AIG, the US government-controlled insurer, is considering action against Goldman Sachs over deals to insure $6bn in mortgage-backed securities similar to the one that led to fraud charges against the US bank.
AIG's move over a deal that caused it a loss of about $2bn is a sign that Friday's decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission to file civil fraud charges against Goldman could spark actions from investors who lost money on mortgage-backed securities.
If AIG and others discover that their transactions had disclosure issues similar to those alleged in the SEC complaint, they would be able to complain to the SEC, file a private lawsuit, or both, lawyers said.