While fraudsters are with us always, they are especially active in times like these when extremely low interest rates and stock market volatility have made conventional stock and bond investments unattractive and have given rise to a multitude of alternative investments, some of which may be fraudulent. To help combat this, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. has put out a booklet called “Consumer Guide to Financial Self-Defense,” which features 10 “red flags” of fraud. It is the subject of a recent article in SmartMoney.com entitled “How to Fend Off Financial Fraudsters.”