The method of the scam was a classic Ponzi scheme. The definition of a Ponzi
scheme given by Investopedia is; “A fraudulent investing scam promising high rates
of return with little risk to investors. The Ponzi scheme generates returns for older
investors by acquiring new investors” [3]. This was basically how the advisory and
investment management division of Bernard L. Madoff investment securities LLC
operated. In the article “The Madoff scam: Meet the liquidator” by CBSNews [4]
Madoff said that the division started as a perfectly legitimate business, but he
confessed that the returns given since approximately 1995 were fabricated. When a
customer made an investment, he simply put the money into a bank account, and
when asked for a withdrawal he took the money piled up in that account. Withdrawals
were simply covered by new investments.
Madoff used a variety of techniques that made it difficult to disclose the scam. At the
end of each month Madoff sold all stocks and financial instruments so that the hedge
fund only reported the amount of cash to the authorities. Further on, investors did not
have any online access to their investments, instead they received a mail with their
account information and balance each month [5]. As a result of these precautions and
many more, explained in the next section, it took until late 2008 before the scam was
exposed, although people had accused the so-called hedge fund for fraud as early as
2001.