The SEC has regulatory staff and the ability to prosecute in criminal courts, but the number of cases investigated is minuscule when compared to the complaints received. State attorneys general and local district attorneys bear most of the burden, receiving and investigating complaints from residents as well as referrals from the FTC and SEC, but are pressured locally to prosecute other criminal cases. Also, if the fraud cases involve mature victims, defense attorneys typically try to position the older adults as senile and therefore not credible witnesses for the prosecution. The National Consumers League and its National Fraud Information Center are conducting an ongoing information campaign. Better Business Bureaus add more consumer awareness.
Fraud continues unabated.
Avoiding the fraud Government agencies have been unable to stop Internet and telemarketing fraud. Civil laws are weak, and few criminal cases are prosecuted. Robbers without weapons, those who practice fraud, walk freely to the bank with their ill gotten gains. The intended victim cannot look to government or prosecutors to stop the fraudulent pitch before it is made.