17 CFR § 31.3Chapter I

§ 31.3 Fraud in connection with certain transactions in silver or gold bullion or bulk coins, or other commodities.

Primary source

Verbatim text below is from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the current version with the eCFR before relying on it for any legal matter.

Full Text

It shall be unlawful for any person, by use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, directly or indirectly:

(a) To employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud,

(b) To make any untrue statement of a material fact or to omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or

(c) To engage in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon any person, in, or in connection with (1) an offer to make or the making of, any transaction for the purchase, sale or delivery of silver bullion, gold bullion, bulk silver coins, bulk gold coins, or any other commodity pursuant to a standardized contract commonly known to the trade as a margin account, margin contract, leverage account, or leverage contract, or pursuant to any contract, account, arrangement, scheme, or device that serves the same function or functions as such a standardized contract, or is marketed or managed in substantially the same manner as such a standardized contract, or (2) the maintenance or carrying of any such contract.

The provisions of this section shall not apply to any transaction expressly prohibited by section 19(a) of the Act.

(Secs. 2(a), 8a, and 19 of the Commodity Exchange Act and secs. 2 and 23 of Pub. L. 95-405 (92 Stat. 865, 870-871); 7 U.S.C. 2 and 12a)

[43 FR 58554, Dec. 15, 1978. Redesignated at 49 FR 5526, Feb. 13, 1984]

eCFR data current as of: June 10, 2026

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.