In many libraries there are two sections of DVDs – the fiction or Hollywood type movies and the nonfiction or more educational video. Most people go to the fiction but every once in a while, try the nonfiction side. One video you may find is Fraud Squad which is one of those 10,000 channels on TV or you can go to their website http://www.fraudsquadtv.com and watch the shows online. In this case, Fraud Squad TV is the first season of the show or 13 episode TV series dealing with fraud. The headings are moving fraud, counterfeit money, charity fraud, travel fraud, home improvement fraud, identity theft, employment scam, pump and dump or investment fraud, car insurance fraud and others. The series gives you some ideas how the fraud works and measures to counteract the fraud, lessons everyone needs to learn. If you have a consumer fraud – the consumer protection act and letters to either VISA or Mastercard, will help you get your money back.

In terms of investment fraud, many appeal to high great consistent returns or earning money fast. The reality – it is very hard to earn great returns consistently unless there is something illegal going on – for example investing in the illegal drug trade. It is entirely possible to earn a good return consistently and every once in a while earn a great return, but generally that means somewhere along the line values had fallen. The last crisis was in 2008 where stock markets decreased in value. Now the global financial industry has stabilized, the markets have returned to where they were resulting in good returns if you bought after the markets went down you should had great returns, if you bought before and held, you should have returned to normal and made some money. If someone offers you consistent returns much higher than current interest rates, you have to wonder.

The other aspect of investment fraud tends to be the need to act now or lose the opportunity. If you have to act fast, do the opposite, the author belongs to a service club which meets every two weeks which means decisions only happen every two weeks or there is a process. For your investments try something similar in terms of process.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, at the moment because of low interest rates, one of the best investments with low risk has been dividend paying stocks. You can buy anytime and buying on a regular basis helps you (the author has a monthly plan) or  there is need to act as soon as possible. There are always opportunities in the marketplace, but if you make great money today but cannot sell, or when you can sell you lose money, those are opportunities to be passed by.  For a low risk and good return dividend stocks or investing in companies already earning profits is a good thing to do.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions