What Is a Ponzi Scheme? Ponzi schemes typically lure in investors by promising high returns with little to no risk. Because initial investors often see high returns at first, early Ponzi schemes often ...

Ponzi and pyramid schemes depend on new money and recruitment to survive. These schemes promise returns from new participants, not real economic activity. Bitcoin does not require recruitment or ...

(Original Caption) Charles Ponzi, the "financial wizard" of Boston who succeeded in amassing a fortune through his endless chain of sales of Foreign Exchange following the World War, later went to ...

Rumors that U.S. President Donald Trump's choice to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, E.J. Antoni, once called the Social Security program a "Ponzi scheme" circulated online in August 2025. A Ponzi ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Steve Weisman writes about white-collar crime. Todd Burkhalter, the CEO of the Georgia-based financial advisory group Drive ...