Securities fraud is a serious crime that can lead to severe consequences if you are found guilty. It is for this reason that you should make sure that you understand the laws that regulate trading securities. Doing so could prevent you from accidentally taking actions that could get you in trouble with the law.
You can be accused of securities fraud even if you are not actively involved in trading. This is because you may have committed securities fraud by giving a trader inside information on a business’ projected success. The following are things you should and should not do if you want to avoid committing securities fraud in Missouri.
What to Do to Avoid Committing Securities Fraud
Remember that most commonly, securities fraud is linked to insider trading. Therefore you should avoid any actions relating to insider trading: Check your company’s policies when it comes to what information must be kept confidential, and make sure to keep up to date on how trading laws apply specifically to your position in the company. As an employee or business owner, you have the responsibility to avoid enabling people to trade based on inside information.
Avoid Committing Securities Fraud
If you have inside information on a company, you should never trade securities based on this, as you would be committing a crime. Even if you have not been given inside information explicitly, you should avoid taking action on any type of tips you receive from a person that might be based on insider trading, since this is just as illegal.
You might think that you can be smart about insider trading and think that you won’t be caught. But you should remember that the U.S. government invests huge amounts into identifying and prosecuting instances of insider trading. Therefore it’s likely that you will be caught and face legal consequences, no matter how smart you think you are being.
If you have recently been accused of any type of insider trading in Missouri, you must not simply brush this off. Insider trading could lead to a criminal record, hefty fines, and potentially jail time. Therefore, learn more about what charges you could face and how you can successfully defend yourself.