California has been the target for several stock and investment frauds in the past. 2004 was a particularly devastating year for investment frauds. The biggest scam that was perpetrated was an insurance agent securities fraud. This fraud involved life insurance agents and their clients. The insurance agent sold their clients high risk investment products that they were not licensed to sell. In return the agent received a large commission while their clients lost their money. Other investment frauds that targeted California residents included: senior investment frauds, variable annuity scams, mutual fund business practices, Ponzi Schemes, Promissory Note scams, affinity frauds, viaticals, oil and gas investment schemes. This list of California stock frauds costs California residents millions of dollars. While these particular scams and frauds were listed as frauds from 2004, many of these frauds have been repackaged and redistributed to new victims after 2004. If you think that you may have been a victim of one of these investment frauds or of another type of stock fraud then you should look for a securities attorney in your city. If you live in a city that does not have a securities attorney or an SEC lawyer, then you can look in the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, or Los Angeles. When shopping for an attorney make sure that you look at their educational background, their affiliations, and their win/loss record. If you have a family attorney or an attorney that handles your business’ affairs ask them for a referral to the best securities attorney in your area.