I did not make it in time. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and state regulators that are members of the North American Securities Administrators Association. Elizabeth SmithElizabeth.Smith@dfpi.ca.gov. According to the SEC's complaint, from December 2017 through at least July 2021, Safeguard and Santulan acted as investment advisers and persuaded investors to sell their existing securities, transfer the proceeds into self-directed Individual Retirement Accounts, and invest the proceeds into gold and silver coins by making false and misleading statements about the safety and liquidity of the investors' securities investments, Safeguard's business, and its compensation. Defendants/Respondents: Safeguard Metals, LLC; Santulan, Jeffrey aka Hill, Jeffrey. INVESTORS: The SEC charged Safeguard Metals, LLC and its owner Jeffrey Santulan for engaging in a multi-million dollar fraudulent scheme that reportedly targeted retirees. The following information is designed to notify you about tricky promises of easy profits from rising prices in precious metals such as gold, silver, palladium, and platinum. As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. 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, said Acting Director of Enforcement Vincent McGonagle. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. City, State. Website visitors should be aware that investment markets involve inherent risks and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. I was sold an expensive, fabricated coin at an almost 100% commission. A complaint was filed against the . We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Help us improve the DFPI website! 10. BBB encourages you to check with the appropriate agency to be certain any requirements are currently being met. Thus, all the compensation awarded goes to the new plaintiff. A favorable court ruling on behalf of a client who suffered losses in a leveraged precious metals investment scheme will proceed against the solicitor. Shop Now. 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. 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. Safeguard Metals is located in Woodland Hills, California, and Jeffrey Santulan resides in Tarzana, California. That was substantially more than the amounts the defendants represented in Safeguard Metals customer agreements. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. Securities markets may operate on Wall Street, but stocks, bonds and other securities are sold on Main Street, in our neighborhoods and even over our kitchen tables from branch offices throughout the United States. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. 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. The defendants also deceived customers into purchasing silver coins at grossly inflated prices that bore no relationship to the ranges represented to customers. Idaho will continue to partner with fellow regulators to vigorously fight to protect consumers from this and other schemes to defraud," Perkins said. In many cases, the actual market value of the precious metals purchased was substantially lower than the value of the investors retirement savings liquidated to fund their purchase. BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. For more information, please read our full privacy policy. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Safeguard Metals, LLC | The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Safeguard Metals, LLC License or Case Number : Date of Initial Action: 02/01/22 Defendants/Respondents: Safeguard Metals, LLC; Santulan, Jeffrey aka Hill, Jeffrey Documents: 02/01/22 - Complaint (PDF) About the Licensee status Safeguard Properties Safeguard Equities, Inc BRE#02112381 Real Estate Agents Safeguard Properties aka Safeguard Equities to be avoided at all costs. By connecting to the website, you acknowledge that you understand SGM's mission. 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. In response to the complaint received from Ms. ****** ****, Safeguard Properties Management LLC ("Safeguard") is a property preservation company. The litigation will be led by Jonathan S. Polish. Idaho consumers invested approximately. 1 Twitter 2 Facebook 3RSS 4YouTube var text; 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. Required fields are marked *. He is the only member of . Required fields are marked *. I thought I was buying silver at spot plus a 12% commission. Jeffrey S. Santulan, age 41 is a resident of Tarzana, California. This business is in an industry that may require professional licensing, bonding or registration. Contact the City News Service newsroom at 310-481-0404 or news@socalnews.com. BBB reports on known marketplace practices. Safeguard Metals LLC and its principal and owner, Jeffrey Santulan, also known as Jeffrey Hill, of Tarzana, are charged with having engaged in ongoing fraud to solicit $68 million from more than 450 individuals nationwide to purchase fraudulently overpriced metals and coins from its office in the San Fernando Valley, according to the state Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. . The United States 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. In this case, it was silver coins. 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. The lawsuit alleges that Safeguard Metals, LLC and Jeffery Santulan, aka Jeffery Hill, solicited investors by targeting seniors through social media platforms and websites linked to media personalities and financial gurus, also touting precious metals at grossly inflated prices that were not disclosed. 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. 2023 2 oz Silver Rabbit Coin Perth Lunar Series. As low as $52.50. The DFPI encourages consumers who have experienced unfair, unlawful, deceptive, and abusive practices from a financial service provider to file a complaint with the Department online: https://dfpi.ca.gov/file-a-complaint/. You can reach us by phone at 844-689-5754 or via e-mail. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement of allegedly ill-gotten gains, plus interest, and civil penalties. $68.51. We represent investors in claims against negligent brokers and brokerage firms. According to the complaint, Safeguard obtained approximately $67 million from the sale of coins to more than 450 mostly elderly, retail investors, and kept approximately $25.5 million in mark ups. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement of allegedly ill-gotten gains, plus prejudgment interest, and civil penalties. According to the SECs complaint, from December 2017 through at least July 2021, Safeguard and Santulan acted as investment advisers and persuaded investors to sell their existing securities, transfer the proceeds into self-directed Individual Retirement Accounts, and invest the proceeds into gold and silver coins by making false and misleading statements about the safety and liquidity of the investors securities investments, Safeguards business, and its compensation. SACRAMENTO - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a motion to intervene in the Los Angeles City Attorney's lawsuit against S&W Atlas Iron & Metal Company (Atlas Metal) for endangering the health and safety of environmental justice communities in South Los Angeles.Over several years, Atlas Metal's operations are alleged to have been launching metal shards and projectiles into . 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. If you have further questions or need more assistance, please call the DFPI's Consumer Services Office at: 1-866-275-2677. var allPs = document.getElementsByTagName("p"); What is Liberty National doing to avoid lawsuits? If the answers seem too good to be true or dont make sense, protect your savings by just walking away.. The defendants also deceived customers into purchasing silver coins at grossly inflated prices that bore no relationship to the ranges represented to customers. Do THIS Or Pledge Your Retirement To The Democrats, ALERT: Secret IRS Loophole May Change Your Life. Safeguard Metals LLC of Woodland Hills, California, targeted older investors and sold them gold and silver coins at grossly inflated prices, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission. text = allPs[i].innerHTML; Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. office said the Indiana victims . In reality, Santulan allegedly operated the company from a small leased space in a Woodland Hills, Calif. office building using sales agents. Contact our office today to discuss your case. The CFTC has issued several customer protection Fraud Advisories that provide the warning signs of fraud, including the Precious Metals Fraud Advisory, which alerts customers to precious metals fraud and lists simple ways to spot precious metals scams. INDIANA- 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. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a civil enforcement action against the same defendants alleging violations of federal Securities Laws. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. As part of the fraudulent scheme, Defendants charged fees that were almost 50% higher than the maximum fees that were disclosed to investors who purchased silver coins from Safeguard Metals. LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - U.S. bank Citigroup Inc failed on Friday in a bid to win an order from a London court that would force trade house Mercuria to pay about $270 million in potential losses . Your email address will not be published. allPs[i].innerHTML = text; On January 4, 2023, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California denied a motion to Dismiss for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction filed by the Defendant, a solicitor for Treasure Coast Bullion Group. When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. 2023 DISCLAIMER: All content within CoinWeek.com is presented for informational purposes only, with no guarantee of accuracy. this is against Safeguard Metals. 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 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. text = text.replace("https://docqnet.dfpi.ca.gov/LicenseSearch","https://portal.dfpi.ca.gov/csp?id=ssp_license_search"); We hope the message is coming across loud and clear to the precious metals industry: we will not tolerate deception and fraud in the commodities industry and are committed to holding bad actors accountable for their actions.. Daily Weather Forecast Safeguard Metals and its sales associates are alleged to have defrauded customers into transferring proceeds from retirement accounts, often consisting of funds from liquidated securities to self-directed individual retirement accounts known as SDIRAs for the purchase of 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. Read more Contact. 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. Securities Arbitration Attorneys Our FINRA arbitration lawyers work with investors to recover losses caused by securities fraud, investment fraud, and other kinds of stockbroker misconduct. 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. His demeanor was professional and pleasant and I would not hesitate to use him in future matters. The complaint alleges that Safeguard Metals and Santulan perpetrated an ongoing fraud to solicit approximately $68 million from over 450 individuals nationwide to purchase precious metals and coins, including that Safeguard Metals made false statements on its website, inflated its assets by billions, and used fear tactics to motivate senior INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana is one of 27 states filing a lawsuit against a California company accused of bilking elderly investors throughout the country out of nearly $70 million. Topics: New York February 24, 2023 36:53. The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Safeguard Metals LLC, and its owner, Jeffrey Santulan, for engaging in an alleged multi-million dollar fraud involving hundreds of investors who were at or near retirement age. The litigation will be led by Jonathan S. Polish. How many pounds does a kilo of silver weigh? Your email address will not be published. The SEC also alleged that Safeguard and Santulan represented 4% to 33% markups, but actually charged average markups of approximately 64% on its sale of silver coins. text = text.replace("https://docqnet.dfpi.ca.gov/licensesearch/","https://portal.dfpi.ca.gov/csp?id=ssp_license_search"); It is important to speak with a lawyer about your case. Both actions arose out of the CFTCs information-sharing agreement with state securities regulators, through NASAA. This is a whole series of standard personal injury claims where the plaintiff sues the defendant. 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. In reality, Santulan allegedly operated the company from a small leased space in a Woodland Hills, Calif. office building using sales agents. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement of allegedly ill-gotten gains, plus prejudgment interest, and civil penalties. . The markup that customers paid on silver coins, for example, averaged from 51 percent to over 70 percent. Brazen attempts to target senior citizens or other vulnerable populations will not be tolerated in California, DFPI Commissioner Clothilde Hewlett said. 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. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) . Indiana is one of 27 states filing a lawsuit against a California company accused of bilking elderly investors throughout the country out of nearly $70 million. . Exactech Recall Lawsuit in Lisbon, IL. The following NASAA state regulatory agencies are CFTCs co-plaintiffs in todays action and the CFTC thanks them for their cooperation: Alabama Securities Commission; Arizona Corporation Commission; Arkansas Securities Department; California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation; State of Connecticut Department of Banking; State of Florida, Office of Financial Regulation; State of Hawaii, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Idaho Department of Finance; Office of the Secretary of State, Illinois Securities Department; Indiana Securities Division; Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions; State of Maryland Ex Rel the Maryland Securities Commissioner; Attorney General Dana Nessel on Behalf of the People of the State of Michigan; Mississippi Secretary of State; Missouri Commissioner of Securities; Nebraska Department of Banking & Finance; New Mexico Securities Division; The People of the State of New York by Letitia James, Attorney General of the State of New York; North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State; Oklahoma Department of Securities; Oregon Department of Business and Consumer Services; South Carolina Attorney General; South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation; Commissioner of the Tennessee Securities Department of Commerce and Insurance; Vermont Department of Financial Regulation; Washington State Department of Financial Institutions; and the State of Wisconsin. 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