If you are worried a financial investment might be a scam, then a nagging sense of concern or mistrust is a red flag you shouldn't ignore. There are some key hallmarks to look out for, such as repeated and aggressive phone calls, instructions to act quickly or 'miss out', the offer of ‘guaranteed returns’ – something that no investment can ever promise – as well as offering high returns for low risk.

Before entering into any investment, independently verify key business information such as the registered address, company number and tax registration details. Just as importantly, check how you can get your money out when you need to.

Stocks, shares and almost anything involving debt that pays interest – such as loans or bonds – will require some form of financial regulation. However, this may not stop you being charged legal but excessively high fees. Also, make certain that you are allowed to invest. Some complex and high-risk products are restricted and available only to professional or wealthier investors. Never sign anything saying that you understand the risks if you don't.

Physical assets such as gold bullion, in contrast, don’t require financial regulation, because they are governed by simple and well-understood property law, such as Sale of Goods in the UK. But again, and as with fine wine or real estate 'opportunities', always conduct your own due diligence and check membership of industry bodies such, as the LBMA for the precious metals industry.

There will always be new scams aimed at convincing people to invest money in fraudulent schemes. For example, common scams include ‘boiler room’ fraud, in which fake stockbrokers cold call people and smooth talk or pressure them to invest in non-existent assets or products with an exaggerated value.

It is important to be able to spot the signs of a scam. These include the offer of ‘guaranteed returns’ – something that no investment can ever promise – as well as high returns for low risk. Before entering into any investment, independently review key business information such as the registered address, company number and tax registration details and check how you can get your money out of the asset if needed.

An investment scam is the offer of fake or exaggerated financial return for investing in a product that in reality doesn’t exist or has a much lower value than advertised. There are different types of investment scams, including ‘boiler room’ scams, offshore scams and clone scams, however, they all typically include selling stocks, shares and bonds or even physical products like gold bullion, under the guise of a low-risk, high-reward investment.

It is important to be able to spot the common signs of a scam. These include the offer of ‘guaranteed returns’ – something that no investment can ever promise – as well as requesting a phone number in exchange for information about the investment. If you’re worried you may be being scammed, independently review key business information such as the registered address, company number and tax registration details and check how you can get your money out if needed.

An investment scam is the offer of fake or exaggerated financial return for investing in a product that doesn’t exist or has low value. Common investment scams include ‘boiler room’ scams, offshore scams and clone scams, and typically include selling stocks, shares and bonds or even physical products like gold bullion, under the guise of a low-risk, high-reward investment.

New investment scams appear every day, so it is important to be able to spot the common signs. These include the offer of ‘guaranteed returns’ – something that no investment can ever promise – as well as requesting a phone number in exchange for more information.

It can be difficult to tell legitimate investment opportunities from scams, so it is important to know how to research investment opportunities. Legitimate investments can be authenticated by independently researching key business information, such as the registered address, company number and tax registration details. You should also search for case studies or authenticated reviews and check how you can get your money out of the asset if needed.

Investment scams typically have common hallmarks, including cold calling, the offer of ‘guaranteed returns’ – that no investment can ever offer – as well as high returns for low risk.

It is important to be able to spot fraudulent investments in order to avoid being scammed. Common signs of investment scams include cold calling, the offer of ‘guaranteed returns’ – something that no investment can ever promise – as well as high returns for low risk.

You can avoid getting scammed by checking the authenticity of an investment or product. Before entering into any investment, independently review key business information such as the company number and tax registration details and check how you can get your money out if needed.

Depending on the investment check whether it requires regulation. Bullion investments do not require Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulation, but you should only buy gold, silver or platinum produced by LBMA-approved refineries and stored in professional vaults.

Stocks, shares and almost anything involving debt (loans or bonds) that pays interest should be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). However, this alone doesn’t guarantee that you will not be ripped off and legitimately charged excessively high fees.