Bangalore: Whether you have little money or lot, you would probably take some measures to protect your money. But despite your sincere effort your money could just fly off, if you get caught in an investment scam. An example to this is the November 2010 incident that occurred in Mumbai, where a case was registered against a husband-wife duo who posed as directors of an investment company and cheated thousands of investors across the country. Nearly sixteen bank accounts, in which investors had deposited over 12.5 crore, had been frozen. The duo used to ask the victim to invest any amount more than 5,000 for a travel and club resort. Moreover, the investor was told that he was entitled to additional profit if he brought more investors. Does this instill a sense of fear in you? Such people are not just people next door trying to make a living. But are making conscious efforts trying to deprive you of the money that you have worked hard to earn and save. They destroy your lives. As with any industry, there are people in the investment field who will resort to cheating, in an attempt to get ahead. Below are five issues to consider identifying, and avoiding, investment fraud. Know Your Advisor When you depend on someone to take care of your finances you will find that most of the advisors are registered with government organizations. In order to get a trustworthy advisor you can conduct a small research registrations and review any past complaints, or with the respective state regulatory agency. You should also be aware of what you have authorized your advisor to do. Because these advisors are individuals or firms that receive compensation for giving advice on investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or exchange traded funds are investment advisers. Some investment advisers manage portfolios of securities.