Schemes, Scams And Swindles 11/12/2014

By Darrell Martin It seems like there is no end to people telling you of possibilities to do with your money. Even your friends seem to offer you advice on the latest things they have put their money in. Invest it here! Send it over there! Buy this! Vacation in this exotic location! You deserve your dream car! This will buy you happiness!

It is very easy to get caught up in what appears to be the best deal. It may be the latest opportunity your get-rich-quick cousin is pressing you to sign up for. How can you weed through the good and the bad? How can you know the scams, schemes and the swindles from the tried and true?

There are the words of advice that ring true that someone wiser than you once said: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Because everyone knows this saying, those that want to separate you from your money have devised sophisticated ways that sound reasonable in order to accomplish taking away your money. Swindlers may appear to represent legitimate-sounding businesses offering attractive investments, products or services to entice you to give them your money. They may even be asking for your donations or offering free money that you don’t have to pay back.

You may think that a scam or swindle could not happen to you, or that this type of fraud is only targeting widows or retirees. Because there is no discrimination when it comes to investment fraud, there are things that you can do to protect yourself and your money.

When it comes to investing or just about anything else that involves your money, remember the following:

  • Never give out your personal financial information. This includes your Social Security number, PINs, passwords or Credit Card numbers unless you are the one that initiated the purchase.

  • Do your homework. Take the time to research the company’s or the individual’s background no matter how trustworthy they seem.

  • Be sure that you fully understand the investment or the business venture you are undertaking. Do not sign up for anything until all of your questions have been answered to your satisfaction.

  • Request the information in writing. Something that is explained to you over the phone might not be a legally binding document. You have to see it before you can agree to it.

  • Don’t let yourself be pressured into making a decision right now. If it is a legitimate offer, you will have time to think about it at least overnight.

  • Read the fine print. Pay attention to the details of any agreement you sign.

There are several government and other agencies in the United States set up to guide you in making sure your investments are safe. They offer education and information as well as helpful links if you are a victim of fraud. Some are listed below:

www.sec.gov

If you are considering investing in Binary Options that are with a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Exchange, you will want to consider Nadex. The CFTC is a government agency in the US that is there to protect the retail market users from fraud, manipulation, abusive practices and systemic risk. The benefits of trading with a US regulated exchange give the trader full transparency on every trade, no need for a broker, and your funds are held in a segregated bank account within the US. You will not find that in an unregulated exchange or broker.

Once you have done your homework and decided that you would like to learn ways to trade binary options, go to www.apexinvesting.com, a service provided by Darrell Martin. Apex Investing Institute offers free education and free access to the Nadex Binary and Spread Scanner Analyzers. Member traders are invited to trade in the chat rooms, take advantage of trade signal services, use key indicators and access the Apex Forum. The forum content is updated daily and includes over 10,000 members. In a supportive learning community of seasoned as well as up and coming traders, traders of all levels learn how to trade Nadex binaries and spreads in depth, as well as futures, forex, stock and options, and gain an edge for successful trading overall.