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Hawaii residents who were victims of an overpriced gold and silver sales scheme are being encouraged to file recovery claims, though it’s unclear how much can be repaid.
A federal judge in Texas ruled in September that several companies defrauded at least 1,600 people around the country — largely retirees and seniors — by selling $185 million in gold and silver bullion since 2017 for two to three times more than the value of the precious metals.
The ruling followed complaints filed by consumer protection officials in Hawaii and 29 other states against the sellers — TMTE Inc., Metals.com, Chase Metals, Barrick Capital and Tower Equity — and their principals.
A court-appointed receiver has seized control of the companies and is working to recover assets that can be used to repay victims, though the receiver said it is too early to provide any estimate of how much, if anything, will be available to be returned to investors.
There is an April 30 deadline to file a recovery claim, and the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs encourages defrauded customers of the companies to file claims.
“We are committed to holding bad actors accountable for their actions and pursuing relief for victims of illegal scams,” state Securities Commissioner Ty Nohara said in a statement. “We encourage defrauded clients to promptly begin working with the receiver to request a return of funds.”
The receiver, Kelly Crawford, can be reached at kelly.crawford@solidcounsel.com or 214-706-4213. More information also is available at metalsandbarrickcapitalreceivership.com.
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