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Ponzi scheme

[/ˈpɒnzi skiːm/]
nounpl: Ponzi schemes
esquema de Ponzi
1. A fraudulent investment operation where returns for existing investors are generated by revenue from new investors, rather than from genuine business activities or profit of financial trading.
Bernie Madoff's investment firm was revealed to be a massive Ponzi scheme that defrauded thousands of investors.
O fundo de investimento de Bernie Madoff foi revelado como um enorme esquema de Ponzi que defraudou milhares de investidores.
2. Any fraudulent or deceptive scheme that promises high returns and relies on new participant money to pay earlier participants.
The cryptocurrency project turned out to be nothing more than a Ponzi scheme targeting vulnerable investors.
O projeto de criptomoeda acabou sendo nada mais do que um esquema de Ponzi direcionado a investidores vulneráveis.
NYC Slang
hustle scheme / con game
Synonyms
pyramid schememulti-level marketing schemechain letter schemefraudulent investment scheme
Antonyms
legitimate investmentgenuine businesshonest transaction

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
esquema de Ponzi
standard term used in financial and legal contexts
São Paulo
esquema de Ponzi / pirâmide financeira
both terms commonly used in financial center
Portugal
esquema de Ponzi
formal and standard term in Portuguese financial regulation

Related Idioms & Phrases

rob Peter to pay Paul
shell game
financial fraud
investment scam
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