|
NEWARK
- The New Jersey Bureau of Securities, in
conducting educational outreach at the state’s
military bases, has identified financial scams
targeted at members of the armed services
and responded by creating a program that has
become a national model for addressing these
fraudulent securities activities.
“A
Salute to Smart Investing,” developed
by Debora C. Whipple, NJBOS’ Investor
Education Director, is a 28-page guide on
safe investing that is intended to protect
members of the military from investment fraud.
The guide has proven so popular that it is
being shipped to military bases throughout
the country and has been requested at installations
in approximately ten other countries.
“Our
Bureau of Securities is a recognized national
leader in pro-active investor education and
outreach," Attorney General Anne Milgram
said. "Because of its outreach to military
bases in New Jersey, the BOS identified scams
being attempted against military personnel
and responded with a program that is now being
requested throughout the U.S. military.''
The
30,000 copies of the guide produced to date
were funded without cost to N.J. taxpayers
through a grant from a non-profit organization
devoted to investor education, the Investor
Protection Trust in Washington, D. C. Whipple,
a 5-year employee of the NJBOS, researched
the topics contained within the guide and
oversaw the writing and production of the
guide by an outside publishing company.
“After
discussing financial and investor education,
I would often be approached by one or two
attendees who had a concern about something
they feared was a fraud, something they were
either considering doing, or something they
had already started to proceed with,”
Whipple said. “It was heartbreaking.
It became apparent that information coming
from a securities regulator brought up important
red flags for them about frauds.”
Topics
within the guide include “avoiding inappropriate
investments,” “red flags,”
“scams that target the military,”
and “balancing risk and return.”
Most
importantly, the guide is unique to the military
as it contains military financial contacts
and military financial information and programs.
The guide lists contact information for military,
state, and other reputable agencies and resources
that are available to help military personnel
and their families in need of financial information
or who find themselves the victims of financial
frauds.
“The
military is vigilant in protecting our nation
and the Bureau of Securities is working hard
to protect our soldiers, sailors, marines,
airmen and coast guardsmen from the scam artists
who seek to cheat and defraud them,”
said Amy Kopleton, Acting Chief of the NJBOS.
As
part of “Military Saves Week,”
Whipple will be presenting NJBOS’ program
at a joint event hosted by Fort Dix, McGuire
AFB and Naval Air Engineering Station (NAES)
Lakehurst at the Fort Dix location on Friday,
February 27. Whipple also will be giving briefings
at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst
and Earle Naval Weapon Station.
In
addition to printed copies, some branches
of the military have posted the entire guide
on their websites. The guide is in a downloadable
format making it available to military members
through the internet.
The
guide is posted on the Bureau’s website,
www.njsecurities.gov.
#
# # |
