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Ponzi Schemes and the Financial Sector: DMG and DRFE in Colombia

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  • Marc Hofstetter
  • Daniel MejÔøΩa
  • JosÔøΩ NicolÔøΩs Rosas
  • Miguel Urrutia

Abstract

By the time the Colombian government closed DMG and DRFE, two Ponzi schemes that were operating in Colombia until 2008, over half a million customers had deposited funds corresponding to 1.2% of Colombia’s annual GDP. We show that the individuals who invested in DMG and DRFE obtained close to 40% more loans in the formal financial sector prior to the government closing these firms, compared to similar individuals who did not invest in these pyramids. Moreover, deposits in the formal financial sector fell in those municipalities affected by these two pyramids: a one-standard deviation increase in the municipal presence of the pyramid schemes reduced municipal saving deposits by 2.9% and Certificate Deposits by close to 10%. After the firms were shut down, the proportion of nonperforming loans of investors rose 35% above non-investors’ loans; two years later, investors’ deposits had not yet fully recovered.

Suggested Citation

  • Marc Hofstetter & Daniel MejÔøΩa & JosÔøΩ NicolÔøΩs Rosas & Miguel Urrutia, 2017. "Ponzi Schemes and the Financial Sector: DMG and DRFE in Colombia," Documentos CEDE 15609, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    • Handle: RePEc:col:000089:015609
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    1. Marc Hofstetter & Daniel MejÔøΩa & JosÔøΩ NicolÔøΩs Rosas & Miguel Urrutia, 2017. "Ponzi Schemes and the Financial Sector: DMG and DRFE in Colombia," Documentos CEDE 15609, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    2. Robert Z. Aliber & Charles P. Kindleberger, 2015. "Manias, Panics, and Crashes," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, edition 0, number 978-1-137-52574-1, August.
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    5. Hofstetter, Marc & Mejía, Daniel & Rosas, José Nicolás & Urrutia, Miguel, 2018. "Ponzi schemes and the financial sector: DMG and DRFE in Colombia," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 18-33.
    6. Cox-Edwards, Alejandra & Rodríguez-Oreggia, Eduardo, 2009. "Remittances and Labor Force Participation in Mexico: An Analysis Using Propensity Score Matching," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 1004-1014, May.
    7. Lewis, Mervyn K., 2012. "New dogs, old tricks. Why do Ponzi schemes succeed?," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 294-309.
    8. Artzrouni, Marc, 2009. "The mathematics of Ponzi schemes," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 190-201, September.
    9. Cortés, Darwin & Santamaría, Julieth & Vargas, Juan F., 2016. "Economic shocks and crime: Evidence from the crash of Ponzi schemes," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 131(PA), pages 263-275.
    10. Ana Carvajal & Mr. Hunter K Monroe & Ms. Catherine A Pattillo & Brian Wynter, 2009. "Ponzi Schemes in the Caribbean," IMF Working Papers 2009/095, International Monetary Fund.
    11. Wang-Sheng Lee, 2013. "Propensity score matching and variations on the balancing test," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 47-80, February.
    12. Robert Z. Aliber & Charles P. Kindleberger & Robert N. McCauley, 2023. "Manias, Panics, and Crashes," Springer Books, Springer, edition 8, number 978-3-031-16008-0, July.
    13. Bhattacharya, Utpal, 2003. "The optimal design of Ponzi schemes in finite economies," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 2-24, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lars Hornuf & Paul P. Momtaz & Rachel J. Nam & Ye Yuan, 2023. "Cybercrime on the Ethereum Blockchain," CESifo Working Paper Series 10598, CESifo.
    2. Seth Garz & Xavier Gine & Dean Karlan & Rafe Mazer & Caitlin Sanford & Jonathan Zinman, 2021. "Consumer Protection for Financial Inclusion in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Bridging Regulator and Academic Perspectives," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 13(1), pages 219-246, November.
    3. Marc Hofstetter & Daniel MejÔøΩa & JosÔøΩ NicolÔøΩs Rosas & Miguel Urrutia, 2017. "Ponzi Schemes and the Financial Sector: DMG and DRFE in Colombia," Documentos CEDE 15609, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    4. Shuyu Zhang & Dunli Zhang & Jianming Zheng & Walter Aerts & Dandan Xu, 2023. "Plus Token and investor searching behaviour – A cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(4), pages 4713-4728, December.
    5. Hornuf, Lars & Momtaz, Paul P. & Nam, Rachel J. & Yuan, Ye, 2025. "Cybercrime on the Ethereum blockchain," SAFE Working Paper Series 444, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    6. Hornuf, Lars & Momtaz, Paul P. & Nam, Rachel J. & Yuan, Ye, 2025. "Cybercrime on the ethereum blockchain," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    7. Hofstetter, Marc & Mejía, Daniel & Rosas, José Nicolás & Urrutia, Miguel, 2018. "Ponzi schemes and the financial sector: DMG and DRFE in Colombia," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 18-33.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ponzi Schemes; Pyramids; Colombia; Financial Sector; Savings and Loans; Loan Ratings.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
    • E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
    • G - Financial Economics

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