# Legal position of investors in a Ponzi scheme who cashed out before its collapse?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-position-of-investors-in-a-ponzi-scheme-who-cashed-out-before-its-collapse/482658>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 23, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-position-of-investors-in-a-ponzi-scheme-who-cashed-out-before-its-collapse/482658 "2009-01-23T16:38:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-position-of-investors-in-a-ponzi-scheme-who-cashed-out-before-its-collapse/482658/21 "2009-01-24T06:31:00Z")

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I would hazard a guess that a [constructive trust](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructive_trust) could be imposed on anyone who actually withdrew money from the thing - wrongly (principal plus dividends) or innocently (dividends). Forensic CPA’s cheer their good fortune in reconstructing this clusterf\*ck.

**IANERAEOTS** ( **I**  **A** m **N** ot **E** ven **R** emotely **A** n **E** xpert **O** n **T** his **S** tuff.)

Added: yes, the lawyers will make out as well as, if not better than, the forensic accountants.

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