“Con artists always use the headlines as a way to get into investors’ wallets,” says Deborah Bortner, Securities Administrator for the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, Securities Division.

With the United States at war with Iraq and with heightened warnings of terrorism at home, investors should not make panicky financial decisions, said state securities regulators.

They also repeated warnings, issued in the wake of the September 11 attacks, to beware of con artists seeking to capitalize on fear and uncertainty.

“Beware of high-pressure pitches for non-traditional investments such as strategic metals, foreign currency, oil and gas investments or tiny companies that supposedly have products or technology to combat chemical or biological terrorism,” Bortner said.

She pointed out that an unregistered offering might be an important red flag that can alert an investor to a potential problem. According to Bortner, investments must be registered with the state or have an exemption from registration. Persons offering securities must also be licensed with the state.

Before investing, call the Securities Division to determine if the investment and the promoter are properly licensed and registered in the State of Washington. If they aren’t, don’t invest.

To contact the Department of Financial Institutions, Securities Division, call the Fraud Line number at (800) 372-8303 or visit its Web site at www.dfi.wa.gov/securities.