Investor Alert: Investment Scams Exploit Immigrant Investor Program

Joint SEC/USCIS investor alert (1 Oct 2013) on EB-5 investment scams: how the programme works, two cases (SEC v. Ramirez / USA Now regional center promising a 5% return; SEC v. A Chicago Convention Center, an alleged USD 156 million fraud with more than 90 percent of administrative fees spent), due-diligence steps and warning signs. Extracted: USD 156 million alleged fraud size (rbi_investment_total, claim); the event is already in the data. Not recorded: the promised 5% return and the "more than 90 percent" of fees spent (in notes of the Chicago rows); the rest is guidance without numbers.