A Snapshot of the HYIP World

Open the cyber door to HYIPs, and you will find hundreds of HYIP websites vying for investor attention. In addition to the HYIP sites themselves, there are sites that:

Rank the latest programs and provide details of "payout options," presumably to lend credibility to the HYIP "markets" and to falsely suggest that those HYIPs at the top of the list are worthwhile investments.
Allow Web designers to buy ready-made HYIP templates and set up an "instant" HYIP.
Blog, chat and "teach" about HYIPs. Some HYIP "investors" proffer strategies for maximizing profits and avoiding losses—everything from videos showing how to "make massive profits" in HYIPs and "build a winning HYIP portfolio" to an eBook on how to "ride the Ponzi" and get in and out before a scheme collapses. Other HYIP forums discuss how to enter "test spends," how to identify new HYIPs to maximize one’s chances of being an early stage payee and even how to check when a HYIP’s domain name expires so you can guess how long it might pay returns before shutting down.
Offer e-gold and other online payment systems that provide the means by which participants fund their accounts, get "return" on their "investment" and, presumably, enrich the scammer. Investors should be aware that not all digital currency sites are subject to federal regulation. And some have been tied in recent years to criminal activity, including money laundering, identity theft and other scams.

All of these sites and supposed support mechanisms are designed to lend legitimacy to a high-risk scheme by creating the illusion of a real market, complete with real investors, real investments and real demand.