mini-Madoff

mini-Madoff
 n.— «Their names lack the Dickensian flair of Bernie Madoff, and the money they apparently stole from investors was a small fraction of the $50 billion that Mr. Madoff allegedly lost of his clients’ savings. But the number of other people who have been caught running Ponzi schemes in recent weeks is adding up quickly, so much so that they have earned themselves a nickname: mini-Madoffs.» —“Troubled Times Bring Mini-Madoffs to Light” by Leslie Wayne New York Times Jan. 28, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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Further reading

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