The best protection against investor fraud is for the investor to retain control of their financial affairs and follow some basic principles:

1.  Never defer investment decisions or trading to an advisor, salesperson, or promoter.  Those people may be sources of information that help guide your decisions - but ultimately you need to be in control of the decision.

2. Never invest in anything you don't understand or can't be easily explained to you.  It is either too good to be true or too complex for you to manage.

3. Never invest in anything that promises unrealistic or unusually high rates of return with unrealistic or unusually low stated levels of risk.

4.  Be wary of unsolicited investment advice be it from strangers, acquaintances or friends.  Sound investment advice is rarely offered on an unsolicited basis out of benevolence.