The Web site for McWhortle Enterprises Inc. is pretty impressive. It has nice graphics, including a picture of its revolutionary product  a hand-held device that allows consumers to detect biohazardous materials such as anthrax.

According to the company, the “Bio-Hazard Alert Detector” is powered by two AA batteries and emits an audible beep and flashes when in the presence of all known biohazards.

The testimonials in support of the product and the company are convincing.

The exciting news on the Web site is that the company is going public and small investors still have a chance to buy shares of the stock. But to bid on these shares, you have to act quickly. Investors in a previous stock offering saw their investment grow by an average of 217 percent.

So, are you ready to invest now?

If you are, you just got conned. McWhortle Enterprises doesn’t exist.

It’s a fictitious company with a Web site posted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the North American Securities Administrators Assn. and the National Association of Securities Dealers. The site was created to illustrate how easy it is for investors to be hoodwinked and bamboozled online.

In the first three days the McWhortle site was up, it received 150,000 hits. The SEC planted information about the fake company on an Internet news portal.

“We created this fake Web site because we had the sneaking suspicion that people are getting investment tips off the Internet but are not bothering to check out the information or advice before they invest their money,” said Susan Wyderko, director of investor education for the SEC.

This is a bold and clever move by the SEC. And, there will be more sites. In addition to McWhortle Enterprises, the SEC already has launched three more as a continuing lesson to the would-be sucker.

The sites appear to be legitimate investment opportunities offering investors a chance to reap big rewards with little or no risk. But anyone who tries to invest will instead get this warning, “If you responded to an investment idea like this … you could get scammed!”

Thousands of investors are conned every year.

It can’t be said enough  independently verify any and all claims made in an investment offer.

When checking out a company, get a copy of its quarterly reports, annual reports (with audited financial statements) and the periodic reports companies must file if there is a significant event.

Check the SEC’s EDGAR database (www.sec.gov/edgar/quickedgar.htm) to access company reports. Also contact your state securities regulator to make sure the company is properly registered or legally exempt from registration. You can find that information by calling NASAA at (202) 737-0900 or going online at www.nasaa.org. Click on “find regulator.”

Most important, when considering investments, never act too quickly. The crooks count on you not taking the time to do the proper research. They know that many of you are so eager to find that next great investment opportunity or fast-rising stock that you’ll invest without investigating, because you are afraid of missing the next Microsoft Corp.

But as Baker so smartly pointed out, “A lot of retirees … today didn’t invest in Microsoft when it was founded and they still lead productive, happy and comfortable lives.”