| inf. |
Ponzi scheme (A type of banking fraud named after Charles Ponzi, who operated such a scheme in the USA in 1920. Depositors are offered unsustainably high rates of interest (e.g. 50% p.a.) and are initially paid their interest from a fund consisting of new deposits. When the deposits dry up, the bank collapses. Ponzi managed to fool enough depositors to amass a fund of $8M before the police caught up with him. Depositors lost every cent. The term is now used generally for schemes of this sort, based on chain letters. OF&B Alexander Demidov); shell game (Sukhopleschenko); scam (Tamerlane); fraud (Tamerlane); dupe-a-matic (tfennell); con artistry (Val_Ships); con (BrE) a trick; an act of cheating sb: The so-called bargain was just a big con! Alexander Demidov); con game (especially US, informal) a swindle involving money, goods, etc, in which the victim's trust is won by the swindler; a shortened form of confidence game Alexander Demidov); Ponzi scheme (Alexander Demidov); flimflam lottery (VLZ_58); thimblerigging (VLZ_58); con job (Taras); lottery scam; lottery scam (вид мошенничества, при котором группа обманщиков организует видимость лотереи, в которую невозможно выиграть (по аналогии с лототроном) a confidence game that seems to be a legitimate lottery but has no winners); flim-flammery (Ремедиос_П) |
