Many people fall prey to affinity group fraud. In a world of increasing complexity, many people feel the need for a shorhand way of knowing whom to trust. This is especially true when it comes to investing money. Unfamiliar with how our financial markets work, many people don't know how to research an investment or its seller thoroughly. Many fall prey to affinity group fraud, in which a con artist claims to be a memeber of the same ethnic, religious, career or community-based group.