SEC Charges Additional Defendant in Phony Certificates of Deposit Scam

The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Allen C. Giltman, a former registered investment professional, with allegedly participating in a long-running fraudulent scheme to lure investors into buying fictitious certificates of deposit (CDs). The scheme resulted in victims, primarily older adults investing their retirement savings, losing at least $40 million. According to the SEC’s complaint, Giltman purchased internet ads targeting investors searching for CDs with high interest rates. The ads allegedly included links to phony websites Giltman helped create, many of which mimicked those of existing financial institutions, in order to offer investors fictitious CDs, which the websites falsely claimed were FDIC-insured.