Module 2 of 4 in Scams, myths and investor protection
Misleading claims and conflicts of interest
Fake testimonials and profit screenshots, misleading backtests and cherry-picked results, undisclosed conflicts, unregistered intermediaries and impersonation.
5 lessons in this module. Progress is saved in your browser as you go.
Not every misleading claim is a crime, and not every crime looks like one. This module teaches you to question the evidence behind performance claims, to ask who is paid and by whom, and to check that the person or app you are dealing with is who it says it is.
By the end of this module you should be able to
- Explain how testimonials, screenshots and performance claims can be fabricated or cherry-picked.
- Identify undisclosed conflicts of interest in financial content and advice.
- Recognise unregistered intermediaries and impersonation and verify identities using official sources.
Lessons in order
Module test
10 questions, chosen at random from a bank of 33 questions and balanced across this module's learning goals and difficulty levels. Every question comes with an explanation. You need 80% to pass, and you can retake it as often as you like with a fresh set of questions.
This module builds on
- Stock tip groups on Telegram and WhatsApp: That lesson shows how a perfect-looking record is manufactured; this one applies the same thinking to advertising.
- Misleading numbers and charts: Cherry-picked start and end dates, covered there, are one of the main ways backtests mislead.
- How to verify a claim and report a fraud: That lesson shows how to check SEBI's registers, which this lesson relies on.