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Securities Division > Indiana Investment Watch > About Investment Watch About Indiana Investment Watch

About Indiana Investment Watch

 A statewide survey conducted by the Secretary of State’s office in early 2006 showed that nearly two-thirds of Indiana adults who owned financial investments had little or no knowledge about potential fraud schemes or the security of such investments.

In an effort to combat this lack of investment education, Secretary of State Todd Rokita created Indiana Investment Watch to increase financial literacy in Hoosiers and to educate them about the various types of securities fraud. The program is not funded by taxpayers, but rather by the money collected from settlements in securities fraud cases.

Indiana Investment Watch has educational materials covering the various types of fraud, as well as general financial literacy tools such as a “Money Skills for Newlywed Couples” guide and Financial Football, a computer game distributed in partnership with Visa and the NFL. Workshops and outreach events held throughout the state provide more in-depth information on detecting and avoiding investment scams.

In taking a proactive approach to combating fraud, Indiana Investment Watch recognizes that the most effective form of investor protection is investor education.

About Our Office

The Indiana Secretary of State Securities Division is responsible for combating securities fraud here at home by making sure that securities-related activities occurring in the state are properly registered or qualify for appropriate exemptions. Securities—investments with different degrees of risk and different expectations of return— can include stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investments.

To help Hoosiers protect their assets, the Securities Division conducts searches free of charge on the registration of securities, franchises, loan brokers, exemption filings, broker dealers, investment advisers and enforcement actions.

In addition, if you have been the victim of investment fraud of any kind, you can report it to our office. The Secretary of State will try to recover your lost assets, if possible, and determine if an illegal action took place. Your report may also help to protect other consumers who could be taken advantage of in the future through similar schemes. Call the Indiana Secretary of State Fraud Hotline at 1-800-223-8791 or file a complaint online.

About Our Investor Education Coordinator

Indianapolis-native Melanie Woods joined the Securities Division in September 2008 serving as the investor education coordinator responsible for implementing the Indiana Investment Watch program. She has a Master’s in Communication from the University of Dayton, where she also studied journalism, psychology and women’s studies while earning her Bachelor’s degree. She is currently serving as vice president of the Indiana Jump$tart Coalition and is an adjunct professor in the Communications Department at the University of Indianapolis where she teaches public speaking.

Related Information:

- Contact the Securities Division

- File a complaint

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