"If the investment
opportunity sounds too good to be true, it usually is," Wood added. As sales of variable annuities have
risen, so have complaints from investors -- most notably, the
omission of disclosure about costly surrender charges and steep
sales commissions. Donors need to check out the charity
carefully, demand details, beware of excessive pressure, and make
sure any donations are tax deductible. E-mail scammers are sending
out pleas for help from phony survivors, invading recipients'
computers and stealing financial and other information from those
who click on links in the documents. The NASD, together with
the SEC, recently settled a major mutual fund practice case
against a firm that specialized in selling expensive systematic
investment plans to military personnel.

6. One of the riskiest investment products,
viatical contracts are interests in the death benefits of life
insurance policies. Living Trust Mills and Other Pretext Solicitations to Seniors.

10. The message is
designed to sound as if the caller didn't realize that he or she
was leaving a hot stock tip on the wrong message machine.

11 .
(Logo: http://www.newscom. at the Sheraton Hotel in South Burlington, Vermont.

coercion saif

9.identitytheft911 . By making these services
available to its entire membership, New England Federal Credit Union
exemplifies the leadership and consumer focus that are absolutely necessary to
bring the identity theft crisis under control."
Additional information about the identity theft resolution and consumer
education services is available at the New England Federal Credit Union web
site, nefcu.

Free Seminar on Identity Theft
New England Federal Credit Union and the Office of the Attorney General of
Vermont will co-sponsor a free seminar on identity theft on Thursday, February
17 at 8:00 a. Online Banking
Report named Identity Theft 911 one of "the 10 most significant innovations
and developments of 2003," including the company on its list of "10 industry
developments that provide the best glimpse at the future of online financial
services delivery.

undue criminology

3. Typically an unknown company is offering
eye-popping returns from some plausible sounding, but vaguely
described business activity. These investments are extremely risky for
numerous reasons, including difficulty predicting life expectancy ,
the promoter not paying policy premiums as promised, or the
promoter simply stealing the investor 's money. The initial approach to clients may be to
solicit seniors at "seminars" purportedly designed to educate
participants about the benefits of living trusts or other estate
planning subjects such as Medi-Cal planning or general financial
planning. Wrong Numbers and Stock Tips Scam.

collar prosecute

Low interest rates, rising health care
costs and an increased life expectancy have set seniors up as
targets for con artists peddling investment fraud, including
promissory notes, charitable gift annuities and viatical
settlements. Investors get a share of the death benefit
when the insured later dies , after a fee is paid to the viatical
investment broker. Last year,
Corporations obtained a judgment of $20 million against a
fraudulent viatical investment firm in San Diego.com.

bunco undue

The fines will be used for restitution to
affected investors with the balance used for investor education
for the U.

aarp perpetrators

Ponzi/Pyramid Schemes. Predatory salespeople target military recruits
and active military service personnel who are misled into
purchasing unsuitable investment products. The firm agreed to pay $12
million following findings that the plans were sold in a
misleading fashion.

12.m.

apri saif

Seniors are particularly targeted because they often
have access to a large amount of assets as a result of a lifetime
of savings and buildup of home equity.

4. These seminars misrepresent the actual business of the
sales representative and the true purpose of the solicitation.

About New England Federal Credit Union
New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) is a member-owned financial
cooperative dedicated to improving the financial well-being of its members.
NEFCU serves the six counties of Northwestern Vermont.

fraud perpetrators

Online escrow
services are often used for expensive online purchases such as
computers, electronics, jewelry, and cars."

nabi apri

Investors can contact Corporations before they invest
to check the registration status of the investment they are
considering and /or the licensing status of the person who is selling
it through a toll-free telephone number, 1-866 -ASK-CORP
(1-866-275-2677). Such schemes are often spread by word
of mouth through groups such as churches, ethnic groups, or
professional affiliations, frequently in an atmosphere of secrecy .

7.

pitfalls bunco

Charity/Tsunami Scam. military and their families. In an enforcement action brought by
Corporations , a firm offered one-year certificates of deposits
(CDs) that were purportedly FDIC-insured with yields substantially
higher than those actually available from any actual FDIC-insured
institution. The firm paid the bonus out of its own pocket;
investors were tricked into sales of annuities.

Topics can include fiduciary abuse, specialized scams against seniors, specialized units focused on elder financial abuse and inovative projects focused on this subject.

pitfalls collar

Corporations advises potential investors to protect themselves
from becoming victims of fraud by doing their homework before making
an investment .
The formula is simple: Promise high returns to investors and use
their money to pay previous investors. The
real goal of the sales agent is to obtain detailed personal
financial information , which will then be used to sell the senior
an unsuitable or unlawful financial or investment product . Bait and Switch Schemes. Affinity Group Fraud.ca., New England Federal Credit Union
and Identity Theft 911 (http://www.identitytheft911.

victimization perpetrators

2.
"Consumer education is essential in preventing this crime," said Identity
Theft 911 Chairman Adam Levin, former Director of the New Jersey Division of
Consumer Affairs, "and for those who do become victims, awareness and rapid
response can limit the damage significantly.

Although financial abuse is often mixed with other types of elder abuse , it is a specialized field.

steal conservatorships

Most recently, Corporations launched a sweep of broker-dealer
offices statewide to weed out fraudulent sales practices of
variable annuities.

8.
The Department of Corporations is California's Investment and
Financing Authority.
"Protecting the privacy and security of our members is a top priority,"
said New England Federal Credit Union Executive VP and COO John Dwyer, "That's
why we've been working actively to inform our members about identity theft
since 2000. Anyone living, working,
or attending school in Chittenden, Grand Isle, Franklin , Lamoille, Washington,
or Addison counties is eligible to become a member.

prosecute nabi

Variable Annuities Sales . CD + Bonuses. According to the FTC report, "National and State Trends in Fraud and
Identity Theft ," identity theft accounted for 39 percent of the consumer fraud
complaints filed with the FTC last year, more than any other category. We wanted to provide the best identity theft services available to
all members, at no cost to them.

About Identity Theft 911
Identity Theft 911 ( http://www. With strategic alliances that include
myFICO/Fair Isaac, TransUnion, and AIG, Identity Theft 911 is the recognized
leader in identity theft resolution, defense, and education.

aarp conservatorships

Members of closely-knit religious,
ethnic, and cultural groups are targeted by con artists who share
or claim to share their characteristics or interest. Online Escrow Fraud. Corporations is responsible for the regulation,
enforcement and licensing of securities, franchises, off-exchange
commodities , investment and financial services, independent escrows,
consumer and commercial finance lending and residential mortgage
lending.com) today encouraged consumers
to focus on protecting against identity theft during National Consumer
Protection Week (February 7-11).com.

fraud inovative

"These schemes offer products and pitches with unrealistically
high returns that may sound tempting to many investors ," said
Corporations Commissioner William P. Wood. Military Fraud. Viatical Settlements.
This is the bait. Con
artists have also sent these fraudulent messages through e-mails
and faxes. For further information or to obtain a complaint form, please
visit Corporations' Web site at www. By making them safer and more secure against
identity theft, the Identity Theft 911 program will make a major contribution
to our members' peace of mind. The public
is invited to hear Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell and Laura Dobos,
Coordinator for Consumer Assistance Programs for the Vermont Attorney
General's office, sharing vital information that will help consumers avoid
becoming victims of this crime.

fraud scams

Corporations' SAIF (Senior Against Investment Fraud) program
regularly receives large numbers of complaints from the elderly on
living trust mills.

In an effort to combat online escrow fraud, Corporations has
issued Desist and Refrain orders to 41 Internet escrow providers since
spring 2004 to shut down fraudulent escrow sites and formed the Escrow
Fraud Task Force , a collaboration of state and federal regulators, law
enforcement, industry groups, and businesses . The two organizations urged consumers to be
vigilant in protecting their personal and financial information to avoid
becoming victims of this crime.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031122/SFSA001LOGO )
Identity theft was the nation's top consumer complaint for the fifth year
in a row in 2004, according to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC).

Web pages dedicated to the prevention, investigation and prosecution of financial abuse of the elderly.

perpetrators annuity

----The California
Department of Corporations (Corporations), California's securities
regulator, today issued a list of its "Dirty Dozen" Investment Scams
for 2005 and a warning to investors to thoroughly investigate new
investment opportunities before handing over their money. Senior Investment Fraud. Scammers promise investors tantalizingly high
rates of return on investments by including a bonus payment to
attract investors.corp.

New England Federal Credit Union and Identity Theft 911 Stress Identity Theft Awareness Consumer Education and Victim Assistance

Call 802 879-8795 or visit
the NEFCU website at nefcu. NEFCU is An Equal Housing Lender.

pitfalls steal

The North American Securities Administrators Association has
alerted investors to scams that are commonly seen throughout the
United States, and Corporations wants investors to be aware of the
most prevalent schemes that harm both consumers and legitimate
investment businesses in California. The sales agent then switches an investor into
a different investment.
New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU), the largest credit union in
Vermont, provides the nation's premier identity theft services for its more
than 66,000 members through Identity Theft 911."
If any New England Federal Credit Union member should become a victim of
identity theft, the Identity Theft 911 resolution service provides:

* A personal advocate who works with the victim one-on-one until the
crisis is resolved
* Systematic notification of agencies, businesses, and institutions
* Comprehensive case file creation for insurance and police
* Preparation of all needed documents
* A full year of follow-up alerts, phone calls, and status checks to avoid
recurrence

In addition to these free services, NEFCU also offers its members a credit
monitoring service to help them prevent identity theft from ever taking place,
along with up to $25,000 in potential compensation that will help to defray
lost wages or legal fees involved in restoring a stolen identity .

criminology steal

Con artists often try to make money out
of tragedy.

prosecute fraudulent

These surrender charges and high fees combine
with other factors to make variable annuities inappropriate for
many investors, particularly for purchases in retirement accounts.

5.com ) provides
enterprise-level fraud solutions to Fortune 500 companies, a wide spectrum of
financial institutions, and many of America's largest insurance companies and
corporate benefits providers.

apri phonebusters

Business Editors

SACRAMENTO, Calif.
The following is the list of Corporations' "Dirty Dozen"
Investment Scams for 2005 in California:

1. Investors should be very wary about
advertising in which a particular investment promises spectacular
profits, but investors have to be lured into the office to get it. Legitimate online
escrow companies act as a neutral third party that holds payment
for merchandise until the buyer receives the merchandise .

undue conservatorships

California Issues ''Dirty Dozen'' Investment Scams for 2005

Some people are finding
that they have received a "misdialed" call from a stranger,
leaving a "hot" investment tip for a friend.gov or call 1-866-ASK-CORP
(1-866-275-2677).

National Consumer Protection Week Provides Opportunity to Raise Identity Theft
Awareness

WILLISTON, Vt. NEFCU 's Identity Theft
Resolution Service provides its members with identity theft victim assistance
and consumer education at no cost to them.
New England Federal Credit Union members will also have access to the
nation's premier consumer education program on identity theft risks and
defenses . The Identity Theft 911 consumer education component provides all New
England Federal Credit Union members with emailed alerts describing new scam
techniques, a monthly newsletter, and a dedicated web site with articles,
interviews, and white papers covering every aspect of identity theft.
NEFCU works in its members' best interest to offer low-cost mortgages and
loans, checking and savings accounts , and a wide range of financial services.

nabi fraudulent

Once in the office to purchase the investment,
the sales agent discourages the investor from investing in the
advertised product. In an Asian
community in California, a finance lender charged in excess of 200
percent interest in some cases.

fraud nasaa

There may be con artists attempting to collect money
under the guise of being involved in the tsunami relief effort or
by offering phony bonds to finance the reconstruction of areas
affected by the disaster .S. Purchases through online auction sites
such as eBay have become a popular arena for fraud. However ,
a fraudulent escrow company will lure unsuspecting buyers or
sellers to transact business through their Web site and then keep
the funds and/or goods.