About Indiana Investment Watch
A statewide survey conducted by the Secretary of State’s office in early 2006 showed that nearly two-thirds of Indiana adults who owned financial investments had little or no knowledge about potential fraud schemes or the security of such investments.In an effort to combat this lack of investment education, Secretary of State Todd Rokita created Indiana Investment Watch to increase financial literacy in Hoosiers and to educate them about the various types of securities fraud. The program is not funded by taxpayers, but rather by the money collected from settlements in securities fraud cases.
Indiana Investment Watch has educational materials covering the various types of fraud, as well as general financial literacy tools such as a “Money Skills for Newlywed Couples” guide and Financial Football, a computer game distributed in partnership with Visa and the NFL. Workshops and outreach events held throughout the state provide more in-depth information on detecting and avoiding investment scams.
In taking a proactive approach to combating fraud, Indiana Investment Watch recognizes that the most effective form of investor protection is investor education.
About Our Office
The Indiana Secretary of State Securities Division is responsible for combating securities fraud here at home by making sure that securities-related activities occurring in the state are properly registered or qualify for appropriate exemptions. Securities—investments with different degrees of risk and different expectations of return— can include stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investments.
To help Hoosiers protect their assets, the Securities Division conducts searches free of charge on the registration of securities, franchises, loan brokers, exemption filings, broker dealers, investment advisors and enforcement actions.
In addition, if you have been the victim of investment fraud of any kind, you can report it to our office. The Secretary of State will try to recover your lost assets, if possible, and determine if an illegal action took place. Your report may also help to protect other consumers who could be taken advantage of in the future through similar schemes. Call the Indiana Secretary of State Fraud Hotline at 1-800-223-8791 or file a complaint online.
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