Replication Data for: Investigating the concentration of High Yield Investment Programs in the United Kingdom

Ponzi schemes that offer absurdly high rates of return by relying on more and more people paying into the scheme have been documented since at least the mid-1800s. Ponzi schemes have shifted online in the Internet age, and some are re-branded as HYIPs or High Yield Investment Programs. This paper focuses on understanding HYIPs' continuous presence and presents various possible reasons behind their existence in today's world. A look into the countries where these schemes purport to exist, we find that 62.89% of all collected HYIPs claim to be in the United Kingdom (UK), and a further 55.56% are officially registered in the UK as a 'limited company' with a registration number provided by the UK Companies House, a UK agency that registers companies. We investigate other factors influencing these schemes, including the HYIPs' social media platforms and payment processors. The lifetime of the HYIPs helps to understand the success/failure of the investment schemes and helps indicate the schemes that could attract more investors. Using Cox proportional regression analysis, we find that having a valid UK address significantly affects the lifetime of an HYIP.

至少自19世纪中期以来，依托不断新增参与者缴纳资金以提供高得离谱回报率的庞氏骗局（Ponzi schemes）便已有文献记载。互联网时代下，庞氏骗局已转向线上运作，部分更被重新包装为高收益投资项目（High Yield Investment Programs，简称HYIPs）。本研究旨在探析高收益投资项目的持续存续现状，并阐释其在当今社会仍能存在的各类潜在动因。通过调研此类骗局宣称的运营国家，我们发现，在所有收集到的高收益投资项目中，62.89%的项目宣称其运营主体位于英国（United Kingdom，简称UK），另有55.56%的项目在英国正式注册为“有限责任公司”，并提供了由英国公司注册处（UK Companies House，英国官方企业注册机构）核发的注册编号。本研究还考察了影响此类骗局的其他因素，包括高收益投资项目所使用的社交媒体平台与支付处理商。高收益投资项目的存续时长，有助于研判此类投资项目的成败，亦可用于预判能够吸引更多投资者的骗局类型。通过Cox比例风险回归分析（Cox proportional regression analysis），我们发现，持有有效的英国地址，会对高收益投资项目的存续时长产生显著影响。