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gattes12

04/06/07 2:35 PM

#241943 RE: rebtevyah #241940

rebtevyah. I agree with you on one thing FACTS.

I'm sure everyone has seen this b4 but i'd like to reming people:

Online bulletin boards ? whether newsgroups, usenet, or web-based bulletin boards ? have become an increasingly popular forum for investors to share information. Bulletin boards typically feature "threads" made up of numerous messages on various investment opportunities.

While some messages may be true, many turn out to be bogus ? or even scams. Fraudsters often pump up a company or pretend to reveal "inside" information about upcoming announcements, new products, or lucrative contracts.

Also, you never know for certain who you're dealing with ? or whether they're credible ? because many bulletin boards allow users to hide their identity behind multiple aliases. People claiming to be unbiased observers who've carefully researched the company may actually be company insiders, large shareholders, or paid promoters. A single person can easily create the illusion of widespread interest in a small, thinly-traded stock by posting a series of messages under various aliases.

If you want to invest wisely and steer clear of frauds, you must get the facts. Never, ever, make an investment based solely on what you read in an online newsletter or bulletin board posting, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isn't well known. And don't even think about investing on your own in small companies that don't file regular reports with the SEC, unless you are willing to investigate each company thoroughly and to check the truth of every statement about the company. For instance, you'll need to:

get financial statements from the company and be able to analyze them;

verify the claims about new product developments or lucrative contracts;

call every supplier or customer of the company and ask if they really do business with the company; and

check out the people running the company and find out if they've ever made money for investors before