Asking Questions

The SEC provides a ton of free information on how not to get ripped off. Some of it is pretty basic, common sense stuff; but people still seem to fall victim to the scams, scams and more scams.

From the SEC website:

Ask Questions
That's the best advice we can give you about how to invest wisely. We see too many investors who might have avoided trouble and losses if they had asked basic questions from the start.
We encourage you to thoroughly evaluate the background of any financial professional with whom you intend to do business—before you hand over your hard-earned cash. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or have been investing for many years, it's never too early or too late to start asking questions. It's almost impossible to ask a dumb question about how you are investing your money. Don't feel intimidated. Remember, it's your money at stake. You are paying for the assistance of a financial professional."

One suggestion is to us this form as a guide for questions to ask anyone recommending you buy or sell an investment. There is a fairly simple complaint process that appears to be taken quite seriously by the commission. They will even send you information on mediation, arbitration and finding a lawyer, if it gets that far; hopefully recover your stolen money.