Safeguard's website pitches the investments as a way to "hedge against uncontrolled government spending and dizzying money printing by the Federal Reserve." The CFTC has issued several customer protection Fraud Advisories that provide the warning signs of fraud, including the Precious Metals Fraud Advisory, which alerts customers to precious metals fraud and lists simple ways to spot precious metals scams. Their fee structure includes a $50 account-opening fee, an $80 administration fee as well as a $100 storage fee, totaling $230. Case 2:22-cv-00691 Document 1 Filed 02/01/22 Page 4 of 38 Page ID #:4 - 5 - COMPLAINT FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF, CIVIL MONETARY PENALTIES, AND OTHER EQUITABLE RELIEF . A Ruling That Could End the Internet as We Know . The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and 27 state securities regulatory agencies that are members of the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) announced the filing of a joint civil enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against a precious metals dealer and its owner for orchestrating a $68 million fraudulent scheme targeting elderly persons nationwide. To check the status of this licensee, visit Financial Services and Mortgage Lending Licensees Search. If you or your loved one experienced investment losses, we are here to help. 01/23/2023. Feb. 23, 2023. Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating, Need to file a complaint? Civil cases usually involve secret disputes between individuals or organizations. text = text.replace("https://docqnet.dfpi.ca.gov/LicenseSearch/LicenseDetails/","https://portal.dfpi.ca.gov/csp?id=ssp_license_search"); "We will take action when, as alleged, parties fraudulently induce investors to sell their securities through lies and deception.". If the answers seem too good to be true or dont make sense, protect your savings by just walking away.. Benefits Opted: - As Errors and Omissions Insurance Plan can be customized as per the needs of the business, therefore, if a policy-seeker opts for wider benefits and coverage, he/she has to pay a higher premium amount to avail of the benefits and facilities. State and federal regulators filed suit Tuesday, Feb. 1 against a Woodland Hills-based precious metals sales company and its owner for allegedly perpetrating a $68 million fraud scheme that targeted the elderly by advising them to cash out their life savings and retirement accounts to purchase highly inflated and overpriced metals and coins. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This action to stop a large-scale precious metals scheme is the latest in an ongoing effort by state and federal regulators working cooperatively to protect investors. 12. The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and 27 state securities regulatory agencies that are members of the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) announced the filing of a joint civil enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against a precious metals dealer and its owner for orchestrating a $68 million fraudulent scheme targeting elderly persons nationwide. This is one of many large-scale precious metals investment schemes weve endeavored to stop since the pandemic began. 04:23 PM. In many cases, the actual market value of the precious metals purchased was substantially lower than the value of the investors retirement savings liquidated to fund their purchase. Contact the City News Service newsroom at 310-481-0404 or news@socalnews.com. The metals.com scheme affected 1600 seniors nation-wide and involved $185 million. Thus, all the compensation awarded goes to the new plaintiff. The litigation will be led by Jonathan S. Polish. Criminal cases involve acts that are considered prejudicial to the tradition as a whole (thus they are generally considered crimes against the state or against the jurisdiction of the competent prosecutor). We hope the message is coming across loud and clear to the precious metals industry: we will not tolerate deception and fraud in the commodities industry and are committed to holding bad actors accountable for their actions.. The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Safeguard Metals LLC, and its owner, Jeffrey Santulan, for engaging in a multi-million dollar fraudulent scheme involving hundreds of investors who were at or near retirement age. California man accused of using gold, metal and uncertainty to scam $68M from elderly investors. Monsanto has not acknowledged any contingent liability but has agreed to pay $39.5 million to settle the lawsuit in court. The alleged $68 million scheme, which includes $26 million in markups alone, took place from between October 2017 through at least July 2021. 0 Comments Division of Consumer Financial Protection, Division of Corporations and Financial Institutions, Licensee & Financial Service Provider Search, Actions, Order and Administrative Hearing Decisions, Central Locations for Service of Legal Process, Office of Financial Technology Innovation, Financial Services and Mortgage Lending Licensees Search, Licensees and Industries Regulated by the DFPI, Actions, Orders and Administrative Hearing Decisions. In a simultaneous filing, the SEC commenced a suit against Safeguard Metals LLC and Jeffrey Santulan for violations arising from the fraudulent precious metals scheme and exorbitantly priced silver coins and for rendering unlawful investment advice. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement of allegedly ill-gotten gains, plus interest, and civil penalties. The markup that customers paid on silver coins, for example, averaged from 51 percent to over 70 percent. Contact me online or call anytime at 844-689-5754. Recently a lawsuit was filed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Attorneys General of 27 states against precious metals company Safeguard Metals LLC and its owner Jeffrey Santulan who also used the name Jeffrey Hill accusing the company of stealing 68 million dollars from unwary mostly elderly investors by misrepresenting the exorbitant markups it charged investors . The complaint further alleges that Safeguards sales agents used prepared scripts, some written by Santulan, that were filled with false and misleading statements about how the market was going to crash and how their retirement accounts would be frozen under a new unpublicized law. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); With FNG's Newsletter you'll get all the latest breaking FX Industry news stories - in a concise daily email, directly to your Inbox. ON SALE. Unfortunately, this case reflects just one of the many epidemic-level investment scams targeting senior and vulnerable populations, said NASAA President and Maryland Securities Commissioner Melanie Senter Lubin. Acetabular metal shell (this is the metal "socket" that goes into your native hip socket) Acetabular liner (plastic / polyethylene) liner (the cushion that . Regulators sue to stop $68 million metals/coin, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Regulators sue to stop $68 million metals/coin scheme targeting elderly, San Bernardino Mountains escorts suspended as snow blankets highways, Students pepper-sprayed following race-related protest in San Bernardino, LA County reaches $28.85 million settlement with Kobe Bryants family, With soaring mountains steep in snow, heres how to avoid an avalanche, Former CHP officer charged with assaulting woman during traffic stop near Santa Clarita, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, DA Gascn suspends attorney who prosecuted transgender child molester, Reports: Kings trade Quick to Blue Jackets, acquire Korpisalo, Gavrikov, Southern Californias mountain towns remain buried under snow with more on the way, Some California cities cant stop apartment projects as developers use builders remedy, Killer keto? Robert Slattery from Metals.com Anthony Bowers and Joseph something from Metals . February 23, 2023 31:39. Safeguard Metals is a California-based company that sells investors precious metals, often in the form of "rare" or numismatic coins, as purported retirement investments. on February 2, 2022 announcing charges against Safeguard Metals, LLC and its owner, Jeffrey Santulan. Share your feedback. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) . If you or your loved one experienced investment losses, we are here to help. The Roundup class action lawsuit alleged that Monsanto mislabeled certain products on the grounds that Roundup Weed & Grass Killer only targets fermented plants and not just humans or pets. CoinWeek does not buy or sell coins or numismatic material and No endorsement or affiliation to or from CoinWeek.com is made. The complaint alleges that from approximately October 2017 and continuing through at least July 2021, the defendants fraudulently solicited and received approximately $68 million in customer fundsthe majority of which was retirement savingsfrom at least 450 persons throughout the U.S. for the purpose of purchasing precious metals, primarily consisting of gold and silver coins. The Idaho Department of Finance encourages investors to come forward if they suspect they have been targeted by similar precious metals investment schemes. Because Safeguard Metals charged exorbitant markups and severely inflated the price of the coins sold, customers allegedly suffered an immediate loss to their investments. CRD & IARD Resources. Jun 21 2021. Your email address will not be published. According to the SEC's complaint, from December 2017 through at least July 2021, Safeguard and Santulan acted as investment advisers and persuaded investors to sell their existing securities, transfer the proceeds into self-directed Individual Retirement Accounts, and invest the proceeds into gold and silver coins by making false and misleading statements about the safety and liquidity of the investors' securities investments, Safeguard's business, and its compensation. The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Safeguard Metals LLC, and its owner, Jeffrey Santulan, for engaging in a multi-million dollar fraudulent scheme involving hundreds of investors who were at or near retirement age. Help us improve the DFPI website! If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Safeguard Metals is a California-based company that sells investors precious metals, often in the form of "rare" or numismatic coins, as purported retirement investments. A baby food company is facing a class-action lawsuit in New York after a congressional report uncovered internal documents from several companies revealing potentially dangerous levels of heavy. As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. . A complaint was filed against the . According to the complaint, Safeguard Metals charged an average markup of 71 percent and more recently 51 percent on the precious metals. On January 4, 2023, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California denied a motion to Dismiss for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction filed by the Defendant, a solicitor for Treasure Coast Bullion Group. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement of allegedly ill-gotten gains, plus prejudgment interest, and civil penalties. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The complaint charges defendants Safeguard Metals LLC and its principal, Jeffrey Santulan a/k/a Jeffrey Hill with executing an ongoing nationwide fraud that solicited and received approximately $68 million in investor funds to purchase precious metals and fraudulently overpriced silver coins. In the end, nearly every customer suffered an immediate loss of their investment on the purchase of precious metals from Safeguard Metals. The defendants advised investors to liquidate their holdings at registered investment firms to fund investments in precious metals through self-directed individual retirement accounts. City News Service is a regional wire service covering Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties. this is against Safeguard Metals. Investors are advised to be particularly cautious when purchasing precious metals and to check for outrageously high commissions and markups, which weve seen as high as 30 to 70 percent, Idaho Department of Finance director Patricia R. Perkins. Indiana Attorney. The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and a bipartisan coalition of 27 states, alleges that Safeguard Metals deceived nearly 450 investors nationwide by . Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court alleges that Safeguard Metals violated the federal Commodity Exchange Act by advising elderly investors to cash out their savings and retirement accounts to purchase overpriced metals and coins, sold by the company, according to the document. Produced by Will Reid , Rob Szypko . The SEC also alleged that Safeguard and Santulan represented 4% to 33% markups, but actually charged average markups of approximately 64% on its sale of silver coins. The SECs complaint, which was filed in federal district court in Los Angeles, Calif., charges Safeguard and Santulan with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. Washington D.C., Feb. 1, 2022 . 5, Report #1509255. The markup that customers paid on silver coins, for example, averaged from 51 percent to over 70 percent. For a free consultation, please call us now at 866-827-3202 or complete our contact form. "-Sonn Law Group Client. As low as $52.50. Today roughly half of all U.S. households rely on the securities markets to plan and prepare for their . Your email address will not be published. text = text.replace("https://docqnet.dfpi.ca.gov/LicenseSearch","https://portal.dfpi.ca.gov/csp?id=ssp_license_search"); February 4, 2022 0 Attorney General Todd Rokita today filed a lawsuit with 26 other states and a federal agency against Safeguard Metals, a business that schemed to trick elderly victims into investing in wildly overvalued precious metals. My broker is in Woodland Hills, CA 91367. In reality, Santulan allegedly operated the company from a small leased space in a Woodland Hills, Calif. office building using sales agents. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Safeguard Metals LLC of Woodland Hills, California, targeted older investors and sold them gold and silver coins at grossly inflated prices, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The CFTC and NASAA thanks and acknowledges the assistance of the SEC. In fact, the silver coins were significantly less valuable than the defendants claimed, based on the resale prices the firm marketed and promoted. The defendants are also accused of failing to disclose the markup charge to investors and the risk of losing most of their investment funds. The following NASAA state regulatory agencies are CFTCs co-plaintiffs in todays action and the CFTC thanks them for their cooperation: Alabama Securities Commission; Arizona Corporation Commission; Arkansas Securities Department; California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation; State of Connecticut Department of Banking; State of Florida, Office of Financial Regulation; State of Hawaii, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Idaho Department of Finance; Office of the Secretary of State, Illinois Securities Department; Indiana Securities Division; Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions; State of Maryland Ex Rel the Maryland Securities Commissioner; Attorney General Dana Nessel on Behalf of the People of the State of Michigan; Mississippi Secretary of State; Missouri Commissioner of Securities; Nebraska Department of Banking & Finance; New Mexico Securities Division; The People of the State of New York by Letitia James, Attorney General of the State of New York; North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State; Oklahoma Department of Securities; Oregon Department of Business and Consumer Services; South Carolina Attorney General; South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation; Commissioner of the Tennessee Securities Department of Commerce and Insurance; Vermont Department of Financial Regulation; Washington State Department of Financial Institutions; and the State of Wisconsin. According to the complaint, Safeguard obtained approximately $67 million from the sale of coins to more than 450 mostly elderly, retail investors, and kept approximately $25.5 million in mark ups. Daily Weather Forecast This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Given the complexity of investment products, our jobs have never been more important, or more demanding.. In October 2020, the Department partnered with other regulators to pursue action against another precious metals dealer, TMTE Inc., also known as Metals.com, Chase Metals, and Barrick Capital. The lawsuit alleges Metals.com and its parent company TMTE defrauded $185 million from at least 1,600 investors and most are elderly$140 million of the allegedly defrauded money came from. for(i=0;i
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