Reliable financial pyramids. Strategies for investing in HYIPs. How to make a million on pyramids? Is it worth reinvesting? How long does a pyramid live?

There is no limit to human greed. The thirst for easy money just like that, in no time, turns off the ability to think logically, and even think with your head in general. Even the instinct of self-preservation disappears somewhere.

I am convinced of this every time I see another “adept” who has poured a lot of money into another “investment company.” And he begins to tell me that he will earn a lot, a lot, and everything will be fine with him.

Look. You think a lot:

Doesn't seem stupid. It seems like I have my own business. How does he not understand basic things, that money doesn’t just fall from the ceiling?

Where do those “apostles” who brainwash people like that study? Teach you how to write selling texts, huh? :)

Where is the limit to that thirst for easy money that turns even smart people into stupid zombies?

How many times can you repeat? there is no easy money. And they are not on the Internet. And don't look.

Signs of obvious financial pyramids

About the so-called HYIPs (High Yield Investment Program) - fraudulent projects that are disguised as investment funds with a high level of income. Projects like this help to invest money in cryptocurrencies, energy, or something else (depending on the invented legend). In fact, this is a financial pyramid. As long as investments are made and new people are attracted, the structure lives and even pays interest. As soon as payments exceed the inflow of money, the project is closed.

Sometimes it closes even earlier - at the very peak of the influx of money. And the founder of such a project disappears into nowhere with other people's money.

Almost every year (or even more often) there are rumors that another investment project like this has failed. People make noise, yell, are indignant... and after some time they again take their money to another “cool European project with huge interest rates.” And everything is new. Everything is back to normal.

Some people like to play such gambling games every time. They are specifically looking for HYIPs that are still paying, and are trying to earn a little money before the pyramid collapses.

But the winners from participating in such a scheme (which, by the way, is illegal - this is financial fraud) are 1% of investors. Guess who's in it?

If you're so interested in the world of investing, remember (it’s so obvious and so simple!):

There cannot be a truly serious and large investment company that exists for two or three months and is registered somewhere in Cyprus or Malta;

If you are promised huge interest rates and huge income in a short time, this is also unclean. Where they promise more, they deceive more;

The website of a serious company will not be poor, with errors in the texts, with unfinished design and functionality;
- if they offer to sell a product that no one needs or does not exist;

If the affiliate program is well developed - you receive a percentage for each investor you refer - this is also a sign of a pyramid.

And one more thing: even if the company has a network of offices, a huge campaign was carried out to attract investors, with festivals and meetings, there is an authorized capital, at the meeting you were given a company flag and pen and treated to a sandwich, and even allowed to sign an agreement - this means nothing. This is not a guarantee that you will not be scammed. On the contrary, the more they poke your nose in the authorized capital, the more they try to blur your eyes.

A real, live, fresh example is Vertex Life. It closed just the other day, leaving thousands of people high and dry. And there were offices in Kyiv and Moscow. They were supposed to open it in Lviv. Events were held, flags were distributed, and agreements were even concluded with investors.

At first there were glitches on the site. Then it turned out (according to the founders’ stories) that some IT specialist from the team hacked the database (!) and stole all the money (!!). You cannot enter the office - only by special invitation. And then bam... That's all. The site is working, but there is no withdrawal button.

The founders disappeared.

It's a shame? And how. But no one asked to invest money there (and the minimum investment was 100 bucks). They saw what they were buying... but they wanted to earn money very quickly and without hassle.

Let us repeat once again – there is no such thing as easy money. They are not available on the Internet either. Nowhere. The law of conservation of energy works: if you want money, make an effort.

Yes, there are masters who make money from “honest” HYIPs, but this is just luck for the time being. That's all.

Should you invest in cryptocurrency?

One of the fashionable investment options is for those who lack thrills. To cryptocurrency.

Citizens of the Russian Federation know that bitcoins and all cryptocurrencies in general are prohibited in their country. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation cites an article from the Constitution, according to which “the introduction and issue of other currencies (except the ruble) are not allowed.” In addition, the Central Bank considers bitcoins also a financial pyramid.

It's not worth the risk - a violation is a violation. And many scammers have scammed on this topic, promising to earn thousands of dollars on Bitcoin. In fact, they make money themselves...

By the way, the NBU also does not advise Ukrainians to carry out transactions with cryptocurrency. They say that if they are deceived, it is their own fault.

Bitcoin is at least more or less real - it is an exchange commodity, you can actually pay for services with it (I already wrote about this).

And his success haunts others.

They go further - they open platforms for investing in cryptocurrencies, which in fact do not exist. A real example now exists - S-coin. Again, the “serious European” company CoinSpace, has been on the market for several years. Here she came to the expanses of the CIS (according to legend). Registered in Malta. Offers investing in ghost cryptocurrency. There are no coins yet.

What else is given (and you think what it is, scam or not):

The site is a concrete crap on crutches with errors;

Does not work with any payment system. Only with banks (and at the moment it is not possible to work with cards on the site);

They were supposed to go public in October. Now they promise to come out in the spring (they admit that they have nothing);

They promise that immediately after entering the exchange, one S-coin will be equal to one euro;

They offer to sign for themselves and bring other investors.

Pyramid of pure water. Interest is paid from the influx of money from new customers. S-coin is sold and bought only within this site (a product no one needs...).

There are a lot of similar projects. Google about Helix (or read it if you're lazy) or OneCoin.

And after that...

If the world of investment beckons and you want to pour money somewhere, then first:

Register here and browse topics. You will learn a lot of interesting things. Including about obvious fraudulent projects - they are placed in a separate thread.

View the blacklist and . Constantly replenished and updated.

Study useful literature on the topic of investment. Don't go into the water without knowing the ford.

Invest in your business, in real estate, buy gold, in the end. Put money on a deposit or just travel around the world.

Don’t invest in any “cool European companies that are serious about things.” Check the information before you give your hard-earned money - news about scams and HYIPs can be easily searched for, literally at a dime.

Do you have extra money and really want to spend it somewhere?

Open an animal shelter.

Buy toys for kindergarten.

Buy a computer for your home school.

Buy medicine or help make repairs in the hospital.

At least they will sincerely thank you for this. And you won’t feel like a sucker.

Currently, there is often an opinion that Bitcoin is a financial pyramid with all the ensuing consequences. But is it? Let's try to understand the facts by compiling our list of sensational and stunning financial scams of the last century. The most famous financial pyramids from history are presented below.

It is no secret that not long ago the Central Bank of Russia labeled the above-mentioned cryptocurrency a financial pyramid. The motivation for such a decision is easily visible in the comments of officials from the department of the national payment system of the Bank of Russia. The analogy, in their opinion, is justified by the speculative nature of transactions. They say that not only speculators aiming for easy money work with bitcoins, but also people paying for the said profit. In comparison with various kinds of securities, the security of this cryptocurrency is observed only in relation to the time spent by a person on its “mining”.

Definition of Financial Pyramid

So, how do financial pyramids work and what companies can be called that? This concept refers to a company that generates income and provides dividends for its investors solely through the continuous receipt of new cash deposits. The mechanism of the pyramid is simple - the income of the first investors comes from the deposits of the organization's next clients, who, in turn, from the next, and so on. In the vast majority of cases, the founders of the pyramid hide the main source of its income or make it false. The destruction of the financial pyramid occurs due to the cessation of new deposits.

Does it make sense to consider Bitcoin a pyramid scheme?

Unlike a financial pyramid, Bitcoin does not guarantee large profits for fund holders. In fact, this cryptocurrency is simply a convenient means of storing money and paying for various kinds of services and goods. Bitcoins have their own software and special properties, including the absence of inflation, the anonymity of depositors, the decentralized nature of activity, and the scanty cost of money transfers. As for the financial pyramid, its founder traditionally promises investors high profits, but the very essence of the pyramid does not provide for long-term viability, which deprives investors of the guarantee of profit.

For greater clarity, we will recall the nine largest and most devastating financial frauds of the last century.

1. Ponzi scam

The swindler Charles Ponzi is rightfully considered one of the creators of large-scale financial pyramids. Back in 1919, an enterprising Italian swindler, thanks to his powers of observation, developed a scheme to fool people. One seemingly ordinary day, a letter was brought to him. In addition to a piece of paper with text, it contained an internationally valid coupon. Such receipts could be exchanged for stamps and a reply letter could be sent to the addressee. An interesting fact: in the Old World, such a coupon was given one mark, and in the USA - six.

Having carefully considered his own observation, Ponzi founded a company in Boston, which he called “SXC,” focused on the purchase and sale of goods in different countries, and began to actively solicit investors. The swindler supported investor interest with promises to pay 150% of the invested funds after 45 days. Naturally, such attractive conditions could not but arouse increased interest among the residents of Boston. The process has begun.

In fact, Ponzi did not purchase exchange coupons at all, but acted in the now classic tactics of a financial pyramid - old investors received money from new ones; already in July, Charles received about $250,000 per day on bills. However, within a month, federal agents descended on Ponzi, checked his activities and liquidated the company as a financial pyramid. Lengthy legal proceedings led to Ponzi returning part of the money to investors, but another two million dollars seemed to disappear into thin air.

It's funny, the Italian swindler received only five years in prison for his activities.

2. Pyramid of Dona Branca

Portugal also had its own large-scale pyramid, and its founder was a woman; everyone preferred to call her Dona Branca. In 1970, an enterprising lady opened her own bank to enrich herself. To attract investors, she promised each of them a ten percent monthly interest rate. Naturally, such favorable conditions for rapid financial growth could not help but seduce thousands of people of different incomes from all over the country. For 14 long years, Dona Branca’s financial pyramid was alive and well; by that time, the woman herself had received the nickname “the people’s banker.” However, in 1984, the pyramid collapsed, which resulted in the arrest of Dona Branca and her imprisonment for a ten-year term. She spent the rest of her life alone.

3. "Double Check"

The diagram has no reference to chess. Shah is the surname of high school teacher Syed Shah from Pakistan. In 2005, the swindler arrived in his native Wazirabad from a long business trip to Dubai and immediately surprised his neighbors with the information that the trip had given him knowledge of an innovative exchange program. They say that if you follow this scheme, you can double your savings in seven days. The chosen fraud mechanism (doubling savings) formed the basis for the name of the scheme.

Starting with gullible neighbors, Syed Shah expanded his activities throughout the state. Within a year and a half, the scammer had received more than $880 million from 3,000 investors and was seriously considering running for political leadership in the region. However, law enforcement authorities confused his cards and made a quick arrest. It is interesting that even the publication of the swindler’s fraudulent schemes did not shake the faith in him on the part of deceived investors. Thousands of investors, their relatives and friends staged massive street demonstrations calling for Shah to be released. However, he is still in captivity and the investigation into his case is in the active stage.

4. Lou Perlman and his scheme

The name Lou Pearlman may not mean anything to the vast majority of readers, but everyone has probably heard, if not the music, then at least the names of the groups that he created. We are talking about such popular “boy bands” in the 90s as BackstreetBoys and ‘NSync.

However, Perlman became known in the United States for his shady dealings, namely his financial scheme, which brought him $300 million. And all exclusively after deceiving various investors and banks! Lou Perlman started his criminal activities in 1981, when he founded more than ten different types of organizations that were just letters on paper. However, for 20 years, Perlman successfully sold shares in his “fake” companies!

Everything secret becomes clear, and as a result, Lou Pearlman’s criminal scheme was exposed. The swindler attempted to leave the United States, but he was caught and given 25 years in prison along with a fine of $1 million. Moreover, initially the punishment was much more severe, but Perlman agreed to cooperate with the court and admitted his crimes. It’s no joke, Lu’s fraud affected more than 250 individuals who lost two hundred million dollars, and 10 financial institutions that suffered losses of one hundred million.

5. European Royal Club

In 1992, swindlers Hans Spachtholz and Damara Berges with aplomb announced the creation of a non-profit association, the purpose of which was a noble impulse to lend a helping hand to small businesses and create an alternative to the large banks of Europe. The scammers proudly called their brainchild the “European Royal Club.”

According to the financial scheme of Spachtholz and Berges, people wishing to become members of organizations were required to purchase a so-called “letter”, which was essentially a share, for 1,400 Swiss francs. The owner of the “letter”, after purchasing it, received a guarantee of monthly income in the amount of 200 francs, which ultimately allowed the investor to expect to double his contribution after the end of the calendar year.

It was only after two years and a cumulative loss of $1 billion by hundreds of thousands of German and Swiss investors that the fraudulent system of Spachtholz and Berges was exposed. Interestingly, even at the moment the verdict was read out, the investors refused to believe that they had been deceived and whistled at the judge. Berges eventually received seven years in prison, Spachtholz - five.

6. Bernard Madoff's Pyramid

The swindler Bernard Madoff went down in history as the founder of one of the most famous financial frauds in the history of mankind. Several hundred companies and 3,000,000 people suffered from the fruits of the fraudster’s activities. Collectively, Madoff's victims lost nearly $65 billion.

Bernard Madoff approached the creation of the Madoff Investment Securities fund with thorough preparation. He has built an excellent reputation for his company through building an impressive client list. It included various banks, US elites and hedge funds. The reputable clientele acted as proof of the fund's reliability and profitability for those investors who had even the slightest doubt about Madoff's honesty. Bernard promised his clients from 12 to 13% per annum of invested funds.

For Bernard Madoff, the fall of 2008 became fatal, when several large investors demanded an amount of $7 billion from him. Then it became clear that the fund had absolutely no money - the pyramid collapsed. When federal agents, after a denunciation from Madoff’s sons, began to “dig” under the swindler, it became known that the fund had not been involved in investor funds for more than 13 years. The debt of Madoff's brainchild at the time the government took over it was about $50 billion.

Bernard Madoff was unlucky compared to previous founders of financial pyramids. For his fraudulent activities, he received a prison sentence of 150 years.

7. Wang Feng's Ants

The swindler Wang Feng, in his desire to get rich, invented a rather interesting and original scheme for making money. This Chinese man gave birth to the Yilishen Tianxi Group of China company in 1999. The investment fee for each investor was equal to $1,500. After investing money, investors received a box containing a unique breed of ants, and instructions on how to feed and raise them. Wang Feng convinced gullible investors that after 90 days of monitoring the insects, his assistants would come to them and pay for the ants. The insects themselves will be processed to create aphrodisiacs and medicines. Naturally, this sounded quite plausible, especially since the swindler very quickly began to get rich and spent considerable money on promoting his image, often appearing on newspaper pages and on television. Moreover, the state even awarded him a prize for being among the top 100 Chinese businessmen.

The organization was experiencing an unprecedented rise, but when its turnover reached two billion dollars, the pyramid collapsed, and the swindler himself was sentenced to death.

8. MMM

Even now, the name of Sergei Mavrodi evokes negative reviews in the Russian expanses. And no wonder, it was this swindler, taking his wife Marina and brother Vyacheslav to help him, who created the company “MMM” (the first letters of the founders’ surnames), which became the greatest financial pyramid in Russian history. This company expanded its activities widely in the 90s, promising investors up to 1000% dividends, and ultimately deceived millions of Russians. Over the five years of activity, Sergei Mavrodi became rich by at least one and a half billion dollars, was elected to the State Duma and trumped the immunity of a deputy. However, in 2003, the pyramid collapsed, and Mavrodi was arrested. To this day, he himself is sure that the Russian government is to blame for the collapse of his pyramid.

9. Insurance system in the USA

Fun fact, the Ponzi scheme we described above bears a recognizable resemblance to the American Social Security system. In 1935, then US President Theodore Roosevelt introduced an insurance system aimed at combating poverty among unemployed and elderly residents. As a result, the latter had the opportunity to obtain finance at the expense of the working American population.

It is clear that since that time the system has been stuffed with a number of changes and adjustments, but this does not negate its essence. As before, old investors live off the money of new ones. However, clouds are gathering over the United States - independent analysts are confident that already in 2018 the existing insurance scheme may die out. This is because there may not be enough money for everyone in need in light of the baby boomer retirement age approach.

In order to understand which company to invest in, you must always understand the principle of the financial pyramid, otherwise you can end up with nothing. People who invest their money in online financial pyramids that last from a month to a year expose themselves to a very high risk, even if the annual return is 100 or even 300%. If you really want to get serious about investing, then check out our " " page.

Portuguese pyramid of Dona Branca 3. “Double Check” scheme This is why the scheme was called “Double Check”. Within a year and a half, the pyramid had grown throughout the country, more than three thousand investors gave him savings worth more than $880 million at that year’s exchange rate. 105. ATLANTIS GROUP 108. Global Network (www.inetworkspace.com, formerly Intway and Inspace) 111. Network of Partner Links - abbreviated as NPL 115. Center Region Company - with FSC plates 123. Gold Line International 125. Emirates Partners Travel 127. ADT - American Diamond Traders Inc. ----------- Financial pyramids of 2015: Mega Lux, which deceived thousands of citizens, as well as a list of online pyramids in Russia As one of the participants said, when asked what they do in pyramids, she answered: “We are a business cooperative and we sing, dance and have fun.” Yeah.

List of financial pyramids 2018

In the offices of investors, they usually meet young girls who, over a cup of tea, tell them that the organization has a business that helps them feel confident even in a crisis - usually this is an extensive network of car services and car dealerships throughout Russia. Then the companies unexpectedly close. And many investors are left with nothing. Not everyone manages to get their money back. However, some clients were lucky: the police arrested the deceivers for fraud. And the deceived investors now have hope of getting their money back.

Some of them even managed to win civil suits. Return the money along with the interest stipulated by the agreement. We are talking about amounts of hundreds of thousands of rubles. Among the victims were not only residents of the capital, but also a number of regions of Central Russia.

Sunlight stores jewelry store gold jewelry - treasury of Yakutia

Canadian Diamond Traders (CDT) 2003 sluggish candiamond.ucoz.lv disguised financial pyramid gems City Emerald June 2010 cityemerald.com disguised financial pyramid gems Diamond Mine MLM April 7, 2012 2013 diamond-mine-mlm.com FP useless services Wazzub January 2012 2013 (in oblivion) ​​Wazzub.info disguised FP Search system ideal balance on March 19, 2012 IDEALBALANS.COM FP deposits ISIF 2009 July 1, 2011 ISIFEDU.com LAVED OF THE MICS CAPATAL 2010 MICSCAPATAL.COM Commercial Sotsa Commercial Sots Ket 2008 in oblivion inmarket.biz abandoned MLM online market Intway 2007 2011 intway.ucoz.com disguised FP script Online store ZeekRewards November 2011 August 2012 zeekler.com disguised FP auction EN101 2005 since 2013 in oblivion en101.com disguised FP online foreign language training.

​hype pyramids

Magazine headings

Russia Pays Conditions have changed 04/18/2018 Hashing24 hashing24.com May 8, 2016 hype, bitcoin mining about $20 about $3 10% per month 6400 forum 7,117 in Russia Pays 04/18/2018 Elysium Company elysium.company spring 2017 classic + investment. 0.03 BTC 1 year from 30% to 50% per year 3000 Unknown 04/18/2018 Alpha Cash alpha-cash.com September 1, 2017 hype, cryptocurrencies $10 360 days 10%-15% per month 15100 reviews 2,620 in Russia Pays 04/18/2018 CresoCoin cresocoin.org March 2017 hype, cryptocurrencies 650 rubles 20% per month 1300 ↓ Not known 04/18/2018 Stepium stepium.com September 2017 classic 0.06 ETH no passive income 1300 ↓ reviews Not known 04/18/2018 9mln 9mln.com b 2017 classic $3 passive income no 2000 Open 04/18/2018 * There are several types of financial pyramids.

1. Investments - You invest money and wait for interest without doing anything.

Skeptimist

We will provide your protection and achieve your acquittal! Briefly describe the fact of the accusation against you and the lawyer will take the first steps to protect you today!

1. We will competently build a position for your defense and will represent your interests in the police, prosecutor’s office, and court.

Classification of HYIPs and list of financial pyramids Recently, there are much more financial pyramids on the Internet than offline. And no wonder! After all, on the Internet, the organizer of an advertising campaign can remain anonymous, and launching mass advertising online is much easier and cheaper than in real life. The most popular type of financial investment on the Internet is hype (from the English HYIP - High Yield Investment Program). It differs from classic financial pyramids in that it regularly pays participants passive income for some time. Residents of Boston rushed to buy papers, while Charles maintained interest with paid articles in the press. 2.

What new Internet projects and financial pyramids in 2018 are not scams?

The monthly net income of the financial group is more than 27%.

• “YES!Credit” - a loan can be obtained in 30 minutes at 2% per day.
“DA!Invest” invests the funds provided by investors into “DA!Credit” and other reliable, highly profitable areas of business.

• Rostfinance Perm

RostFinance LLC (Limited Liability Company) is registered in Moscow and operates in all regions of the Russian Federation. The company provides entrepreneurs with step-by-step instructions for starting a business. From the moment the client opens a business, RostFinance provides legal support and provides free staff training. The company helps an entrepreneur open an office in 5 days, with the average payback period for the business being 45 days.
Rostfinance LLC Perm also facilitates loan repayment on terms favorable to clients.

The Anglo-Saxons will let stupid Russian-Jewish oligarchs around the world

The rates on funds attracted by these financial organizations are higher, but, as previously noted, these organizations are not included in the DIA insurance system, that is, investments in them are not guaranteed by the state. In addition, you need to keep in mind that among microfinance organizations, only microfinance companies (MFCs) have the right to attract funds from citizens who are not their founders, and only in an amount of at least 1.5 million rubles. Microcredit companies (MCCs) do not have the right to attract funds from citizens who are not their founders.
As for the CCP, they have the right to attract only funds from their members (shareholders). From January 1, 2015, you can open an individual investment account with a brokerage company and receive not only financial results from transactions with securities, but also a tax deduction in the amount of 13% per year.

There are more and more financial pyramids in Russia

That is, from a legal point of view, they are not financial pyramids. But in practice, these companies operate exactly like financial pyramids. Most often this happens due to POOR-QUALITY or UNNECESSARY products (those that could not be sold on the free market) or because of their long implementation (for example, Sky Way).

Important

And also because of the management’s miscalculations when opening the company. In addition, many online MLM companies with intangible products fall into this category. Below is a table of such companies. Let us remind you once again that these companies are LEGALLY not pyramids - no need to write about this in the comments!!! Name Of.

Attention

And since the creators themselves are at the top, everyone else inevitably ends up losing. It would seem that this fact cannot but be understood by business representatives - people who not only have extensive life experience, but also have a high degree of pragmatism. But the whole point is that consumer psychology, along with an incredible thirst for money, also gives rise to a certain... belief in miracles.

Five main signs of financial pyramids READ

Since this site is dedicated to working on the Internet and ways to make money online, I think that it is simply necessary to pay some attention to financial pyramids, since this phenomenon is also a kind of “type of earnings.”

Many people confuse the concepts of financial pyramid and network marketing into one, mistaking one for the other, since the structures are very similar.

A little theory: a company that has distributors, as well as the presence of any physical product for distribution (sale) - this company belongs to network marketing (MLM company). If the company does not have any product, and the remuneration for old participants is formed by “injecting” money with new ones, this is a financial pyramid.

I have been making money online for a relatively long time, but over these few years I have never taken part in financial pyramids, and there are several reasons for this...

Why should you not take part in financial pyramids?

Firstly, I have never heard of anyone actually earning any normal amounts in a pyramid scheme. Although no, I have heard of it. However, those who talked about this themselves are barkers, which means that by definition there can be no faith in them.

Secondly, not all of these structures are reliable. There is no guarantee of receiving the money earned, but there are obviously great chances of getting into a scam.

Thirdly, this type of income in itself is somehow unpleasant. You sit and think about how to invite people to invest their money. After all, this is the only way you can, if not earn money, then at least return what you invested. Moreover, you cannot guarantee a person with confidence that the project will not deceive him in the future.

Based on what was written above, the following is obvious - I will not offer you to join some kind of financial pyramid. In this article, I want, to the best of my modest ability, to talk about what I know about financial pyramids and is it even possible to make money in them?

The structure (essence) of any financial pyramid is inviting new participants. That is, in order to earn money, as a rule, you first have to deposit some amount, and then you need to invite participants under you. They, in turn, also invite participants and you should make good money.

Other pyramids shout that in their company you can earn a million by investing 100 rubles. Yes, this is possible, but there is one caveat. Do you have a way to embrace a bunch of people? Do you know him? And not only invite, but convince people to make the required down payment. Is this real? My opinion is that yes, this is real, but there are only one or two such smart people out of a million. As a result, the creator of this financial pyramid and two smart guys earn the million promised rubles. The majority of participants are left with nothing. At best, you can earn a small amount of money, and not everyone can do that.

Recently, financial pyramids have been active online. Now there are a lot of them on the Internet. Their creators are coming up with new ways of disguise so that a person cannot understand that he has ended up in a pyramid. They call themselves online games with real money withdrawal, where you need to plant and grow trees or, for example, buy animals, raise them and then sell them, mutual aid cash desks, money tables, and so on. But the essence is the same - at the first stage you invest a certain amount of money, and at the second - inviting new participants.

I strongly advise against taking part in any projects in this area. Only those who know how and where to find that layer of society that is prone to short-sightedness, stupidity, greed and laziness can make good money there. After all, for the most part, only such people enter financial pyramids.

If you still decide to try to take part in pyramids, even despite what is written above, then pay attention to the site itself, what it looks like. The higher quality and volume it has, the more likely it is that the project is honest (well, if this way of making money can even be called honest). You need to look for reviews about this company. But keep in mind that almost all financial pyramids buy positive reviews. However, for the sake of interest, it’s still worth reading what they write there.

The size of the down payment also plays a significant role here. It would be wiser to get involved in a pyramid where the deposit is 100 rubles, rather than one where the investment is $100. After all, there is a high probability that you will never see the invested funds again. It is also very important what stage of development the project is at. As a rule, the lifespan of a financial pyramid is no more than a year, and in most cases much less. Therefore, if you still don’t have one and want to participate, then it is better to join as early as possible, in the first stages, before the project is saturated with participants. The more participants, the closer the collapse of the financial pyramid is and this has been indisputably proven.

I briefly outlined all my thoughts about financial pyramids here. You can make money in such a business. This is truly a huge business on the Internet. I hope this is true only for the time being... If you want to try, go for it, just don’t forget that the organizer and, if you’re lucky, the first 100–200 participants earn normal money, provided they show unprecedented activity. The rest are left with nothing.

Two years ago, a new article appeared in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which provides for liability for attracting money and property of citizens who receive dividends or interest exclusively from the funds of new participants into the so-called financial pyramids. During? Late!

According to the law, he clarifies, for raising funds in the amount of more than 1.5 million rubles, the organizers of the “pyramid” face a million-dollar fine or imprisonment for up to 4 years. If the amount exceeds 6 million rubles, the violator will face a more severe punishment: forced labor for up to 5 years or imprisonment for up to 6 years, as well as a fine of up to 1.5 million rubles.

According to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, in 2015, the damage from the activities of financial pyramids identified in the country alone exceeded 22 billion rubles, which is comparable to the annual budgets of some constituent entities of the Russian Federation. In addition, in the first half of last year, law enforcement agencies conducted an investigation into 202 relevant criminal cases initiated under Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Fraud”).

Almost to this day, the organizers of hundreds of financial pyramids in Russia feel quite comfortable. As experts note, the total profit of offices that fraudulently attract money from citizens exceeds the income of many banks from the top hundred. But, despite the fact that almost once a week, and sometimes more often, another “pyramid bubble” “collapses” in the country, the naive pinocchios still cannot be translated.

According to an annual survey conducted last summer by the National Agency for Financial Research (NAFI), only 27% of Russians were able to accurately determine what constitutes a financial pyramid. And, according to NAFI, this disappointing figure has remained virtually unchanged from year to year over the past 7 years. That is, it turns out that about a third of our fellow citizens do not read newspapers, watch only entertainment shows on TV, have never heard of Mavrodi and are ready to run headlong and invest money anywhere and in anything, as long as the interest on the deposit is higher!

Ah, it’s not difficult to deceive me, “I’m glad to be deceived myself...” - Alexander Pushkin once confessed his love for a woman. Nowadays, times have changed, people have switched to prose and, in conditions of a severe economic crisis, with no end in sight, they are increasingly admitting their love for money, of which, in order to live normally, they want more and, preferably, like MMM, that is, freebie and quick.

The first financial pyramid

We understand perfectly well that we can be deceived, and yet we take risks, believing in a large percentage of profit and in the fact that disaster will pass us by. At the same time, there are always people who, in the end, left with nothing, begin to be sincerely indignant that they were cheated. It is interesting that there are millions and millions of such “inflated” ones throughout the existence of the notorious financial pyramids.

Carlo Ponzi

After all, this type of “business” was not invented by anyone. He only used an idea, the author of which is rightfully considered to be an Italian emigrant who lived 100 years ago in Boston, America. It was in his (I don’t want to say bright) head that a criminal scheme to deceive the broad masses of the population by attracting them to the general “pyramid building” first arose.

The schemer quite actively profited from the fact that he guaranteed his clients the highest profit - 50 percent in 90 days, without investing the money received anywhere. All of the company's "investments" consisted in the fact that the second client who came to the Ponzi firm received income from the money invested by the first client, the third - from the money of the second, and so on. Naturally, investors had no idea about this outrageously simple scheme, so there was no end to those who wanted to become rich almost instantly.

Millions of ordinary (and not only) Americans brought tens, hundreds and thousands of dollars to the Ponzi office. At the same time, those who brought money three months earlier could take it, but they didn’t take it, letting it go “in the second round.” This was the first large financial pyramid in the world, as a result of which Carlo Ponzi enriched himself at the expense of robbed investors by almost 26 million dollars.

Financial pyramids in Russia

The creators of the current financial pyramids did not invent anything fundamentally new and “spud up” suckers in the same way as Ponzi did 100 years ago. They “spud up”, of course, only until the number of investors stops increasing or the schemers themselves decide that that’s it – it’s time to “make their move.”

In any case, the extreme are the numerous Pinocchios who believe in the mythical Field of Miracles and perceive the clever authors of “pyramid building” no longer as “business partners”, but rather as some kind of evil geniuses taking advantage of the gullibility of the people. Of course, that's how it is. However, if you look from the other side, one cannot help but take into account the impenetrable stupidity of the “investors” themselves, who pay for their naive illusions with real money.

As law enforcement officials, as well as lawyers who defend the rights of the defrauded in courts, state, people themselves give rubles to the “heralds of easy money.” By their strength
No one takes it away from him, no one puts a gun to his head or a knife to his throat. The rules have been well known for a long time, the main thing is to understand them. And if they are completely satisfied, calling someone an evil genius is absurd! The fact that you were “shod” is, first of all, your personal choice!

As you know, the creators of MMM, in the seemingly distant 90s of the 20th century, managed to attract 15 million depositors to their numerous cash offices, opened in literally every city in the country! And after Lenya Golubkov disappeared from television screens, hundreds of thousands of them began unsuccessfully to storm, first, the representatives of the “people's”
companies, and then the courts, filing senseless lawsuits against them. Dozens of people who invested not only money in MMM, but also apartments, dachas and even their last underpants, became homeless and lost their jobs and took their own lives. It was the largest and most successful (for the creators) “pyramid” that went down in the history of modern Russia.

New financial pyramids

However, a holy place is never empty, and with the fall of MMM, “Khoper”, “Chara”, “Tibet”, “Russian House of Selenga” and others immediately appeared, like mushrooms after a summer rain, and continued the “work” of Mavrodi. It is clear that the undertakings of the new “great combinators” also could not last long. But even after they announced their bankruptcy and closure, hundreds of other companies immediately began to explore the “endless and vast field of miracles”, firms and small businesses that began to actively attract Russians who sincerely believe in fairy tales to “mutual” cooperation.

Valentina Ivanovna Solovyova paid huge amounts of money for the roof of the pyramid into the common fund of the Podolsk criminal group

The leaders of these organizations, taught by the bitter experience of their predecessors, now do not “shine” much, advertise themselves in the media little, and find new clients mainly through network marketing and, at every opportunity, declare that they have nothing to do with “pyramid building” . At first glance, this is true. The same
modern civil-consumer and simply credit cooperatives exist quite legally and in their activities are based on the law on credit cooperation. However, according to experts, the main danger for depositors comes precisely from these incredibly generous organizations that offer truly fantastic interest rates on deposits.

“Cooperatives” are a dime a dozen today in any region of the country. Some, who have only recently opened their cash acceptance offices, are still regularly paying dividends to their clients. In others, where management suddenly stopped answering calls and left in an unknown direction, investigative and judicial authorities are dealing with them. Thus, in the Perm Territory, a court not long ago convicted the director of an LLC, whose company in the city of Tchaikovsky accepted money from local residents with the promise to pay high interest on it every month.

However, the company did not conduct any investment, construction or other economic activities, and settled payments with subsequent clients using funds received from previous clients. Part of the “profit”, naturally, ended up in the pocket of the organizer of the next “financial pyramid”. As a result, the swindler, who stole about 4 million rubles from gullible citizens, was put on trial, which sentenced him (on another article for fraud) to 6 years in a general regime colony with a fine of 110 thousand rubles.

Financial scams

Next up are court proceedings in a criminal case initiated against the management of a so-called investment company from Chuvashia. Local “investors” attracted money from “partners” by concluding loan agreements with them at 79 percent per annum! Numerous investors, understandably, did not think about what projects they invested money in to get such a huge profit. They were exclusively interested in the prospect of increasing their own capital in a short time. As a result, another mess happened. According to investigative authorities, at least 1,000 people suffered from the actions of the “investment company” in Chuvashia alone, losing more than 100 million rubles overnight.

In addition to the above-mentioned cooperatives, today so-called venture or innovative enterprises, as well as a number of different construction funds, are pumping money out of the population. All of them begin their work within the framework of Russian legislation and for some time fulfill their obligations to clients. Therefore, according to government officials, “it is very difficult to assert that their activities are aimed at making profit through illegal means until there are no victims.”

However, “Day B” (from the word “bankrupt”) will come sooner or later, and, as quite often happens in such cases, deceived investors roll their eyes and begin to prove in court that they knew nothing and demand return their money. Even from the state budget!

Meanwhile, the Bank of Russia turned to the Moscow prosecutor's office with a request to investigate the activities of a capital company that has all the “signs of a financial pyramid”, which, under the guise of “preferential loan repayments” on the Internet, offers its clients to take out a loan and invest the money received in a “highly profitable business” for 400 % per annum!!! As a result, as the company’s management states, citizens’ investments will allow them to “return the loan amount and remain with interest income” in the shortest possible time.