a number of doctors and dentists over the years in disputes with their stockbrokers and in Ponzi schemes and investment fraud cases. My… Read more »
Imagine waking up one day and discovering that all of your retirement savings were gone; all the money you had been working to save had evaporated in a poof. That’s what happened to over 200 people on November 15th. They had invested in a “Silver Pool” investment promoted by Gaylen Rust who claimed he had… Read more »
On Wednesday September 6, 2018 the US Department of Justice announced the indictment of Robert G. Mouritsen of Kaysville, Utah on three counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. The DOJ alleged that Mouritsen used a “position of prominence” to induce friends and fellow church members to give him money to further… Read more »
Editor’s Note: I have been contacted by a number of individuals who invested in Future Income Payments or FIP through Utah-based Live Abundant, which is referenced in the article below. This article appeared in the Wall Street Journal today and has a pretty good summary of the FIP situation. Spoiler alert: it’s not good. Private… Read more »
One of the biggest problems I am seeing these days is private placements (also called alternatives or non-registered investments) that are sold to accredited investors through a private placement memorandum or PPM. Because these investments are not registered with the SEC the information that you can get about them is far more limited, and can… Read more »
I have previously written about Mr. Jeppeson, now his is more trouble. This is from the Ogden Herald Journal this week: The Utah Division of Securities of the Department of Commerce have filed court documents against John Zane Jeppesen, of Garland, bringing forth more accusations and details into Jeppesen’s nearly 20 year behavior of securities… Read more »
Editor’s Note: This is a fascinating story that appeared on the FBI’s website this week about a $43 Million Ponzi Scheme in Sparta, Tennessee. Tractor salesman Jeff Gentry preyed on the implicit trust of friends, family, and neighbors in this small Tennessee town. Nobody would have suspected that the affable Tennessee tractor salesman who was raised… Read more »
The Woodbridge Group of Companies was run by a flashy promoter in Los Angeles named Robert Shapiro. Woodbridge marketed promissory notes (which were in reality unregistered securities) to an estimated 7,000 retail investors throughout the United States, including Utah. Investors were told their funds would provide a safe, secured return from short-term real-estate loans. In… Read more »