The FBI and the South Carolina Attorney General’s office are investigating an Easley investment firm whose owner was recently was stripped of his affiliation with a national insurance and financial firm.

Meanwhile, the firm has closed its doors, leaving customers wondering what happened to their money.

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VIDEO: Investment Company's Doors Closed

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Customers of Comprehensive Financial Services said that they have been unable to reach anyone at the firm to discuss their accounts this week and all inquiries have been referred to the lawyer representing the company's owner, Darryl Batts.

Attempts to reach Batts at home have also been unsuccessful and a note on the door of his home says that inquiries should go to his attorney, Frank Eppes.

Eppes said he is referring those inquires to the FBI.

Batts was until recently affiliated with Massachussetts Mutual, a retirement, investment and insurance company. Eppes confirmed that Batts sold insurance products issued by the company.

Jim Lacey, a Mass Mutual spokesman, issued a statement that Batts' affiliation with the company had been "terminated."

"All of our information indicates that the inappropriate actions arise solely from the business dealings of CFS, Inc., the company that Mr. Batts independently owns and operates," the Mass Mutual statement said.

Lacey's statement said that Mass Mutual is cooperating with law enforcement and is conducting its own investigation into Batts' dealings, but would not release any detailed information.

Several customers of CFS said that they went to the company's offices during business hours this week, but found the doors locked.

Ron Yeary, a CFS customer who said that he had invested $200,000 with the company, said that statements he received from CFS indicated that his investments were yielding large returns -- as much as 70 percent.

Until recently, Yeary said Batts gave him assurances that his money would be safe. But that changed when Yeary spoke with Batts on Wednesday.

"I just kept questioning and questioning and I finally asked him, 'Daryl, are the statements I've been getting BS?'," Yeary said. "He said, 'Yes, they are.' "

Other investors said before turning their money over to Batts, they asked if their investments were insured.

"He didn't use the word 'insured.' He used the word 'secured' and used the words 'Mass Mutual - secured because Mass Mutual is my backer,' " investor Mike Brooks said. "I assumed because of a billion-dollar company backing him, our funds are safe."

Some of the investors received monthly deposits in their bank accounts from CFS, which was described as interest from their investments.

But now the investors said that they don't know what has happened to their original investments.

"We took everything that we had - our retirement, our savings - and gave it to Daryl to invest," investor Joyce Bolding said. "I just want to know where our money is. What has he done with everyone's money?"

Financial Advisor Points Out Warning Signs

Some CFS clients said they invested their money with the company in part because they trusted Batts.

"You know, if they're nice guys, they're professional, they seem to know what they're doing, you just take it for granted," Greenville financial advisor Mike Miller told WYFF News 4 .

Miller said that is not enough.

Protecting your money and knowing who has it are also key.

"The question is 'who am I writing the check to?’” Miller said. "Make sure that the check that you're writing goes to the company that you're buying the product from."

Some CFS investors’ statements show higher yields than they expected.

Batts said that he was able to do that because he shifted investors’ money as he noticed changes in markets.

"If anybody acts like they can time the market -- which is what he's talking about doing -- get you in and out at the best times so you never lose money, they're lying or they're very naïve."

Investors also said that Batts told them there were no fees involved with investing their money, because he was being paid by the Mass Mutual as he brought in new customers.

"If they say, 'I don't get paid by you. I get paid by the insurance company,’ then you want to walk away,” Miller said. “You might even want to run away."