12. STAY CONNECTED The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Safeguard Metals LLC, and its owner, Jeffrey Santulan, for engaging in a multimillion dollar fraudulent scheme involving hundreds of investors who were at or near retirement age. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement of allegedly ill-gotten gains, plus prejudgment interest, and civil penalties. VanessaBenedict.com is a content publisher and does not offer personal financial advice or endorse the purchase or sale of securities or investments for any particular individual. I have filed complaint forms with the SEC, Commodities Future Trading Company, CA Department of Business Oversight. Your email address will not be published. "We will take action when, as alleged, parties fraudulently induce investors to sell their securities through lies and deception.". Both actions arose out of the CFTCs information-sharing agreement with state securities regulators, through NASAA. The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and a bipartisan coalition of 27 states, alleges that Safeguard Metals deceived nearly 450 investors nationwide by fraudulently soliciting nearly $68 million for precious metals and misrepresenting its exorbitant fees charged to investors. Safeguard Metals LLC and its principal and owner, Jeffrey Santulan, also known as Jeffrey Hill, are charged with having engaged in ongoing fraud to solicit approximately $68 million in funds from more than 450 individuals nationwide to purchase fraudulently overpriced metals and coins from its office in Southern California. He was direct and asked all the questions that were relevant and provided me with very thoughtful feedback and some useful contacts. I recently got scammed by SafeguardMetals, a service that promised to provide precious metals investment opportunities. The defendants also deceived customers into purchasing silver coins at grossly inflated prices that bore no relationship to the ranges represented to customers. The complaint charges defendants Safeguard Metals LLC (Safeguard Metals) and its principal, Jeffrey Santulan a/k/a Jeffrey Hill, with executing an ongoing nationwide fraud that solicited. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Idaho consumers invested approximately $1.3 million in the scheme. Updated at 2:49 pm on February 2, 2022 Attorney General Todd Rokita today filed a lawsuit with 26 other states and a federal agency against Safeguard Metals, a business that schemed to trick elderly victims into investing in wildly overvalued precious metals. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile. That was substantially more than the amounts the defendants represented in Safeguard Metals customer agreements. Shop Now. The man that opened my account has been fired.Now I can't get anyone to return my calls.The only thing I get is a bill for services.Yesterday I left 7 voice mails.Last week 5 voice mails.Still no return call. We are committed to holding those accountable who undermine the investing publics trust in our commodities markets through illegal conduct., Todays action demonstrates the commitment of state and federal regulators to work together to prevent investment fraud, said Joseph P. Borg, Co-chair of NASAAs Enforcement Section and Director of the Alabama Securities Commission. I will likely not live long enough to see this money ever recovered unless I can join a class action suit against Safeguard Metals. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. As alleged, Safeguard fraudulently marketed itself as a full-service investment firm with offices in London, New York City, and Beverly Hills that employed prominent individuals in the securities industry and had $11 billion in assets under management. Safeguard and Santulan reportedly used false and misleading statements about the safety and liquidity of the investments, Safeguards business practices, and its compensation structure. 5, Report #1509255. The complaint alleges defendants operated a fraudulent precious metals investment scheme attracting more than 450 investors and $68 million nation-wide. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Safeguard Metals LLC is a Wyoming Limited Liability Company with an office located in Woodland Hills, California. Safeguard and Santulan also allegedly misled investors about Safeguards commissions and markups on the coins, charging average markups of approximately 64% on its sales of silver coins, instead of the 4% to 33% markups that they disclosed to investors. We provide detailed analysis for Gold IRAs and Silver IRAs. Topics: New York In addition to regulating commodities, the DFPI licenses and regulates state-chartered banks and credit unions, money transmitters, the offer and sale of securities and franchises, broker-dealers and investment advisers, nonbank installment lenders, payday lenders, mortgage lenders and servicers, escrow companies, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program administrators, debt collectors, credit repair and consumer credit reporting companies, debt-relief companies, and more. Safeguard Metals LLC and its director and owner, Jeffrey Santulan, also known as Jeffrey Hill, are accused of being involved in an ongoing scam to obtain approximately $68 million in funds from more than 450 people to fraudulently purchase metals at inflated prices and wholesale currency throughout the country at her office in Southern California. In fact, the silver coins were significantly less valuable than the defendants claimed, based on the resale prices the firm marketed and promoted. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has joined a lawsuit with 26 other states and a federal agency against Safeguard Metals, a business accused of scheming to trick seniors into investing in "wildly overvalued precious metals," according to a statement released by the AG's Office on Tuesday, Feb. 1. SGM does not provide trading advice. For contact information, visit the NASAA website here. The lawsuit alleges that Safeguard Metals used false statements on its website, inflating its assets by billions and using fear tactics to motivate senior citizens to purchase the precious metals. "I spoke to Mr Sonn on a complex legal matter. If you or your loved one experienced investment losses, we are here to help. office said the Indiana victims . Thurston, Teply and a third Idaho Safeguard distributor, Craig Empey, of Idaho Falls, who was not involved in the lawsuit, had combined annual sales of $1.82 million. Help us improve the DFPI website! text = text.replace("https://docqnet.dfpi.ca.gov/LicenseSearch/LicenseDetails/","https://portal.dfpi.ca.gov/csp?id=ssp_license_search"); Safeguard's website pitches the investments as a way to "hedge against uncontrolled government spending and dizzying money printing by the Federal Reserve." 1 Twitter 2 Facebook 3RSS 4YouTube Augusta Precious Metals Fees. Shop Now. Your email address will not be published. Business Consultants: Seed Capital. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and 27 state securities regulatory agencies that are members of the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) announced the filing of a joint civil enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against a precious metals dealer and its owner for orchestrating a $68 million fraudulent scheme targeting elderly persons nationwide. Oct 08 2022. Address: 21550 Oxnard St FL 3 Woodland Hills, CA, 91367-7105 United States Phone: Website: www.safeguardmetals.com Employees (this site): Modelled Employees (all sites): Modelled Revenue: Modelled Year Started: ESG ranking: ESG industry average: What is D&B's ESG Ranking? As the complaint alleges, to perpetuate their fraud, when questioned by customers about the value of the precious metals they purchased, the defendants claimed the silver coins were rare and carried a premium far above the base melt value to conceal their fraud and hide that customers significantly overpaid for their investments. In reality, Santulan allegedly operated the company from a small leased space in a Woodland Hills, Calif. office building using sales agents. Unfortunately, this case reflects just one of the many epidemic-level investment scams targeting senior and vulnerable populations,, When it comes to protecting the public, we will not hesitate to do everything in our power to vigorously investigate and protect their retirement savings from fraud in commodities markets,, We are committed to holding those accountable who undermine the investing publics trust in our commodities markets through illegal conduct., Todays action demonstrates the commitment of state and federal regulators to work together to prevent investment fraud,, Given the complexity of investment products, our jobs have never been more important, or more demanding., Submissions Accepted for ANA Young Numismatist Literary Awards, PMG Announces Seven Million Notes Certified, First 2023 Collector Coins From Italian Mint Honor Art of Vantivelli, Heritage Offering Special Collection of World Coins, Part II, Perth Mint Issues 2023 Australian Koala Silver Bullion Coins, US Mint Releases U.S. Army 2.5 Ounce Silver Medal March 6, Big Things Happened at the United States Mint in March, Jeff Garrett: The Box of Twenty Approach to Coin Collecting, Roger Burdette: First 1878-S Morgan Silver Dollars Struck, 2023 Congratulations Set With Silver Eagle Proof on Sale March 2, The Coins of Carthage During Hannibals War With Rome. Doug has written a book to help investors understand how gold and silver fit into a diversified portfolio, how to buy gold and silver, and what metals to buy. Safeguard Metals also fraudulently induced some customers to make purchases through cash and credit sales. A baby food company is facing a class-action lawsuit in New York after a congressional report uncovered internal documents from several companies revealing potentially dangerous levels of heavy. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and state regulators that are members of the North American Securities Administrators Association. Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Encino woman extradited from Montenegro to serve sentence for COVID loan fraud, Mullholland Drive to be closed at least 24 hours, home evacuated due to mud flow in Beverly Crest, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The complaint charges defendants Safeguard Metals LLC and its principal, Jeffrey Santulan a/k/a Jeffrey Hill with executing an ongoing nationwide fraud that solicited and received approximately $68 million in investor funds to purchase precious metals and fraudulently overpriced silver coins. Fraud Advisory: Precious Metals Fraud. 1, Report #1485959. The joint effort is the second nationwide fraud action against precious metals dealers by the CFTC with NASAA state securities regulators. We strive to use common sense and the right approach to maintain objectivity in providing recommendations that are in the interests of readers. Safeguard Properties Reviews, Complaints & Contacts | Complaints Board. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court alleges that Safeguard Metals violated the federal Commodity Exchange Act by advising elderly "investors" to cash out their savings and . Drug distributors, J&J to pay $590 mln to settle U.S. tribes' opioid claims REUTERS I was unable to withdraw my funds and customer service was not responsive. It is the mission of PNG- Accredited Precious Metals Dealer (APMD) program to instill confidence among retail buyers in the precious metals marketplace by adhering to strict guidelines for. The complaint alleges that Safeguard Metals violated the federal Commodity Exchange Act by targeting the elderly and advising them to dissolve their life savings and traditional retirement accounts in order to purchase highly inflated and overpriced metals and coins, sold by the company. Safeguard Metals is believed to be an offshoot of another company that was shut down several years earlier in Texas, and a successful Safeguard Metals broker opened his own shop recently to. Hello, I need a recommendation on attys in CA that specializes in precious metals. NASAA and its members have issued a series of investor advisories, including an advisory on matters to consider before making gold-related investments. The SEC issued a litigation release on February 2, 2022 announcing charges against Safeguard Metals, LLC and its owner, Jeffrey Santulan. "The federal securities laws prohibit deceptive conduct and material misrepresentations in the purchase or sale of securities," said Kathryn A. Pyszka, an Associate Director in the SECs Chicago Regional Office. The litigation will be led by Jonathan S. Polish. To check the status of this licensee, visit Financial Services and Mortgage Lending Licensees Search. The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Safeguard Metals LLC, and its owner, Jeffrey Santulan, for engaging in a multi-million dollar fraudulent scheme involving hundreds of investors who were at or near retirement age. Since precious metal prices keep fluctuating, we recommend that you contact Augusta Precious Metals now to find out the exact amounts you are required to pay. A favorable court ruling on behalf of a client who suffered losses in a leveraged precious metals investment scheme will proceed against the solicitor. Acetabular metal shell (this is the metal "socket" that goes into your native hip socket) Acetabular liner (plastic / polyethylene) liner (the cushion that . The defendants advised investors to liquidate their holdings at registered investment firms to fund investments in precious metals through self-directed individual retirement accounts. We represent investors in claims against negligent brokers and brokerage firms. The complaint further alleges that Safeguard's sales agents used prepared scripts, some written by Santulan, that were filled with false and misleading statements about how the market was going to crash and how their retirement accounts would be frozen under a new 'unpublicized' law. For more information, please read our full privacy policy. The SECs investigation was conducted by Jedediah B. Forkner and Jean M. Javorski of the SECs Chicago Regional Office, and was supervised by Anne C. McKinley. Criminal cases involve acts that are considered prejudicial to the tradition as a whole (thus they are generally considered crimes against the state or against the jurisdiction of the competent prosecutor). The Roundup class action lawsuit alleged that Monsanto mislabeled certain products on the grounds that Roundup Weed & Grass Killer only targets fermented plants and not just humans or pets. This joint civil enforcement action against the precious metals dealer is understood to be the second of its kind, after the CFTC and state regulators filed an action in 2020 against Metals.com and its principals, Lucas Asher and Simon Batashvili. Alts News; SEC Charges Adviser with Running Precious Metals Scheme Targeting Retail Investors. The SECs complaint, which was filed in federal district court in Los Angeles, Calif., charges Safeguard and Santulan with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. Whistleblowers are eligible to receive between 10% and 30% of the monetary sanctions collected paid from the Customer Protection Fund financed through monetary sanctions paid to the CFTC by violators of the CEA. In reality, Santulan allegedly operated the company from a small leased space in a Woodland Hills, Calif. office building using sales agents. The stockbroker and investment fraud lawyers at Sonn Law Group dedicate their entire practice to protecting the interests of investors who have lost money as a result of the negligent or wrongful conduct of those entrusted with protecting and growing our money. The lawsuit which includes the state of California among plaintiffs alleges that Safeguard Metals used false statements on its website, inflating its assets by billions and using fear tactics to motivate senior citizens to purchase the precious metals. A California man accused of conning elderly clients out of millions while acting as an investment . BBB encourages you to check with the appropriate agency to be certain any requirements are currently being met. Safeguard Metals is located in Woodland Hills, California, and Jeffrey Santulan resides in Tarzana, California. The CFTC Division of Enforcement staff members responsible for this action are Steve Turley, Clemon Ashley, Jeff Le Riche, Christopher Reed, and Charles Marvine; in partnership with enforcement authorities from NASAA member agencies, led by the Alabama Securities Commission and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. This action to stop a large-scale precious metals scheme is the latest in an ongoing effort by state and federal regulators working cooperatively to protect investors. These are bullion coins made by the Royal Canadian Mint and contain metal . Safeguard and Santulan also allegedly misled investors about Safeguard's commissions and markups on the coins, charging average markups of approximately 64% on its sales of silver coins, instead of the 4% to 33% markups that they disclosed to investors. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); With FNG's Newsletter you'll get all the latest breaking FX Industry news stories - in a concise daily email, directly to your Inbox. 165 Broadway 23rd Floor New York City NY, 10006 *by appointment only. CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors, This joint investigative effort between the CFTC and 27 state regulators represents our mutual interest in protecting main street investors,, A cross-agency approach enhances our ability to protect investors and the integrity of our markets., This action to stop a large-scale precious metals scheme is the latest in an ongoing effort by state and federal regulators working cooperatively to protect investors. Investors are advised to check the registration of all investment products and professionals, and ask tough questions about fees, markups, risks, and potential returns. "-Sonn Law Group Client. Safeguard Metals is located in Woodland Hills, California, and Jeffrey Santulan resides in Tarzana, California. The complaint charges defendants Safeguard Metals LLC (Safeguard Metals) and its principal, Jeffrey Santulan a/k/a Jeffrey Hill with executing an ongoing nationwide fraud that solicited and received approximately $68 million in investor funds to purchase precious metals and fraudulently overpriced silver coins. BBB reports on known marketplace practices. In a simultaneous filing, the SEC commenced a suit against Safeguard Metals LLC and Jeffrey Santulan for violations arising from the fraudulent precious metals scheme and exorbitantly priced silver coins and for rendering unlawful investment advice. 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