Some helpful links...

• Orlando Sentinel - They have been covering this well.
• Tampabay.com Money section - Several articles available here too.
• Money Talk with the Times' Personal Finance Editor - Helen Huntley has been offering excellent coverage of the Trans Con. case
• RipoffReport.com Several postings regarding Lou Pearlman's other scams
• Wikipedia's coverage of this scam and Lou Pearlman in general.
• Google - well, you know this site, I hope!
• MSNBC.com
• WESH TV.com (click on Search Tab when you get there)
• Trustee's Web Site (Soneet R. Kapila)
• Action 9 News (wftv.com)

We are not investment advisors, but having lived through this experience has taught us a few things. These are some things I wish I and my parents had done before writing our checks to Trans Continental EISA. This list is by no means exhaustive.

If you have money invested in any product claiming to be insured by the FDIC or any insurance company, please check. Even if you have been provided with certificates of insurance and even if you've been getting regular interest payments. Do it before your money is gone. Get your money out if you find out that certain things don't check out. Report the fraud. People need to be informed that just because it says FDIC insured in writing doesn't mean that it actually is. Here are some of the things I wish I had done and checked into:

1. Know the licensing of the person trying to sell you the "investment". Are they licensed to sell bank products or the type of investment they are trying to sell you? What exactly is the type of investment? Is it a security? Is it registered? Is it a life ins. product? Only bank products are FDIC insured. FDIC insured products can't exceed certain interest rates.
2. Call the FDIC to find out what the current highest rate is. If it is FDIC insured then the deposit slip should have the name of the bank on it. You can check on the FDIC status of any institution by going to http://www.fdic.gov/deposit/index.html and click on bank find. Or you can call 877-ASKFDIC (877-275-3342).
3. Please verify everything this person or agency is telling you. Assume that everything is a scam and spend at least a week proving to yourself that it isn't before parting with your hard-earned money. If someone is pressuring you into something then you should definitely be wary. Any investment can wait a week or two. Do web searches on the company and the owner, CEO, and CFO of the company. Have there been any investigations or lawsuits into any aspects of the business? Their personal lives? What about the person or agency trying to sell you the investment? Have the principals ever declared bankruptcy? How long have they been in business? What kind of licensing do they do have? Do license and certificate numbers match up with their names on your State's Dept. of Financial Services Web Site? Now, knowing all that you have found out, do you still feel comfortable with investing in this company?
4. Did they give you a certificate of insurance? Call the insurance company and make sure it is a valid certificate. Make sure you verify everything! If you can't verify something then you should avoid this product.
5. Consider this: how long have you worked to earn and save this money? Isn't it worth few hours of work to make sure you keep it? Is this money all you have? Lay in bed at night and imagine losing all of it. Does the thought of losing that much terrify you? Could you afford to lose all of it? Only invest what you could comfortably afford to lose. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, no matter how safe it looks. Put a good portion of your retirement funds in Certificates of Deposits sold by your local bank. Spread the money out so that you have C.D.s renewing at different times during the year. You never know when you might need access to your money. Put some in a savings account for emergencies.
6. Run everything by at least 5 of your most skeptical friends and family members. Do it when they have time, not when they are busy doing something else. Make sure you have their undivided attention. Ask them these questions:
   • "Does this look too good to be true?"
   • "Can you help me verify that this is on the up and up?"
   • "I am thinking of putting $_________ in this, does that sound like too much?"
7. If you do write a check and then have second thoughts... or a bad gut feeling immediately after writing it go straight to your bank and stop payment immediately!
8. Finally send e-mails to all your friends telling them how to protect themselves. If you spot an advertisement that looks suspicious mention it in our Forum or let us know via an email - admin@scammedbypearlman.com and report it to your state's insurance or securities fraud department.

Let's protect each other and make it harder for thieves to get our money.

Please Click Here for assistance in writing to your government officials...