Overview

Fee Scams: Fee scams involve unscrupulous practices where brokers or investment advisors charge excessive fees or hidden costs without providing adequate services or value. They may misrepresent the nature or amount of fees, leading investors to incur higher costs or eroding their investment returns. CFTC Scam Advisory

Precious Metals Fraud: Precious metals fraud includes misleading or fraudulent schemes related to investments in gold, silver, or other precious metals. Fraudsters may make false promises of high returns, use deceptive sales tactics, or misrepresent the existence or ownership of the metals, leading investors to lose their money. CFTC Precious Metals Fraud Advisory

Profits from the War on Terrorism: Whistleblowers can report fraudulent activities where individuals or entities falsely claim to generate profits from investments related to the war on terrorism. This can involve misrepresenting investment opportunities tied to defense contracts, counterterrorism technologies, or other ventures purportedly associated with national security efforts. Whistleblowers can provide information on the specific fraudulent schemes, the individuals or entities involved, and any evidence substantiating the false claims made to attract investments. CFTC WOT Fraud Advisory

Phony Futures and Options Websites: Whistleblowers can report instances where individuals or entities operate phony websites offering futures and options trading services. These fraudulent websites may falsely claim to be registered, licensed, or affiliated with reputable financial institutions or regulatory bodies. They may also make false representations about their trading strategies, track records, or the safety of funds invested. Whistleblowers can provide detailed information about the fraudulent websites, including their URLs, operators, misleading marketing materials, and any evidence supporting the deceptive practices employed. CFTC Phony Websites Advisory

False Promises of Profits as a Result of Natural Disasters: Whistleblowers can report cases where individuals or entities make false promises of generating profits by exploiting natural disasters. This can involve deceptive practices such as misrepresenting investment opportunities in disaster-affected industries, falsely claiming to possess specialized knowledge or resources to profit from such events, or providing inaccurate information about the risks involved. Whistleblowers can provide information on the specific individuals or entities engaged in these fraudulent activities, their false representations, and any evidence supporting the deceptive claims made to lure investors. CFTC False Promises Advisory

Commodity Trading Systems Sold on the Internet: Whistleblowers can report instances where individuals or entities engage in fraudulent activities by selling commodity trading systems on the internet. This can involve falsely claiming that their trading systems are highly profitable or have a proven track record of generating substantial returns. These fraudulent sellers often use deceptive marketing tactics, misrepresent the capabilities of their systems, or manipulate trading results to attract unsuspecting investors. Whistleblowers can provide information on the specific individuals or entities involved, their fraudulent practices, and any evidence supporting their claims. CFTC Trading Systems Advisory

Profits Based on Seasonal Demand or Other Well-known Public Information: Whistleblowers can report cases where individuals or entities make false claims about generating profits based on seasonal demand patterns or other well-known public information. This can include instances where individuals or entities deceive investors by falsely representing that they possess insider information or specialized knowledge that allows them to predict market trends and generate guaranteed profits. Whistleblowers can provide details about the false representations made, the specific individuals or entities involved, and any evidence supporting the fraudulent claims. CFTC Public Info Fraud Advisory

Commodity Pool Fraud: Commodity pool fraud occurs when individuals pool their money together to invest in commodities or commodity futures contracts. Fraudsters misappropriate the funds for personal use, make unauthorized trades, or provide false statements about the pool’s performance to deceive investors and divert their funds. CPO Fraud Advisory

Binary Options Scams: Binary options scams involve fraudulent schemes offering binary options trading, where investors bet on whether the price of an asset will rise or fall within a specified timeframe. Fraudsters manipulate the trading platforms, deny withdrawal requests, or engage in other deceptive practices to ensure investors lose their money. CFTC Binary Options Fraud Advisory

Off-Exchange Forex Fraud: Off-exchange forex fraud occurs when individuals or entities offer forex trading outside of regulated exchanges without being registered with the appropriate authorities. Fraudsters may use false claims of expertise, high-pressure sales tactics, or promises of guaranteed profits to attract investors. In reality, the funds may be misappropriated, and the trading results may be fabricated or unfavorable. CFTC Forex Fraud Advisory

Corrupt Practices in the Commodities and Derivatives Markets: Corrupt practices involve bribery, price manipulation, insider trading, or other illegal activities in the commodities and derivatives markets. These practices undermine the fairness and integrity of the markets, distort prices, and harm investors. Examples of corrupt practices include offering bribes to influence trading decisions, manipulating supply or demand to artificially inflate or deflate prices, or engaging in insider trading by using non-public information for personal gain. CFTC Corrupt Practices Advisory

Insider Trading or Improper Use of Information: Insider trading involves trading securities based on material nonpublic information. Individuals with access to such information, not available to the general public, use it to gain an unfair advantage in trading. Improper use of information includes tipping off others about confidential information for personal gain, thereby undermining the integrity and fairness of the market. CFTC Insider Trading Advisory

Violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, Including Failures in AML and SAR Filing Programs: Violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) refer to non-compliance with the regulations designed to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. This includes failures in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) filing programs, where financial institutions fail to implement adequate measures to detect and report suspicious transactions, allowing illicit financial activities to go undetected. CFTC Violations of BSA Advisory 

Spoofing in the Commodities and Derivatives Markets: Spoofing is a manipulative trading strategy in the commodities and derivatives markets. It involves placing orders with the intent to cancel them before execution, creating false market demand or supply. By creating an illusion of market activity, spoofers deceive other market participants and potentially profit from the resulting price fluctuations. CFTC Spoofing Advisory

Frauds Seeking to Profit from Market Volatility Related to COVID-19: These schemes take advantage of the market volatility and economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fraudsters may offer fraudulent investment opportunities, such as fake COVID-19 treatments or vaccines, or engage in deceptive trading practices to exploit fear and misinformation for personal gain. CFTC Market Volatility Advisory

Romance Investment Frauds in the Commodities and Derivatives Markets: Romance investment frauds exploit individuals through online romantic relationships. Scammers manipulate victims into investing in commodities or derivatives under false pretenses, making false promises of high returns or using the victims’ emotions to convince them to invest their money. CFTC Romance Fraud Advisory

Virtual Currency Fraud: Virtual currency fraud refers to fraudulent activities related to cryptocurrencies or virtual currencies. Fraudsters may engage in Ponzi schemes, create fake digital currency exchanges or wallets, or deceive investors into investing in non-existent or worthless cryptocurrencies. CFTC Virtual Currency Fraud Advisory

Misappropriation of Investor Funds: Misappropriation of investor funds occurs when individuals or entities entrusted with managing investor funds divert those funds for personal use or unauthorized purposes. They may use client funds for personal expenses, make unauthorized investments, or engage in other fraudulent activities. (GPT) CFTC Misappropriation case

Ponzi Schemes: Ponzi schemes are fraudulent investment schemes that promise high returns with little or no risk. They use funds from new investors to pay returns to existing investors, creating the illusion of profitability. However, no legitimate investments are made, and the scheme collapses when it becomes unsustainable. (GPT) CFTC Ponzi scheme case

1-10 from CFTC Fraud Advisories

11-18 from CFTC Advisories/Alerts