Ohio Department of Commerce Director Kimberly Zurz has announced the launch of the Division of Securities Con Artist public awareness campaign. The multi-media campaign is designed to warn Ohioans to be on guard for potential con artists in their life.
"Con artists will lie, cheat and steal from anyone, especially those who trust them the most -- their family, longtime friends and neighbors,” Director Zurz said. “Before you invest your hard-earned money, it is vitally important to call the Division of Securities to investigate both the promoter and the investment.”
The campaign will run from February through May and will feature radio and television spots, billboards, newspaper and Internet advertisements, and print materials. The ads will run statewide and focus on how con artists befriend potential investors at work, church, charities, schools, in the neighborhood and at free lunch seminars.
The ads will encourage Ohioans to call the Division of Securities Investor Protection Hotline at 1-877-NVEST411 (1-877-683-7841) to ask if the seller is licensed and if the investment product is registered. Ohioans can also visit www.conartist.ohio.gov for additional information.
“While investor research should start with a call to the Division, it should not end there,” Securities Commissioner Andrea Seidt said. “Investors need to take the time to understand their investments by reading the prospectus or offering circular in full before they invest. Ohioans should understand that high return investments often carry high risk, including the risk that the investment may yield no return or, worse, a substantial loss to the investor.”
Investors can learn more about the licensing of investment professionals, search registration filings, file a complaint, or report suspicious investment activity by visiting the Division’s website at www.com.ohio.gov/secu or by calling the Investor Protection Hotline at 1-877-NVEST411 (1-877-683-7841).
