CFTC Charges Fraudulent Fund Manager Who Defrauded Members of the Deaf Community

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced the filing of a civil enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, charging Marc Perlman of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and his firm, iGlobal Strategic Management, LLC (iGlobal) with operating a commodity pool Ponzi Scheme Ponzi Scheme A Ponzi scheme is a scam that looks to lure investors, ultimately paying profits to earlier investors with funds from more later investors.This form of fraud tricks victims into believing that products are instead generated from product sales or other means. In actuality, most investors are completely oblivious to the actual origin of incoming funds.One of the central attributes of a Ponzi scheme is the necessity of its ongoing nature, which is dependent on a steady flow of new contributions and A Ponzi scheme is a scam that looks to lure investors, ultimately paying profits to earlier investors with funds from more later investors.This form of fraud tricks victims into believing that products are instead generated from product sales or other means. In actuality, most investors are completely oblivious to the actual origin of incoming funds.One of the central attributes of a Ponzi scheme is the necessity of its ongoing nature, which is dependent on a steady flow of new contributions and Read this Term that fraudulently solicited and accepted at least $670,000 from at least 17 people — largely persons from the deaf community. Perlman was a principal and officer of iGlobal, and neither defendant has ever been registered with the CFTC.

Specifically, the CFTC complaint, filed on August 28, 2012, alleges that from at least March 2009 through at least November 2011, iGlobal and Perlman fraudulently solicited individuals to invest in a pooled investment vehicle to trade leveraged off-exchange foreign currency contracts (Forex Forex Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Read this Term). Perlman furthered his and iGlobal’s fraudulent scheme by playing upon the Christian faith of certain iGlobal investors, using claims about his own faith and references to scripture to obtain the trust of certain iGlobal investors, according to the complaint.

The complaint further charges that less than half of the funds invested by the iGlobal investors, or approximately $305,000, were used to trade forex, resulting in losses that consumed nearly all of the invested funds. The rest of the funds were allegedly used for unauthorized purposes, including 1) payouts of fictitious “profits” to certain iGlobal investors, 2) cash withdrawals of funds that were not re-deposited into the iGlobal trading or bank accounts, 3) charges at department stores, electronic stores, grocery stores, and restaurants, and 4) payment of rent for Perlman’s personal residence. iGlobal and Perlman misrepresented that the iGlobal investors’ funds would be invested in forex and fraudulently omitted and/or concealed that iGlobal and Perlman used and planned to use investor funds for purposes other than forex investments, according to the complaint.

In addition, iGlobal and Perlman allegedly misrepresented that trades executed in connection with the iGlobal investments were profitable and that certain iGlobal investors were earning and were being paid, or would be paid, profits from the trading. iGlobal and Perlman also allegedly issued false written statements that reported profits and listed the respective iGlobal investors’ full principal when, in fact, more than half of the funds had been misappropriated and the trading resulted in net losses.