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SALT LAKE CITY -- If you think you're too smart to be fooled by investment fraud, remember that hundreds of Utahns thought the same thing.
That was before they got taken.
In order to increase awareness of the pitfalls of fraud, there is a "Fraud College" available this month.
June 30
Utah Valley University Ballroom
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Free, for more info click here
Bernard Madoff stole tens of millions of dollars in a spectacular web of fraud that has now landed him with a life prison term.
But there are plenty of examples of investment fraud closer to home, too. Last year 4,000 Utahns lost an estimated $750 million to it.
Adam Titus is a victim of what's known as "affinity fraud," a violation of trust from someone -- in this case Val Southwick of Ogden -- who is associated with a church, community group or social network.
"He said to me at the time that 'We probably do not need to have a contract at all. We can just go to the temple together and we can consummate our transaction there,'" Titus said.
At the taping of this week's Sunday Edition with Bruce Lindsay, attorney and investment fraud expert Brent Baker says he's committed to making people more aware of scammers through Fraud College.
Coming Up:
"If you don't understand the investment, if whoever is presenting this to you tells you what they're going to use your money for and you don't understand it, don't invest," Baker said.
The bottom line is, Fraud College gives people tools so they can protect themselves -- much more effective than relying on officials.
The seminars will include comments from ex-cons, who give insight about how they size up victims.
"It helps by bringing some expert in that will talk about the psychology behind why someone is a victim, about why someone is a perpetrator," said Michael Hines with the Utah Division of Securities. "It will talk about do's and don'ts."
Fraud College takes place June 30 at Utah Valley University. It's free to the public.
To see the full interviews and more on this month's Fraud College, watch Sunday Edition at 9 a.m. on KSL-5 TV and on KSL.com.
E-mail: rpiatt@ksl.com
