The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has issued an Investor Alert regarding Nutraceutical stock scams.
Nutraceuticals are products that claim to help people to lose weight, get an energy boost, live longer or fight the common cold, and can include dietary supplements and food and drink products that contain additives purporting to provide health benefits. While some nutraceutical companies are legitimate, others could be bogus operations with the potential to harm unsuspecting investors.
The con artists behind nutraceutical stock scams may try to lure in investors with optimistic and potentially false and misleading information that in turn creates unwarranted demand for shares of small, thinly-traded companies that often have little or no history of financial success. The con artists behind these "pump and dump" scams can then sell off their shares, leaving investors with worthless stock.
To view the full alert visit www.finra.org/Newsroom/NewsReleases/2012/P126297