EPILOGUE

In addition to providing a look into the world of Ponzi schemes, the past ten chapters should have tipped you off that financial frauds persist and infiltrate communities of all kinds. We are all at risk of being defrauded. Persons of any level of intelligence and financial sophistication are vulnerable to experienced con artists. The scamsters use tricks not only targeted at undermining our knowledge and ability to make rational economic decisions, but aimed at our own humanity. There is no shame in being a victim of fraud. Fraudsters are smart and calculating in the methods used to gain your confidence and your cash.

There is something you can do: educate yourself. Through financial education you can understand how to avoid fraudulent and financially inappropriate or destructive transactions. Financial education is the first line of defense against a variety of unsuitable, unfair, and unacceptable practices in the marketplace. Most importantly, financial education empowers you to exercise your consumer protection rights.

Unbelievably, fraudsters even exploit financial education, so be careful. Anyone can create an Internet website, pay for an advertisement, or put on a seminar claiming to provide the keys to savvy investing, so you need to be smart about how and where you get your information. The best unbiased financial education materials are put out by federal and state financial regulators and congressionally authorized self-regulatory organizations like the National Futures Association (NFA) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Not only can you be certain that these materials are accurate, but you can be sure that no one will be soliciting you to hand over your hard-earned cash at the end.