The Office of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger joined with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Atlanta Regional Office and the Federal Trade Commission Southeast Regional Office to bring Georgians a free and educational teletown hall titled, “Avoiding Financial Scams: COVID-19 and Beyond.” The free event took place on Wednesday, July 22, 2020 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. EST.

Now more than ever, scammers are actively looking for ways to manipulate vulnerable investors and are using COVID-19 to prey on fear. This town hall raised awareness of the hallmarks of scams and the new and innovative ways con artists are exploiting the pandemic.

“Criminals are getting more creative every day. From fake coronavirus small business loans to misleading or fraudulent investment opportunities, every vulnerable Georgian is at risk of losing money,” said Raffensperger. “I am proud to work with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to help inform and protect Georgians from COVID-19 fraud.”

Speakers for the Wednesday event included Richard R. Best, Regional Director for the SEC Atlanta; Noula Zaharis, Director of the Georgia Secretary of State Securities and Charities Division; and Anna Burns, Regional Director for FTC Southeast Regional Office. The event was moderated by Donna Lowry, Host of GPB’s Lawmakers.

“We are happy to provide these virtual financial scams seminars to the people of Georgia,” said Zaharis. “We encourage all Georgians to be vigilant and learn how to spot common tricks con artists use to steal from investors.”