Agencies to hold town hall to cover COVID-19, financial fraud

The coronavirus pandemic has not only claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, left millions ill, required medical testing and tested everyone’s patience.

It has contributed to a new wave of financial fraud against consumers and investors, law enforcement officials say.

Federal agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission say fraudsters have been looking for novel ways to steal money by preying on people’s anxieties. Common frauds include:

Stock promotions and market manipulation.

„ Charitable investments.

„ Community-based financial deals.

Savings accounts, such as certificates of deposits, offering hire rates of returns.

The SEC, FBI, Federal Trade Commission and U.S. attorney’s office have scheduled a financial fraud tele-town hall at 4 p.m. Oct. 6. It’s geared for eastern Pennsylvania residents, including people from the Lehigh Valley, to learn how to identify and prevent COVID-related financial fraud.

The event is free. You do not have to register, but to participate, go to sec.gov after 3:30 p.m., and click the event link on the home page.

You can submit questions in advance to secphillyoutreach@sec.gov. An SEC official said the agency will monitor the emailed questions.

You can also help others by reporting possible securities fraud by using the SEC’s online tip, complaint and referral system: sec.gov/tcr. The FTC, Pennsylvania attorney general’s office and other agencies also investigate various types of consumer or investment scams.