Investment Fraud Lawyers
Representing investors nationwide in claims against financial advisers, promoters, and the firms behind an investment that was not what it was sold as.
Investment fraud is a broader category than securities fraud in a brokerage account. It includes the registered investment adviser who put a client into a product that paid the adviser, the promoter who raised money for a business that did not exist as described, the private placement whose offering document left out what mattered, and the scheme that paid old investors with new investors’ money. Industria Business Lawyers represents investors in those claims nationwide, against the people who sold the investment and, where the facts support it, the firms that employed or supervised them.
This page explains the forms investment fraud takes, who can be held responsible, where each kind of claim is brought, the deadlines that apply, and what to gather before you call. Every rule and statute cited was read at its source on 16 September 2026. Every matter is reviewed on its own facts. Not every loss can be pursued, and you will hear that plainly either way. A consultation is free.
Investment Fraud Claims We Handle
SEC Rule 10b-5 makes it unlawful, in connection with the purchase or sale of any security, to employ a scheme to defraud, to make an untrue statement of a material fact or omit a fact needed to keep what was said from being misleading, or to engage in any practice that operates as a fraud. Florida’s section 517.301, Florida Statutes, reaches the same conduct in connection with investment advice as well as the offer, sale, or purchase of any investment or security. These are the forms it takes in practice.
Investment Adviser Misconduct
A registered investment adviser owes the client a duty to put the client’s interests first. Recommendations that served the adviser’s compensation, undisclosed conflicts, and accounts managed against the client’s stated objectives are the usual claims. Because investment advisory firms are not FINRA members unless they are also registered broker-dealers, these claims are usually heard in arbitration under the advisory agreement or in court.
Private Placements That Misrepresented the Business
An offering memorandum that overstated the assets, understated the risks, or omitted the promoter’s own dealings with the company. Under section 517.211, Florida Statutes, a sale made in violation of the statute’s registration and dealer provisions may be rescinded at the purchaser’s election, with the seller and any director, officer, partner, or agent who participated in the sale jointly and severally liable.
Ponzi and Affinity Schemes
Returns paid from new investors’ money, often sold through a community, a church, or a profession the promoter belonged to. The claim may lie against the promoter, the adviser who introduced the investment, the firm that employed the adviser, and in some cases the institutions that handled the money.
Unregistered Offerings and Unlicensed Sellers
Investments sold by people who were not licensed to sell them, or offerings that should have been registered and were not. Florida’s chapter 517 gives purchasers remedies in both situations, and the seller’s lack of a license can be central to the case.
Crypto and Digital Asset Fraud
Fake platforms, pig-butchering schemes, rug pulls, and token offerings that misrepresented the project. Recovery depends on tracing the assets and identifying who holds them. See the firm’s Legal Recovery for Cryptocurrency Fraud page for how those matters are assessed.
Brokerage Account Claims
Where the person who sold the investment was a broker at a FINRA member firm, the claim goes to FINRA arbitration, and the firm’s failure to supervise the broker is usually the path to holding it responsible. See the firm’s Securities Fraud Attorneys for Investors and FINRA Arbitration & Dispute Resolution pages.
Who Can Be Held Responsible, Where, and by When
Investment fraud claims turn on three questions that the firm answers from the documents before anything is filed.
Who. The person who made the false statement is the obvious defendant and often the one with the least money. A claim is more likely to be collectible when it reaches the adviser’s firm, the broker-dealer that employed the seller, the issuer whose documents were false, or the officers and agents who participated in the sale. Under section 517.211, Florida Statutes, every director, officer, partner, or agent of the seller who personally participated or aided in an unlawful sale is jointly and severally liable with the seller.
Where. Claims against a FINRA member firm or its broker go to FINRA arbitration under FINRA Rule 12200, a national forum in which, under Rule 12208, a party may be represented by an attorney in good standing admitted to practice before the highest court of any U.S. state, unless the law of a state with jurisdiction over the representation prohibits it. Claims against a registered investment adviser go to the forum the advisory agreement names, or to court. Claims against a promoter or an issuer with no arbitration agreement go to state or federal court. Where several parties are involved, which forum applies to which party is the first question the firm answers.
By when. Several clocks can run at once and the shortest controls. Under FINRA Rule 12206, a claim is not eligible for arbitration once six years have passed from the event giving rise to it. Under 28 U.S.C. section 1658(b), a private claim for fraud under the federal securities laws must be brought within the earlier of two years after discovery of the facts constituting the violation or five years after the violation. Under section 95.11(3)(i), Florida Statutes, an action founded on fraud must be brought within four years. Under section 95.11(5)(f), an action founded on a violation of chapter 517, Florida Statutes, must be brought within two years from when the facts giving rise to it were discovered or should have been discovered with due diligence, and not more than five years from the date of the violation. Other states set their own periods. When each period begins is often the real dispute, particularly where the fraud was concealed, so bring the dates.
Can it be collected. A judgment against a promoter who has spent the money is a piece of paper. Before advising a client to file, the firm looks at who holds assets, whether an insurer or a firm stands behind the seller, and whether the money can be traced. Some losses cannot be recovered through legal action, and the client hears that at the outset.
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Felipe Pinto from Revolve Labs
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The attorneys were incredibly responsive, guiding me through every step of the process with clarity and professionalism.
They took the time to address all my questions and concerns, ensuring that I felt confident in each decision we made. Their attention to detail and thoroughness were evident in the documents they prepared, which gave me peace of mind. What stood out most was their commitment to my vision. They not only provided legal advice but also offered valuable insights into the industry, helping me navigate potential challenges and seize opportunities.
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Jeff from Solar Carbon Credit Fund
Client testimonials describe individual experiences. You may not obtain the same or similar results.
How We Work an Investment Fraud Claim
The offering documents, the advisory or subscription agreement, account statements, wire records, and every communication with the person who sold the investment, read against what the investor was told.
The seller, the seller’s firm, the issuer, and the officers and agents who participated, identified from the documents and public registration records, with an assessment of which of them can pay.
FINRA arbitration, another arbitral body, or court, decided party by party, with the six-year FINRA rule, the federal two-and-five-year rule, and the state period each measured from its own starting event.
Where recovery depends on locating assets, tracing through bank and blockchain records and preservation demands to the institutions that hold them.
The Statement of Claim, arbitration demand, or complaint, drafted to frame the facts, the causes of action, and the damages, with the exhibits that prove each.
The seller’s and the firm’s records pursued, depositions taken, and mediation prepared with a damages analysis and the documents that support it.
Argument before the panel or the court; then confirmation, judgment, and the post-judgment work that turns an award into money.
FAQ
01 • Investors What is the difference between investment fraud and securities fraud?
Securities fraud is fraud in connection with the purchase or sale of a security, the conduct SEC Rule 10b-5 prohibits. Investment fraud is the broader category that also covers advisers, promoters, unregistered offerings, and schemes where what was sold may or may not have been a security. The distinction matters for which law applies and where the claim is brought.
02 • Investors The promoter has disappeared. Is there anyone else to pursue?
Often. The adviser who introduced the investment, the firm that employed the adviser, the issuer, and the officers and agents who participated in the sale may each be responsible under section 517.211 or the federal securities laws. Identifying them from the documents is the first step.
03 • Investors Do I have to live in Florida?
No. Industria Business Lawyers represents investors nationwide. FINRA arbitration is a national forum, and claims outside FINRA are assessed according to where they must be brought.
04 • Investors How long do I have to bring a claim?
Deadlines depend on the forum and the claim. In FINRA arbitration, the eligibility rule and state limitation periods can both apply, and the date the fraud was discovered often matters. Timing is one of the first questions reviewed when the documents come in.
05 • Investors What should I gather before I call?
The offering documents or product materials; the agreement you signed; account statements and wire or payment records; every email, text, and letter with the person who sold the investment, in date order; your own notes of what you were told; and a figure for the amount lost with the year the losses occurred.
Investors nationwide. Call (202) 860-1210 or describe what happened briefly through the form, without account numbers or other confidential details, and the firm will ask for the documents after its conflict check. Free consultation. Every matter is reviewed on its own facts.
This page provides general information about investment fraud claims and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Industria Business Lawyers. Rules and statutes cited were read at their source on 16 September 2026. Sources: SEC Rule 10b-5 (17 C.F.R. 240.10b-5); 28 U.S.C. 1658(b); sections 95.11, 517.211, and 517.301, Florida Statutes (2026); FINRA Rules 12200, 12206, and 12208.