Nevada
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.
The Las Vegas Raiders have orchestrated many groundbreaking moves this offseason, but none as important as the impact they made at a fundraising event.
Over the weekend, the Raiders hosted the Silver & Black Gala, raising $2.5 million for mental health in Nevada. Sunday marked the third time the organization had hosted the event, which has produced a tremendous turnout.
Several individuals spoke during the event, including Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and president Sandra Douglass Morgan, who each highlighted the importance of acknowledging mental health.
Davis’ Thoughts
- “We’re here to raise money for mental health, which is one of the most important things we can all deal with,” Davis said. “Every one of us is impacted by mental health and our families, friends, or anywhere else, we are all directly affected. That’s why it’s so critical to raise money for our community. We’re grateful for you all, and appreciate you being here.”
Morgan’s Thoughts
“Mental health remains one of the most urgent issues across Nevada,” Morgan said. “Through the Silver & Black Gala, the Raiders Foundation is helping expand access to trusted, community-based resources that meet people where they are. This year’s recipients reflect the depth and complexity of that work, supporting our community in schools, clubhouses, homes, shelters, and family systems statewide.”
The Raiders also honored former player Carl Nassib and NFL broadcaster Jay Glazer on Sunday night as the winners of the Commitment to Excellence award. Here is what each of them had to say.
Glazer’s Thoughts
- “First, this is incredible what the Raiders are doing,” Glazer said. “God blessed me with the ability to communicate, so I’m going to use that to try and help other people. When we’re willing to share our scars, we turn them into strength—into something that connects us as teammates with nothing to hide. That’s what builds a true team, a championship team. I’m proud to stand with you and be part of this team tonight.”
Nassib’s Thoughts
- “It is truly a privilege to be up here,” Nassib said. “We’re creating space for people to be vulnerable—and that work is truly lifesaving. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about showing up and reminding people they’re not alone.”
Overall Thoughts
This has been a tremendous event over the last few years, and the Raiders’ organization has done a great job of raising awareness for mental health. This will be an event that the team will continue to host in the future.
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Nevada
Nevada workers fear homelessness as housing, jobs vanish before July deadline | Fox News Video
The final casino resort in Primm, Nevada, will close this summer after years of declining tourism, ending gaming operations in the once-busy border town and putting hundreds of employees out of work.
Primm Valley Casino Resorts is shutting down its remaining hotel and casino operations in July as experts point to increased competition, changing travel habits and post-pandemic losses behind the decline.
RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) is in a strong position heading into the thick of his 2026 reelection bid — a huge war chest, almost universal name recognition and strong favorability numbers among the electorate.
Though Lombardo is likely focusing on the general election already, he faces 6 longshot candidates in the GOP primary seeking to upset him in June.
Nevada Governor GOP primary: 6 longshot candidates taking on incumbent Joe Lombardo
The challengers face a ‘Herculean’ task, said Mike Noble, CEO and founder of Noble Predictive Insights, an Arizona-based nonpartisan pollster focusing on the Southwest region.
“I see it as a Herculean task for anyone. If someone was coming in with like, I don’t know $10 million or something to spend, sure I can see that might be competitive, but I don’t see any of them coming anywhere near close to that. And so again, I just think I think it’s a non-factor at this point,” Noble said.
RELATED | Ballot Battleground: Nevada podcast: Early Noble poll shows dead heat in governor’s race
Despite the long odds, News 4-Fox 11 reached out to all candidates requesting an interview as part of our commitment to 2026 election coverage and our Know Your Candidates series. Three of the 7 running interviewed with us — Irina Hansen, Kameron Hawkins, Lombardo and Jose Zelaya did not respond to multiple emails requesting an interview.
We asked them similar questions about Gov. Lombardo’s leadership as governor, how they would pass a balanced budget and whether they support taxpayer subsidies for sports teams or major projects.
Click the candidate’s name to watch their full interview. Quotes below have been edited for space and clarity.
Donald J. Beaudry Jr. is an entrepreneur who founded BlkEdgeAi, a financial technology firm specializing in AI-driven trading systems and market strategy, according to his campaign website.
He told News 4-Fox 11 that Nevada has been drifting the last four years with ‘no captain, no vision.’ He believes his Wall Street-like trading market called NGEX (Nevada Global Exchange) would generate enough revenue to eliminate sales taxes, property taxes, business taxes and vehicle registration fees.
“I completely blueprinted it out and calculated that this model could generate enough revenue in this state that we could eliminate all the state taxes and fees that are currently in place and use that as the revenue source for the state and make everybody, every man, woman and child throughout Nevada, a shareholder in the dividends of that exchange … it would be a kind of Wall Street type of stock market, but far broader, more advanced, and exponentially more profitable.”
Matthew Rian Winterhawk is the founder of SmartSlaps foundation, a nonprofit that works to help schools and students with civic engagement and community responsibility.
If elected, he described going through a DOGE-like review of the state budget to determine which areas can be cut or kept depending on their ‘dollar to impact’ ratio.
“What I would like to do is go through every department, I’m talking top to bottom, from here from the primary to the beginning. We will cut every piece of administrative bloat across the system … I need more money for my teachers. Teachers never see it, students never see it, the impact never reaches the classroom. It’s 100% administrative bloat.”
The son of immigrants, Barak Zilberberg is now an entrepreneur and real estate investor based in Las Vegas. He ran for governor in 2022, earning 0.2% of the vote in the GOP primary. He told News 4-Fox 11 he’s also running for President in 2028.
He said he’s running for governor to improve the educational system, bring jobs to Nevada and open up federal land to build more affordable housing.
“We’ve got get high-speed railing systems in here where we can transit very easily, efficiently, and basically moving around between economies of both cities. Not only that, I’d like to bring Disneyland here and the Olympics, sponsor the Olympics here. I just want to make this a well-known place of entertainment, a hub.”
To help voters make informed decisions this election year, News 4-Fox 11 is publishing and broadcasting dozens of interviews with candidates who will appear on the June primary ballot.
In fairness to all candidates, they were asked a series of similar questions. We are posting the full interviews online so voters can watch their responses in their entirety.
Visit our Know Your Candidates 2026 page to view other race previews and meet other candidates.
Email reporter Ben Margiott at bjmargiott@sbgtv.com. Follow @BenMargiott on X and Ben Margiott KRNV on Facebook.
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