Accelerated Funding Group revealed as classic Ponzi scheme

Clark recently read an article in The Los Angeles Times about a woman arrested for running a Ponzi scheme in California, Nevada and Georgia. Jeanetta M. Standefor is the woman behind Accelerated Funding Group, an alleged investment group that operated under the guise of a mortgage rescue operation.

About a year ago, Clark distinctly remembers getting a call from a listener who was gung-ho about the "virtually risk-free" investment option being offered by Accelerated. Here's how things went down: You put money with the group and you were supposed to get a 50% return in 6 weeks. So people rushed to put in about $18 million. They were told their money would be helping people avoid foreclosure.

But this was just a classic Ponzi scheme. Early investors were simply paid with money from those who came in later. There was no investment activity going on at all.

Today's low interest rates on savings mean that we're overly susceptible to scams like this. But there are other sneaky things going that aren't illegal, but could easily prove to be a major pitfall. Seniors should be particularly wary of newspaper ads promising really good CD rates. When they call up for further info, they get pitched on variable annuities by insurance salespeople.

The reality is that the bum interest rates are here for the time being. But it won't be this way forever. So don't do anything outlandish or you may be separated from your money.