Any time you invest, you take a certain amount of risk. That’s because with any investment there’s always a possibility that it could lose value at some point. You can help moderate this risk, though, by choosing investments carefully and making adjustments to your portfolio when they’re necessary.

There is a completely different type of risk that you want to avoid as much as possible when investing: It’s the risk of theft, fraud, or other illegitimate activities. In fact, investment fraud and related crimes cost individuals and the financial services industry billions of dollars every year.

Fortunately, as an investor you’re entitled to basic rights and protections, and there are many places you can go for help if you’re a victim of these crimes. You can also take steps to protect yourself from fraud and scams that may be directed at you. While these precautions are primarily intended to keep your assets safe, some of these measures have an added benefit of helping you to keep better records of what you own, which is important for long-term financial planning.