Zimbabwe citizens are the latest people who has lost their money in the cash lifting/Ponzi scheme of MMM global social financial money-making scheme.
According to report in Zimbabwe national daily newspaper reported that thousands of Zimbabwe has lost their money as MMM crashes in the country.
Its was reported that thousands of people, among them are civil servant, vendors and others has lost their hard earn money to the fraudulent pyramid scheme MMM Global, after collapsed in the country recently.
MMM stands for Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox and takes its name from its founder, Sergei Panteleevich Mavrodi of Russia. He founded MMM in 1989 and the scheme was declared bankrupt three years later leading to the disappearance of Mavrodi until his arrest in 2003.
The soley payment provider for the ponzi scheme EcoCash has distance itself from the financial pryramid scheme, despite s using them as a transaction for the ponzi scheme.
Zimbabweans have in the past months been ing the online investment scheme in droves in a bid “to get rich quickly”. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe warned people that the scheme was fraudulent and there was no legal recourse in the event they lost their money.
The central bank said MMM, which s its operations through a website and recruiting agents, was not a ed or regulated entity. EcoCash yesterday said: “We have noted that some of these pyramid schemes are allegedly advertising in a manner that suggests that the Ecocash facility is a medium for prospective to deposit their money. This is not correct.
“We advise our valued customers and all stakeholders that Ecocash is a licensed mobile payment platform that enables customers to make financial transactions such as sending money, buying prepaid airtime as well as paying for goods and services within the confines of the law of Zimbabwe. EcoCash promotes safe and legal transactions but will not be held liable for any losses arising from the use of EcoCash to engage in illegal activities such as Ponzi schemes.”
The scheme s itself as a mutual aid fund under which recruited contribute money to assist others and are promised investment returns of 30 percent per month. Some of the people left counting their losses told The Herald that they received emails that the scheme had been suspended until September 15.
“All along things were moving in the right direction and we now have nowhere to claim our investments,” said Mr Tinashe Muza of Harare.
“When we started putting our funds in the scheme one could get assistance within seven days but things later changed to 14 days and when we were shut out the waiting period was 21 days. What it simply means is that the number of people in need of help has outnumbered the number of people ing. Right now we have nowhere to get our money which we invested.”
Another victim, Mrs Rosemary Mawonde said: “We never thought the scheme would end this way as we believed that by using EcoCash to do the transactions, things were in order. I am surprised that EcoCash is also distancing itself from the scheme and it is clear that I will never recover the $300 that I invested.”
While some people who were skeptical about the scheme started with small amounts, it is believed some poured in thousands of dollars anticipating higher returns. The RBZ said the schemes were fraudulent as existing investors were ‘paid money not from genuine market investment of their funds, but from contributions made by new investors, until a point when the scheme can no longer attract new investors,”
“The participants are made aware that they make their money by recruiting new who in turn must recruit more ,” warned the Central Bank.
