Crime & Fraud
Learn more about financial crimes such as fraud, money laundering, and Ponzi schemes, and what you can do to avoid them.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-507249324-35c6e6f7eae840f1af2ca1cfbc8d3105.jpg)
What Is a Pyramid Scheme? How Does It Work?
Investopedia explains pyramid schemes, how they work, their different forms, and what individuals should watch out for before falling into t...
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-85333747-716fc30000714c9a98857cfd6f84df56.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/investing20-5bfc2b8f46e0fb00517be081.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/investing17-5bfc2b8fc9e77c00519aa64c.jpg)
-
![Businessman in handcuffs]()
Racketeering Definition -
![Enron logo]()
Enron Scandal: The Fall of a Wall Street Darling -
![Judge Gavel With Justice Lawyers]()
What Does Pro Bono Really Mean? -
![Hand turns a dice and changes the word 'OUTSIDER' to 'INSIDER' (or vice versa).]()
What Investors Can Learn From Insider Trading -
![]()
8 Ways Companies Cook the Books -
![]()
Financial Statement Manipulation an Ever-Present Problem for Investors -
![A man handing a shady man a package]()
The Definition of the Underground Economy -
![Martha Stewart Starts Home Confinement]()
Four Scandalous Insider Trading Incidents -
![]()
Ponzi vs. Pyramid Scheme: Knowing the Difference -
![Individual bags of illegal drugs on a white background]()
Black Money Definition -
![We've been selling plenty of these stock]()
Channel Stuffing Definition -
![]()
Cook the Books Definition -
![Crossing Sign - Fraud Ahead]()
Wire Fraud Definition -
![smurf]()
Smurf Definition -
![Insider Trading]()
White-Collar Crime -
![Business Team Deal on a Stock Exchange]()
Painting the Tape Definition -
![Contract]()
Void Contract Definition -
![Cropped midsection of two individuals signing papers on a desk with a laptop and calculator on the desk]()
Unlawful Loan Definition -
![Hand of a Stockbroker Buying and Selling Shares Online]()
How Does a Pump and Dump Scam Work? -
![Business Graph and Charts]()
Black Market Definition -
![]()
ZZZZ Best Definition -
![Illicit Endangered Wildlife Trade in Möng La, Shan, Myanmar]()
How Black Markets Work -
![Graphic of a woman building a turquoise pyramid while standing at the top]()
Pyramid Scheme Definition -
![Stressed man desperate with financial market graphic going down.]()
The Biggest Stock Scams of Recent Time -
![Man Hand With Digital Tablet Analyzing Stock Market Growth]()
Short and Distort: Bear Market Stock Manipulation -
![]()
The Effects of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 -
![Banking]()
Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) Definition -
![Customer signing paperwork with bank manager]()
Redlining Definition -
![Checkwriting]()
Kiting Definition -
![two digital faces talking on a stock screen surrounded by numbers]()
Arguments for and Against Insider Trading -
![]()
How Insider Trading Is Prevented in Corporations -
![]()
What Is Accounting Fraud? -
![Chelsea Manning Appears Before Second Grand Jury In Wikileaks Investigation]()
Whistleblower Definition -
![Bribe]()
Facilitating Payment Definition -
![Cropped Image Of Man Checking Stock Market On Mobile Phone]()
STOCK Act Definition -
![Business colleagues analyzing financial reports on a table]()
Offshore Portfolio Investment Strategy (OPIS) Definition -
![Charles Ponzi Mug Shots]()
High-Yield Investment Program (HYIP) Definition -
![]()
Embezzlement Definition -
![A shell game with the visible ball]()
The Bait and Switch Definition -
![Businessman Showing Client Where to Sign Document]()
Backdating Definition -
![Businessmen talking in secrecy]()
Extortion Definition -
![Cropped Hands of Businessman Bribing Female Coworker Signing Contract in Office]()
Corruption Definition -
![Hands in handcuffs on a laptop]()
Computer Abuse Definition -
![Businessperson analyzes market data on a tablet]()
Corner Definition -
![]()
Ultra Vires Acts -
![]()
Tied Selling Definition -
![]()
Corporate Fraud Definition -
![A man grinning broadly as he takes a dollar]()
What Is Financial Double Dipping? -
![Business Cooperation]()
What Is Undue Influence? -
![London skylight at night]()
Interpositioning Definition -
![Auctioneer With Large Crowd of Buyers]()
Bid Rigging Definition -
![Book With Words Copyright Law and Glasses]()
Copyright Infringement -
![]()
How Did John Rusnak Lose $691M in a Bank Fraud? -
![]()
Double Dipping Definition -
![]()
Cash Flow on Steroids: Why Companies Cheat -
![]()
Bidding Ring -
![Business building]()
Daisy Chain Definition -
![Midsection of Judge and Client Sitting at Table in Office]()
Misrepresentation Definition -
![Signing Contract]()
Attribution Rules -
![Assets]()
Asset Substitution Problem Definition
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/businessman-in-handcuffs-103060159-d911248c0ec04c13a33bbc16d3d36375.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/1038px-Logo_de_Enron-b73928a0d0b84e1ea57ca8dd2963e6f0.png){kind=logo}
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1133007677-09b77b018b3c4e4f8fa347a424a5c691.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1141708100-fbc532e65f1248ba9e5118aa2f5359e4.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/bonds-lrg-3-5bfc2b23c9e77c00519a93a4.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/bonds-lrg-4-5bfc2b234cedfd0026c104ea.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-876018768-24f7cc88f8684990849c889b46a56aa2.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-52284179-6c370f3deb1648ae9aad807feb0cec00-b7744264eee94e949ca245795383c969.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/investing5-5bfc2b8e46e0fb0026016f0e.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/individual-bags-of-illegal-drugs-on-a-white-background-925443004-5bfd8504c9e77c00266f27c7.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1162946945-58d990392cef43d993dd3fc6c682d592.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/investing8-5bfc2b8d46e0fb005144dbe3.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/crossing-sign---fraud-ahead-697219150-4a560f15506942cb864a0c66432e4191.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/smurfs2-smurf-photo-56b2eac03df78cdfa0045b30.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/InsiderTrading-56ae797d5f9b58b7d0108a83-2e730f24db0845528641a41bfa2af748.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-881879106-aa07d4824acc40adaece64531b347875.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/business-962364_19201-db7a1f84e9f34a3897fbeb08ecb419a3.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-89291842-25ec75e2ac784b44a9fd405410184011.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-932632502-c9938567bdbc40ffb30def0f5a2d660c.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-801479766-e0d3380462b24386a4bb6a88cc7c1e42.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/investing1-5bfc2b9046e0fb005119b292.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Myanmar_Illicit_Endangered_Wildlife_Market_04_cropped-b7fa115335014780ada9d126fc700202.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1265179432-2e30dc2f873f424b8460bbc21d08d90f.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-492226806-7c8e4fc86af4491395158a5e27de88a4.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1160038649-c3e68112c9d545738f7e00daf596c47c.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/sec_medallion-5bfc32d346e0fb00265d42ce.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/banking-78ffea1c8dee41d79d5d465658786200.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/customer-signing-paperwork-with-bank-manager-114854593-d4f973b959144a6c9d346cd4311ad39f.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/checkwriting-02652edafc474abebe126a978d11000b.JPG)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1160442159-6c8fb7cc8c064f86983cfdda6cfcef47.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/shutterstock_253136563-5bfc2b98c9e77c00519aa7a8.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/business_building_153697270-5bfc2b9846e0fb0083c07d69.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/chelsea-manning-appears-before-second-grand-jury-in-wikileaks-investigation-1149598244-91eda2ac2bdb4d078779381bfb79c2af.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Sorrow-Accounting-Ruble-Bribe-Surprise-2896789-842c07399062416c85dfc1692e4501f2.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/cropped-image-of-man-checking-stock-market-on-mobile-phone-1051266664-168092c0f87245f0aa68033257f401b1.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-518595670-ef904a3ddbe745d8bf1fb1b9fdbb3378.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/charles-ponzi-mug-shots-514978632-5df79100db7c4cbe9203e3d0311192b9.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/investing4-5bfc2b8ec9e77c0026b4f956.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-80567648-1c78e0838a0a429eaba12239efc19ccf.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-726793923-6aaa6f1f4e974940b33766c768d6529a.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/businessmen-talking-in-secrecy-1054524238-7a4107eb1c6f48939f1cdd10993e7c92.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1181576432-9a079a02b0684394a4f1fa131ccd1309.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-173253857-265b6c47a8834627bdd6736b73d8ee96.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1223022384-52598b79ed3047b9b1fa752976bb6d41.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/rbv2_53-5bfc2b8ac9e77c0058770499.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/5747629074_d484394fa5_b-4633b04df56a4b48afdbe1e3557fbbfd.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-950722746-375beec0213344c380fd0c49732c2dcd.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1159969537-faeee00d528f40d9bbabbc8fa3ef664d.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-478631934-8ff89c44d39d4a4ca974ac282db9b84a.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-482828704-586c02ac9a9f43fd9c8354d6a9d7d9d7.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/forex-lrg-2-5bfc2b2246e0fb0026015860.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/fundamental-analysis-lrg-4-5bfc2b21c9e77c002630520f.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/business-building-956363732-a5d7a38e6a9f44edb1a10e8b3eee32a6.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1068572802-1aab1e14def847e49fb1faec9b934059.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-686735761-0f14dde6430f4e2d9f7d783cf9206416.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/assets-3047a48cef9d4d11bc8ee101112243e4.jpg)