Securities Fraud
Securities Fraud Lawyer in Houston
A securities fraud lawyer from Mithoff Law represents individual investors and financial institutions who have been wronged by bad actors in the financial sector. While fraud in general is, fortunately, on the decline, it still causes serious financial harm to innocent individuals, families, and businesses—sometimes even wiping out decades of savings and assets in one fell swoop. If you’ve been the victim of a securities or investment fraud, call us at 713-654-1122 and schedule your consultation today.
“Mithoff has been one of Houston’s most respected attorneys for decades, handling such high-profile cases as the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Enron-related litigation on behalf of J.P, Morgan Chase and highly publicized bus and plant explosions.”
– Houston Chronicle, June 26, 2019
What crimes count as securities fraud?
Anyone offering you an investment opportunity has, by law, a fiduciary duty to disclose the risks involved. A fiduciary duty legally binds them to work in your best interest, and fraud occurs when they work in their own best interests instead. Securities fraud is an umbrella term for a wide range of investment scams, all with the end goal of separating investors from their money by illegal means.
The most common types of securities fraud include:
- Advance fee schemes: Small loans made over time (under the guise of fees or taxes) are promised to eventually deliver dividends later on. However, in an advance fee scheme, that money is not being invested anywhere with tangible results, so no gains are earned.
- Broker embezzlement: The deliberate misappropriation and mishandling of investments for the enrichment of the broker. In these instances, money is acquired through legal channels and then illegally funneled toward hidden purposes.
- Hedge fund fraud: Private investment partnerships that claim high returns for high investments, with the promise that investors remain hands-off in the decision-making process. Hedge funds are not inherently illegal but are easily exploitable by the financial institutions behind them.
- High yield investment fraud: Promises of high-rate returns with little risk involved. High yield investment fraud can take the form of almost any type of investment, including real estate and commodities.
- Foreign exchange fraud: An investment fraud tactic that claims major returns in the foreign currency exchange market. Similar to a high yield investment fraud, but involving the hope that fluctuations in the international market will yield profits beyond a pittance. However, major losses are more common in foreign exchange fraud.
- Late day trading: Buying or selling mutual funds once the net asset has been calculated in a manner that keeps the price “fixed” before it can be adjusted the next business day.
- Ponzi and pyramid schemes: The money brought in from new investors is used to pay off previous investors under the pretense of a return on investment (RoI).
Who needs a securities fraud lawyer?
Anyone who has lost money or assets in a securities fraud or investment fraud scheme needs an attorney with experience in the matters at hand. Many people who have fallen prey to fiscal abuse at the hands of a scam are too embarrassed to come forward and ask for help. We’re here to tell you that this is the last thing you should do.
If an individual investor or financial institution has failed to deliver on their fiduciary duty to you, or if you find yourself preyed upon by predatory financial practices, immediately file a claim with the SEC or local and state governing bodies that deal with financial fraud.
Your next step should be to call a securities fraud attorney. Securities arbitration cases require a deep understanding of the always-changing financial landscape. Without a securities fraud lawyer, you’re vulnerable and may lose even more than you already have.
Mithoff Law: Top securities fraud lawyer in Houston
When financial institutions and predatory investors betray their fiduciary duty to you, the investor, you need a strong and respected securities fraud lawyer to help you pursue justice. Mithoff Law will work hard so that you can replenish your investment losses and receive compensation for the damages these frauds caused to you, your family, and your finances.
Call us at 713-654-1122 for a consultation. We’re here to help you with everything you need to get your money back where it belongs—with you.