Regulators ignored complaints months before taking action against $600M US Ponzi scheme
In this Feb. 28, 2013 photo, the closed office of Zeekler Corporation is shown in Lexington, N.C.
AP Photo/Chuck BurtonLEXINGTON, N.C. – People are questioning how a North Carolina man operated a $600 million Ponzi scheme that attracted 1 million investors, even though regulators had received dozens of complaints about the company.
Authorities say Paul Burks is the mastermind of one of the biggest investment scams in U.S. history.
His online company ZeekRewards was based in Lexington, N.C.
The Securities and Exchange Commission closed ZeekRewards in August. Burks has agreed to pay a $4 million penalty.
Investigators say he siphoned millions for his personal use, but he hasn’t been charged.
Burks says he never told anyone to invest more money than they could afford.
Investors say they were duped.
They also didn’t know regulators had received nearly a dozen complaints about ZeekRewards but failed to take action for months.
© 2013 The Associated Press
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