California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a $750,000 settlement with AwesomeCalls, a digital day trading chatroom, and its CEO Anthony Haworth. The settlement addresses allegations of providing investment advice without a license and misleading investors through false advertising in violation of California law. The stipulated judgment includes civil penalties and injunctive relief preventing AwesomeCalls and Mr. Haworth from offering investment advice without the necessary license or publishing misleading advertisements about their services.
Attorney General Bonta stated, “AwesomeCalls deceived consumers by marketing Mr. Haworth as a brilliant day trader and boasting that they could help subscribers make thousands of dollars a day when in reality they were operating without a license.” He added, “Our settlement requires AwesomeCalls and its CEO to stop misleading consumers and serves as a reminder: Offering investment advice without a license is illegal.”
AwesomeCalls operates as a daily day trading chat room where Mr. Haworth provides stock market advice focused on quick profits from daily stock movements. Since at least 2014, the company has marketed subscription memberships to consumers in California and across the United States. Despite claims of being “clairvoyant” about stock trading, Mr. Haworth does not have a successful trading history and was previously debarred as an escrow agent for misappropriating funds—a fact not disclosed to consumers.
A copy of the stipulated judgment is available for public viewing.
