0 a way of deceiving investors (= people giving money to a company hoping to get more back) in which money that a company receives from new customers is not invested to their advantage, but is used instead to pay debts owed to existing customers
1 → pyramid selling
2 → Ponzi scheme
Michael did not attend college, having lost all his tuition money in a pyramid scheme.
Compton subpoenaed bank records to determine the extent of the rather secretive pyramid scheme, which had spread primarily by word of mouth.
The cause celebre in this case was the pyramid scheme wave that got out of control before the government quashed it.
We are behaving like participants in a pyramid scheme, who see that the base of the pyramid is starting to stagnate.
These institutions became identified as a type of pyramid scheme because of the need to continuously attract new depositors in order to meet obligations.
He lodged a successful complaint against a newspaper which characterised this as investment in a pyramid scheme.
It has also been allegedly engaged in a pyramid scheme.
This is often done in the form of a pyramid scheme.
