March is Fraud Prevention Month: Three steps to protect yourself from investment fraud

TORONTO, March 4, 2016 /CNW/ - March is Fraud Prevention Month and the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) are encouraging the public to research investments when making any investing decisions. The CSA recommend that investors follow these three easy steps:

1. Check registration and any disciplinary information of the person or company selling or advising about securities. The CSA National Registration Search (NRS) is a simple, free and recently updated tool that investors can use to check registration, categories of registration and any disciplinary information about registrants all in one place.
   
   The CSA recently redesigned the NRS webpage to help investors check an adviser's current registration more quickly and easily. Since January, the CSA has been promoting the use of the NRS tool with an online advertising campaign. 
   
   
2. Check available tools and resources that the CSA offers to assist the public in learning how to protect their investments. Investors can make informed decisions if they learn how to identify the red flags of investing and use important sources of information such as the CSA Disciplined List and Cease Trade Orders database.
   
   
3. Check the news and search online to see if there are any news releases, investor alerts or other information about the company or person.

"CSA investor education tools and resources are designed to help Canadians to be informed investors, which is one of the best defences against investment fraud," said Louis Morisset, Chair of the CSA and President and CEO of the Autorité des marchés financiers. "The CSA is here to help investors protect their money and learn how to avoid investment fraud. It starts with checking the registration of the person or company selling or advising you about investment products."

The CSA invites investors across Canada to participate in the annual Check Registration Day on Wednesday, March 16, 2016. Checking registration is easy and a great step to take in preventing investment fraud. During Fraud Prevention Month, follow the hashtag #FPM2016 or tweets from @CSA_News for additional helpful tips and information on being a smart investor and preventing fraud.

The CSA, the council of the securities regulators of Canada's provinces and territories, co-ordinates and harmonizes regulation for the Canadian financial markets.

For more information:

Kristen Rose	Mark Dickey
Ontario Securities Commission	Alberta Securities Commission
416-593-2336	403-297-4481
Richard Gilhooley	Sylvain Théberge
British Columbia Securities Commission	Autorité des marchés financiers
604-899-6713	514-940-2176
Ainsley Cunningham	Andrew Nicholson
Manitoba Securities Commission	Financial and Consumer Services
204-945-4733	Commission, New Brunswick
506-658-3021
Tanya Wiltshire	Janice Callbeck
Nova Scotia Securities Commission	Office of the Superintendent of Securities
902-424-8586	P.E.I.
	902-368-6288
John O'Brien	Rhonda Horte
Office of the Superintendent of Securities	Office of the Yukon Superintendent of
Newfoundland and Labrador	Securities
709-729-4909	867-667-5466
Jeff Mason	Tom Hall
Nunavut Securities Office	Northwest Territories
867-975-6591	Securities Office
	867-767-9305
Shannon McMillan
Financial and Consumer Affairs
Authority of Saskatchewan
306-798-4160

SOURCE Canadian Securities Administrators

For further information: Kristen Rose, Ontario Securities Commission, 416-593-2336; Richard Gilhooley, British Columbia Securities Commission, 604-899-6713; Ainsley Cunningham, Manitoba Securities Commission, 204-945-4733; Tanya Wiltshire, Nova Scotia Securities Commission, 902-424-8586; John O'Brien, Office of the Superintendent of Securities, Newfoundland and Labrador, 709-729-4909; Jeff Mason, Nunavut Securities Office, 867-975-6591; Shannon McMillan, Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan, 306-798-4160; Mark Dickey, Alberta Securities Commission, 403-297-4481;Sylvain Théberge, Autorité des marchés financiers, 514-940-2176; Andrew Nicholson, Financial and Consumer Services Commission, New Brunswick, 506-658-3021; Janice Callbeck, Office of the Superintendent of Securities,P.E.I., 902-368-6288; Rhonda Horte, Office of the Yukon Superintendent of Securities, 867-667-5466; Tom Hall,Northwest Territories Securities Office, 867-767-9305