Educational Outreach
One of the most effective forms of investor protection is investor education. Indiana Investment Watch gives presentations and participates in outreach events across the state to help Hoosiers learn about smart investing strategies and how to avoid falling victim to fraud.
Indiana Investment Watch presentations and materials are available free of charge. The program is not funded by taxpayer dollars, but rather by money collected from settlements in securities fraud cases litigated by the Secretary of State’s Securities Division.
Listed below are descriptions of presentations currently being offered by Indiana Investment Watch. To request a presentation in your area or to have our office present at an information fair or expo, please contact Melanie Woods, investor education coordinator, at 317-233-3985 or mlwoods@sos.in.gov.
Protecting Hoosiers from
Securities Fraud
Americans lose an estimated
$300 billion each year to securities fraud. In this general
fraud presentation, participants learn why people fall victim to
fraud, how to spot a con artist, and how to recognize and avoid
the most common types of investment fraud.
Fraud aimed at older Hoosiers
Seniors are one of the most targeted groups of investment fraud.
In this presentation, geared toward seniors, participants learn
why seniors are targeted, how to recognize a fraudster and tips
for avoiding common schemes promoted to seniors. Participants
also play Fraud Bingo, an interactive way to learn about
investment fraud.
Faith-based affinity fraud
When people hear
the term “con artist,” they typically don’t picture a friend or
member of their church. Unfortunately, with affinity fraud, the
perpetrators are people you know who take advantage of an
existing bond and sense of trust. This presentation, geared
toward church groups, details the warning signs of affinity
fraud, typical scams associated with it and how to report it.
Mortgage fraud
One of the biggest investments a person can make is buying a
home. It is an intricate process that is ripe with opportunity
for fraud at every step. This presentation, geared toward
potential homeowners, goes over the various types of mortgage
fraud and tips on finding legitimate, qualified loan brokers.
For a list of upcoming outreach events, visit the calendar of events.
