Ponzi

[ pon-zee ]

noun

a swindle in which a quick return, made up of money from new investors, on an initial investment lures the victim into much bigger risks.

Origin of Ponzi

After Charles Ponzi (died 1949), the organizer of such a scheme in the U.S., 1919–20

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Now he helps bust up Ponzi schemes and other scams targeting newly rich pro athletes.
Don’t Fall Victim to Newest Scams | Pallabi Munsi | March 10, 2021 | Ozy
Butner Federal Correctional Institution in North Carolina, where Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernie Madoff is housed.
The Best Places to Be Locked Up If You Love Luxury | Eugene Robinson | October 7, 2020 | Ozy
Ponzi was brought down due to a series of investigative reports in the Boston Post newspaper, which ultimately led to a federal criminal investigation resulting in mail fraud charges.
The History of Ponzi Schemes Goes Deeper Than the Man Who Gave Them His Name | Steve Weisman | August 12, 2020 | Time
Many Ponzi schemers also appear to be terribly selective in who is allowed to invest with them.
The History of Ponzi Schemes Goes Deeper Than the Man Who Gave Them His Name | Steve Weisman | August 12, 2020 | Time
Behind the scenes, Ponzi was only able to pay his investors using money from new investors, not profits.
The History of Ponzi Schemes Goes Deeper Than the Man Who Gave Them His Name | Steve Weisman | August 12, 2020 | Time

Hardly a reassuring forecast coming from a former casino croupier and Ponzi scheme salesman.
Putin’s People Stage Their Bogus Vote | Jamie Dettmer | May 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Squaring perfectly with the defense, Madoff insisted that he alone knew he was running a Ponzi scheme.
Bernie Madoff’s Five Little Helpers Are Going To Prison. | Allan Dodds Frank | March 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Had he any remorse, he would have implicated those who conspired with him to commit the greatest Ponzi scheme in history.
Why Trust What Bernie Madoff Says About JP Morgan Now? | Burt Ross | February 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Ponzi king is now saying J.P. Morgan executives suspected he was up to no good before his massive fraud was exposed.
Why Trust What Bernie Madoff Says About JP Morgan Now? | Burt Ross | February 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
When Suzanne Somers called Obamacare a socialized Ponzi scheme, critics swiftly ripped apart her argument.
Suzanne Somers Responds To Critics, Says She Has A Thick Skin | Brandy Zadrozny | October 30, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
This Sowles is the worst mountebank since Charlie Ponzi, and you know it.
Telempathy | Vance Simonds

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