By:  LINDSEY O’NEILL, ESQ.

Bernie Madoff will be spending a lot of time in prison after being sentenced to a term of 150 years for his financial crimes.  Sure, it is one of the strongest sentences for while collar crimes to date.  But, that’s what you get for several counts of securities fraud, investment advisor fraud, mail fraud, money laundering and theft…     In his 70′s now, Madoff has essentially received a life sentence in prison for conducting a multi-billion dollar ponzi scheme. 

Madoff defrauded a lot of people.. including some pretty smart and financially savvy people.  So, if even so called “sophisticated investors” can become victims of this kind of fraud, how is the average person supposed to protect themselves against it? 

The FBI has a handy little test on its website:  Don’t Be Cheated – Test Your Fraud Awareness.  Check it out…. you might be surprised by the results. 

For more information about white collar crime or other criminal law matters, contact a criminal defense attorney or  white collar crime lawyer.  You can also visit LawInfo’s Free Legal Resource Center to learn more about the law.