Embezzlement is the misappropriation of funds for personal gain. While embezzlement is a form of theft, the key difference between embezzlement and larceny is that the money taken through embezzlement was initially entrusted to the embezzler through legal channels. Only after the money is obtained, does the perpetrator take the money for themselves.
These schemes can take on several forms. One way that embezzlement takes form is the
Ponzi scheme. These schemes involve a central operator, often someone with a fiduciary duty like a hedge fund manager or a broker, who collects money from investors with the promise of high returns and dividends.
Instead of investing that money, they use it for their personal expenses. Since no investing is actually taking place, the operator relies on a steady stream of income from new investors to pay older investors, often called "robbing Peter to pay Paul." When the operator can't find new investors, the Ponzi scheme collapses as the operator runs out of money to pay dividends.
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