: an investment swindle in which some early investors are paid off with money put up by later ones in order to encourage more and bigger risks
Examples of Ponzi scheme in a Sentence
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Critics call the digital money a giant Ponzi scheme, which benefits no one except criminals.
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Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Sep. 2024
More recently, he was accused of criminal theft and fraud via a Ponzi scheme used to allegedly rip off the elderly to fund his lifestyle.
—Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 15 Aug. 2024
The story of his Ponzi scheme and the early boy band scene is detailed in the new Netflix documentary Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam, streaming now.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 26 July 2024
If this sounds similar to the 1 Global Capital fraud run out of Hallandale Beach, the descriptions diverge in that MJ Capital is accused of being more of a Ponzi scheme.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 23 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for Ponzi scheme 
Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Sep. 2024
More recently, he was accused of criminal theft and fraud via a Ponzi scheme used to allegedly rip off the elderly to fund his lifestyle.
—Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 15 Aug. 2024
The story of his Ponzi scheme and the early boy band scene is detailed in the new Netflix documentary Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam, streaming now.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 26 July 2024
If this sounds similar to the 1 Global Capital fraud run out of Hallandale Beach, the descriptions diverge in that MJ Capital is accused of being more of a Ponzi scheme.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 23 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for Ponzi scheme
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“Ponzi scheme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ponzi%20scheme. Accessed 30 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
Ponzi scheme
noun
Pon·zi scheme
ˈpän-zē-ˌskēm 
: an investment swindle in which early investors are paid with sums obtained from later ones in order to create the illusion of profitability
Etymology
Charles A. Ponzi (ca. 1882–1949), Italian-born American swindler
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