On May 21, 2020, the Alabama Securities Commission filed a cease and desist order against Johnnie Dancy, who pretended to be an investment advisor and who defrauded people through an e-mail phishing scam. Dancy, through the rather amusing email address [email protected], solicited various investments, including penny stocks while promising a weekly profit of $5,000 per week. He allegedly claimed that due to the COVID-19 crisis, penny stocks in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries had “HUGE SOMETIMES 1000 PERCENT RETURNS.” Investment solicitations promising inordinately high profits and written in all-caps raised red flags, at least in Alabama.
Dancy advertised his investments by giving a few cherry-picked examples of stocks that gained value as a result of the crisis, such as Amazon. He provided no evidence of his historical investment performance. These scams target the vulnerable among us, notably the elderly. Dancy utilized a global pandemic to defraud the elderly and those who are struggling to make ends meet.
If it sounds too good to be true, it’s generally not true. If you or someone you know come across investment solicitations that appear to be scams, stay away. If you know someone who has already been victimized, they should contact an attorney.
If you have not hired an attorney and wish to discuss any securities related question, please contact David A. Weintraub, P.A., 7805 SW 6th Court, Plantation, FL 33324. By phone: 954.693.7577 or 800.718.1422.