When it comes to investment opportunities that seem too good to be true, they usually are — so it’s important to trust your instincts and ignore them.

Fraudsters are posing as bankers or investment professionals to scam individuals with fraudulent investment opportunities — often involving cryptocurrency and bitcoin — that falsely promise large returns. Once victims invest, fraudsters disappear with their funds.

What to look out for:

• Requests to send funds through an intermediary or to an account at an institution different than the one the “financial advisor” works at.
• Requests that require you to download specific software to supposedly assist with transferring funds or purchasing crypto assets.
• Firms or representatives whose professional backgrounds cannot be validated by conducting independent research, checking additional sources, and looking at their history and track record.
• Advertisements containing language guaranteeing high returns on investments or offering free money.

Learn more about investment scams.

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