Nevada

Could new bill help Nevadans targeted by scammers?

Published

11 months ago

February 25, 2025

Press Room

Could new bill help Nevadans targeted by scammers?

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada lawmakers are looking at ways to help scam victims across the state.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar introduced Senate Bill 76 to the Senate Committee on Judiciary.

If passed by state lawmakers, the bill would create a fund to compensate victims of securities fraud.

You can read the bill below.

According to the FBI, securities fraud includes a wide variety of issues like high yield investment fraud, Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, advanced fee schemes, foreign currency fraud, broker embezzlement, hedge fund-related fraud, and late day trading.

Here in Nevada, the Nevada Securities Act and the Nevada Commodities Act are both found in state law and are administered by the Secretary of State’s Office, through the Securities Division.

“One of the responsibilities of the Secretary of State is to ensure that we protect the securities and investment environment in Nevada,” Aguilar told me. “That’s an issue that impacts some of our most vulnerable communities, especially our senior communities. You have individuals who have worked a lifetime building up a nest egg to be able to live in retirement comfortably. They meet scrupulous individuals, bad actors, who built their trust and then start to slowly defraud them in the investment area.”

So what does a typical securities fraud scam look like?

“An individual with a very low net worth or low salary is enticed to invest in a new, local startup with a promise of a high rate of interest as a return. Unfortunately, the offer itself was premised on fake statements or misleading information or missing information,” Deputy Secretary of Securities Erin Houston explained. “And when the investment fails, the individual is completely out of luck in terms of recouping their money.

She added that if the bad actor is charged, the money is usually gone and victims have no way of getting restitution, even if the court orders it.

For example, in Fiscal Year 2023, the division investigated securities fraud from investors totaling over $16 million but investors only received $205,000 in restitution. In Fiscal Year 2024, the division looked into fraud claims of nearly $10 million and investors received just over $1 million in restitution.

Senate Bill 76 would fill that gap to provide restitution to more victims.

How much money could scam victims receive?

Scam victims could receive up to $25,000. This would apply to victims who have been awarded restitution as set forth in NRS 9640.

Aguilar said some people would end up losing more money than that in securities fraud schemes but this would at least help them get back on their feet.

“The main reason we are proposing this legislation is that it provides a way for Nevada residents to obtain desperately needed relief after losing what is often a significant chunk of their savings to someone who has defrauded them,” Aguilar said.

Where would the money for the fund come from?

If passed, a fractional amount of revenue that presently goes to the state general fund would be held for victims of securities fraud.

For now, Aguilar said they would cap the total fund amount at $500,000.

“We understand that revenue is important to the state and we want to support the state and want to make sure we are not diverting too much funding away from the state at large.”

Aguilar also told me they’re also looking at opportunities to take third-party funds to add to the fund.

“Sometimes, when there is mass litigation, they look for places to deposit the proceeds of those funds,” Aguilar explained. “Also, if there’s an individual who’s generous like a JP Morgan Chase, that understand what we’re trying to accomplish, they’d make a contribution to the fund.”

What should securities fraud victims do if they’ve been scammed?

According to Aguilar, it has been challenging getting victims the help they need.

“We find that it’s hard for people to come forward when they’ve been victims of investment fraud. This will hopefully encourage people to bring their case to us because the more information we have, the more evidence we have, the faster we can take these bad actors out of the market,” Aguilar said. “Please call us. Please file a complaint so that we can send our investigators out and hold bad actors accountable.”

Those thoughts were echoed by several AARP officials, who testified in support of the bill.

“Some of them feel like they just get a shrug. Well, there’s nothing we can do. This would address that,” said Jessica Padron, Advocacy Director for AARP Nevada. “Our call to action is that the creation of this fund is not just good policy, it’s the right thing to do and fraud victims should not be left to suffer the consequences of crimes committed against them.”

What was the feedback from lawmakers?

“To be honest with you, I was quite impressed at how empathetic they were to individuals who are victims of investment fraud,” Aguilar told me. “They understood the need for this but also to their willingness to discuss how we fund it.”

The bill is now on its way to the budget committee for further consideration.

What red flags should people look out for and how can they file reports with the Secretary of State’s Office?

If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Call the Secretary of State’s Office to verify that individuals are licensed broker dealer or licensed investment advisors.

You can file a complaint with the Secretary of State’s Office here.

The Secretary of State’s Office also provides a free Nevada Investor Guide, which you can read below.

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Nevada

Nevada City community rebuilds house for widow 1 year after fire

Published

11 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

Nevada City community rebuilds house for widow 1 year after fire

Lori Wisniewski lost her Nevada City home in a fire last year and has been living in a 150-square-foot tiny home while she waits for her house to be rebuilt.

It’s being rebuilt at little to no cost to her, thanks to her community stepping up to help.

“I had to jump off the deck, and I thought the dogs would be coming out too, and they didn’t, so that’s very sad,” she said, recounting the day of the fire on January 27, 2025.

Wisniewski lost her pets and home after an accident with her wood-burning stove. She says she wasn’t sure how to move forward without proper insurance and navigating the process without her husband, who died from cancer.

“In First James, it talks about serving widows and orphans as being true religion. So when I saw Lori’s story come across my path, I knew that was an opportunity to put my money where my mouth is with my faith,” said Matthew Sutherlin, CEO of Green Bee Construction.

Sutherlin is spearheading the rebuild of Wisniewski’s home with the help of donated time, labor and materials from other local tradespeople and businesses.

“Who am I to have a designer? And part of me, too, is when I have to choose everything, I always try to go for the least expensive item or tile or front door,” she said.

“Everybody has been shaving things off and donating things and getting reduced costs all the way across the board. That’s what has made it possible for this project to have worked,” said Sutherlin.

It’s been all hands on deck during the last year.

Wisniewski was excited to show us the inside of the house and what’s to come. As a former post-surgical nurse, she even decided an accessible room would be a nice touch for friends or anyone who lent a hand.

“If somebody has to recover or needs a few days to get around after a surgery, they can come and stay in here,” she said.

The builders say the weather has been posing a challenge, especially coupled with hazardous materials leftover from the fire. But they’re getting through it together.

“Every person has stepped up to offer their help. The timing with all the different processes has worked out in our favor. I really believe the whole thing has a blessing on it, really,” said Sutherlin.

Builders expect to be finished with the house in late spring or early summer.

“This community, a lot of them have seen your reports. At Grocery Outlet, ‘oh, you’re the one whose house burned down,’ and I always go into the most important thing about this is what people from the community are doing for this purpose or cause. I sometimes wonder why me? Why am I getting this opportunity? So that’s where I am today,” said Wisniewski.

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Nevada

LIVE: Nevada Attorney General shares status of lawsuits against Trump administration

Published

23 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

LIVE: Nevada Attorney General shares status of lawsuits against Trump administration

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is set to hold a press conference to discuss the status of multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration.

Officials say the address will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 13. The conference will cover both the financial and nonfinancial wins regarding claims that the Trump administration has “practiced destructive overreach.”

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Nevada

Monday’s high school scores, top performances

Published

1 day ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

Top performances

Boys basketball

■ Mekhi Carter, Canyon Springs: The sophomore collected 17 points, five assists and two steals while leading the Pioneers to a 63-49 win over Tech.

■ Gian Haddock, Desert Oasis: The senior scored 23 points as the Diamondbacks outlasted Silverado for a 70-68 triple-overtime win.

■ Rylan Hearns, Arbor View: The senior finished with 28 points in the Aggies’ 71-55 win over Foothill.

■ Uzo Nwapa, The Meadows: The junior scored 18 points to help the Mustangs hold off Shadow Ridge for a 57-54 victory.

■ David Quesada, Cimarron-Memorial: The sophomore racked up 28 points and eight rebounds to lead the Spartans past Del Sol 84-49.

Girls basketball

■ Samantha Chesnut, Liberty: The senior led a balanced attack with 11 points as the Patriots rolled past Las Vegas 68-14.

■ Greta Piepkorn, Rancho: The sophomore collected 12 points and five steals while leading the Rams to a 42-34 win over Green Valley.

■ Bella Robinson, Coral Academy: The senior finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds, 13 steals and six assists in the Falcons’ 59-20 victory over Eldorado.

■ Sabrina Stewart, Del Sol: The sophomore scored 27 points and the Dragons rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Canyon Springs 62-58.

■ Nation Williams, Centennial: The senior posted 16 points in the Bulldogs’ 76-24 victory over Faith Lutheran.

Flag football

■ Amaya Mackey, Legacy: The sophomore had three interceptions to help the Longhorns secure a 19-6 victory over Moapa Valley.

■ Manahere Peters, Sloan Canyon: The junior caught 10 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns in the Pirates’ 41-24 loss to Bishop Gorman.

■ Charli Taylor, Liberty: The freshman completed 23 of 48 passes for 384 yards and four TDs to lead the Patriots beat Green Valley 35-6.

Scores

Boys basketball

Arbor View 71, Foothill 55

Canyon Springs 63, Tech 49

Cimarron-Memorial 84, Del Sol 49

Desert Oasis 70, Silverado 68 (3OT)

Laughlin 72, Liberty Baptist 52