When the value of a stock skyrockets, its investors may think they’ve hit the jackpot. But if the stock in question is part of a “pump and dump” scheme, investors may, in fact, lose their shirts. Here’s how to avoid getting taken by this type of investment fraud. Beware pump and dump schemes! A penny for your stocks In the typical pump and dump scam, a fraud perpetrator buys shares in an inexpensive, relatively illiquid stock (often referred to as a “penny” stock) whose price will react dramatically when trading volume increases. Then the crook makes false or misleading statements to encourage people to sink their savings into the stock and drive up its price. When it hits a certain dollar amount, the fraudster sells, locking in...