Citigroup Inc. sales assistant Tamara Lanz Moon has been barred from the securities industry by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Moon is accused of stealing over $850,000 from at least 22 clients who were either sick, elderly, or unable to closely monitor their accounts for some other reason. Her father is reportedly one of her securities fraud victims.
Moon allegedly misappropriated $30,000 from him. She also is accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars from an 83-year-old widow and $55,000 from a US diplomat who works abroad. She allegedly transferred assets from one widow’s Citigroup account to her own account, as well as to accounts belonging to other clients to replace money she stole from those victims.
Moon is also accused of recordkeeping violations, falsifying account records, forging signatures on letters asking for unauthorized address changes, and taking part in unauthorized trades while employed with Citigroup Global Markets. She is accused of using the funds to pay for personal expenditures, such as the remodeling of her residence. She also allegedly used some of the stolen money to invest in real estate.
Citigroup has compensated the victims for their financial losses. Moon’s alleged misconduct reportedly took place over an 8-year period that concluded in March 2008 when she was let go from her job.
FINRA enforcement chief Susan L. Merrill has reiterated that broker-dealers and banks are responsible for supervising not just their brokers but also their sales assistants, who are able to access confidential client information.
Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LTD LLP represents clients who have suffered financial losses because a member of the securities industry misappropriated funds, stole their money, engaged in some other form of securities fraud, or was negligent in other ways while mishandling the victims’ savings or investments. Unfortunately, the sick and elderly tend to be easy targets of securities fraud and financial theft.
Related Web Resources:
Finra Bars Citigroup Sales Assistant, The Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2009
FINRA Bars Citigroup Sales Assistant for Taking More Than $850,000 From Customers, Falsifying Records, Making Unauthorized Trades, FINRA, August 25, 2009
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