WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Office of Customer Education and Outreach today announced two events as part of its participation in World Investor Week, a global effort organized by the International Organization of Securities Commissions to raise awareness about the importance of investor education and protection with a focus on the most critical, emerging themes.

From Oct. 7-13, organizations representing over 100 jurisdictions will combine efforts to alert and empower investors as they consider participating in such areas as digital and technological investment, crypto assets, and sustainable finance.   

The first event focuses on an area of increasing concern that implicates various aspects of technology and emerging assets such as crypto. Fraudsters implementing relationship investment confidence scams are stealing billions of dollars from Americans. These scams have been linked to overseas organized crime syndicates and fuel an underground economy of human trafficking and money laundering.

During the hybrid Romance Investment Fraud: A Global-Scale Crypto Scam event, the OCEO and Dr. John Griffin, James A. Elkins Centennial Chair in Finance at the University of Texas, will discuss his paper, How Do Crypto Flows Finance Slavery? The Economics of Pig Butchering. A panel of federal regulators will also teach participants about the growing scale of this fraud, how to detect it, and how to help spread the word about this devastating crime. 

Registration is free and open to the public. The discussion is Oct. 8 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. EDT. Register today:

• Register to attend virtually
• Register to attend in Washington, D.C.
• Register to attend in Austin, Texas

OCEO will participate in a webinar hosted by the NFA, the self-regulatory organization for the U.S. derivatives industry. Anyone can become a victim of fraud, but there are tools that can help the public avoid interacting with potentially dangerous individuals. CFTC and NFA staff will highlight resources consumers can use to help protect themselves against fraud.

The free webinar, Protect Yourself: NFA and CFTC Resources, will be held Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. EDT. Register today.

About the Office of Customer Education and Outreach

OCEO is dedicated to helping customers protect themselves from fraud or violations of the Commodity Exchange Act through the research and development of effective financial education materials and initiatives. OCEO engages in outreach and education to retail investors, traders, industry organizations, and the agricultural community. The office also frequently partners with federal and state regulators as well as consumer protection groups. The CFTC’s full repository of customer education materials can be found at Learn & Protect.

Disclaimer: Professor Griffin will present the findings of his report. The CFTC has not independently verified these findings. The views presented by participants are not necessarily the views of the CFTC or the federal government, and no part of the presentation should be construed as an endorsement of any person or entity.