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Ponzi Schemes Effects

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Although a clear red flag, the alluring promise of high, consistent returns continues to persuade rookie and seasoned investors to unknowingly invest in Ponzi schemes. Coined in the early twentieth century after a Boston fraudster named Charles Ponzi, a Ponzi scheme is a form of investment fraud, in which newly invested money is used to repay existing investors (Ponzi Scheme, n.d.). Since the money is not actually invested, there is no way for Ponzi organizers to generate money for their clientele, which is why Ponzi schemes quickly collapse when recruitment stalls or large numbers of investors decide to cash out (Ponzi Scheme, n.d.). Despite being a white-collar crime, Ponzi schemes have incalculable effects on society. For example, a 1996 …show more content…

Ponzi schemes are non-discriminatory crimes; they effect large corporation and blue-collar individuals alike. After the collapse of a Ponzi scheme, large corporations may find themselves out of millions of dollars and retirees may no longer possess the capital essential for retirement. Other undesirable effects of a Ponzi include, return of any principal or interest received by investors if the Ponzi organizer’s creditors file for bankruptcy, further financial strain on investors if they must obtain the counsel of a tax adviser, and public shame if records concerning the Ponzi are publicized revealing the identity of investors (Benson, 2009). In addition, non-profit intuitions may be forced to return any charitable gifts or donations received from a schemer (Benson, 2009). Such was the case for Middle Tennessee University, after a bankruptcy trustee demanded the return of a $900,000 donations gifted to the university by a Ponzi schemer named Robert McLean (Benson, 2009). Therefore, it is important for future investors to do their due diligence when decided to invest their money. For starters, they can go through a checklist of red flags to determine if the investment is a Ponzi. According to Investor.gov Ponzi red flags include, high returns with very little risk, unlicensed sellers, unregistered investments, secretive complex strategies, and paperwork issues (Ponzi Scheme, n.d.). Furthermore, a potential investor may want to seek the advisement of a CPA to ensure the sincerity of their

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