Beware of Stock Fraud in the
Wake of Hurricane Florence
Presented by Greg Patterson
The following information is printed with
permission from the website of the Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority (finra.org/inyestors/
alerts/beware-stock-fraud-hurricane-florence).
First, our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone as we
recover from Hurricane Florence. We continue to be amazed at
the resilience of our community and the spirit of service among
our people. This month, we would like to pass along the following
information from FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority) that was published after the storm.
It may not be possible to predict when the next natural disaster
will take place. What you can count on is that when it happens,
scammers will try to take advantage of the situation. The tips
below will help you protect yourself at any time.
Financial fraud routinely follows on the heels of disaster.
Hurricane Florence and its aftermath are no exception. We are
issuing this Alert to warn investors that investment scams may
come your way touting stocks and other investments with the
promise of huge gains in the wake of Florence.
Don’t be surprised if you receive unsolicited phone calls, emails
and texts, including from messaging apps, about investments
that exploit a variety of hurricane-related opportunities. Best bets
for scams include stocks associated with cleanup, rebuilding and
breakthroughs in science and technology that purport to address
current and future flood-related issues. While it is conceivable that
some of the claims being made may be true, many could turn out
to be bogus—or even scams. This Investor Alert explains how to
spot and protect yourself from potential investment scams.
Spotting potential Hurricane Florence Investment scams.
Unsolicited communications about investments that exploit the
latest natural disaster frequently include:
• price targets or predictions of swift and exponential growth
• the use of facts from respected news sources to bolster claims
of a price run-up; for example, that some percentage of the
billions of dollars it will take to rebuild after Florence will
contribute directly to a company’s bottom line
• mention of contracts or affiliations with federal government
agencies or large, well-known companies
• standard corporate developments, like contracting with a
supplier, presented as major events
• statements about how much easier it is for low-priced stocks
to skyrocket in value in comparison to higher-priced stocks
• pressure to invest immediately, such as “You must act now!”
How to avoid getting scammed. To avoid potential scams,
make sure you get the information you need to make a wise
investment choice.
• Investigate before you invest. Never rely solely on
information you receive in an unsolicited email, text message
or cold call from a smooth talking “analyst” or “account
executive” promoting a stock. It’s easy for companies or their
(Continued on page 8)
CONTENTS
Pine Knoll Shores Turtle Report 2
Mayor’s Memo 4
Women’s Club 4
PIKSCO Happenings 4
Puzzle Solutions 6
Country Club News 10
PKA News 12
Age-Friendly Community 12, 20
Caught Doing Something Good 13
Town Crier 14-15
Kramer’s Korner 16
Fishing and Hunting 18
At the Library 19
Events Calendar 21
Current Crossword 23
Pine KnoU Shores Commissioners Meeting 24
What’s Up With PARC? •. 24
Current Sudoko 25
Public
Safety
POLICE
During September, there was 1 arrest; 24 911 hang-ups; 27
alarm activations; 8 animal calls; 2 damage to property calls; 14
disturbance calls; 19 assist Fire/EMS calls; 10 mutual aid calls;-
140 traffic stops; 13 citations issued (2 speeding, 1 registration/
inspection, 2 license revoked/expired, 5 other traffic violations; 1
narcotics violation, 1 alcohol violation, 1 other criminal offense);
7 beach patrols; 202 business checks; 317 foot patrols; and 200
residence checks. Police personnel participated in 17 training
hours. Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) worked 25 hours.
FIRE AND EMS
In September, no report was available due to Hurricane
Florence.
REMINDER: Lock your doors, especially your vehicles, and
don’t leave valuables in sight. Report suspicious people or vehicles
to dispatch (726-1911) so that the police can be notified. You are
not “bothering” the police if you call to report something that
doesn’t look right. They prefer to assess the situation rather than
find out after the fact that you had noticed something and didn’t
report it. Alert citizens are assets to the community.
252-247-4353 ext. 19
. e-mail: Shoreline@townofpks.com
www.townofpks.com
EDITOR:
Janie Price
240-2365
EDITORS AT LARGE:
Mary Battista
422-4063
Marilyn Brandt 919-377-2501
John Brodman
Phyllis Makuck
726-7643
CONTRIBUTING
REPORTERS:
Frederick S. Boyce
Paige Gillespie
723-6276
Marian Goetzinger
Jean McDanal
422-9000
Barbara Milhaven
240-0678
Jacquie Pipkin
622-0340
Jim Scanlon
726-4174
Richard Seale
726-0478
Jim Turner
Ken Wilkins
240-2474
CIRCULATION MANAGER:
Connie Shelton
247-4353
GRAPHIC DESIGNER:
Michelle Dobbs
726-7081
ADVERTISING:
Marie Lawrence
726-7081
ARTICLE DEADLINE
DUE DATE
ISSUE
Mon., Nov. 11
Dec.
Tues., Dec. 11
Jan. 2019
Wed., Jan. 16
Feb.
Wed., Feb. 13
Mar.
Fri., Mar. 15
Apr.
Mon., Apr. 12
May
ADVERTISING DEADLINE
The 19th of the month prior
to desired issue
Articles always welcome.
November 2018 I The Shoreline