fraude em pirâmide

[FROW-duh em pee-RAH-mee-duh]

nounfemininepl: fraudes em pirâmide

pyramid scheme

1. An illegal investment scam where returns for existing investors are generated by recruiting new participants, rather than from genuine business activities or legitimate investments

The company was shut down after authorities discovered it was operating a pyramid scheme.

A empresa foi fechada depois que as autoridades descobriram que operava uma fraude em pirâmide.

2. A fraudulent business model that promises high returns to early investors using money from new recruits

Thousands of people lost their savings in the pyramid scheme.

Milhares de pessoas perderam suas economias na fraude em pirâmide.

NYC Slang

Ponzi scheme (related but distinct financial fraud)

Synonyms

esquema de pirâmide sistema de pirâmide golpe de pirâmide fraude piramidal negócio ilegal

Antonyms

investimento legítimo negócio legal

Regional Variations

General Brazilian

fraude em pirâmide

Most common and widely used term in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro

golpe da pirâmide

Common colloquial variant emphasizing the deceptive nature

São Paulo

esquema de pirâmide

Frequently used in business and financial contexts

Portugal

fraude em pirâmide

Same as Brazilian Portuguese; also used as 'esquema de pirâmide'

Related Idioms & Phrases

cair em uma fraude em pirâmide (to fall into a pyramid scheme)

desmantelar uma fraude em pirâmide (to dismantle a pyramid scheme)

vítima de fraude em pirâmide (victim of a pyramid scheme)

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