WHILE 1MDB poses a real economic and reputational risk to national money, dubious investments schemes do the same at a lower, more direct level. While these schemes have gone on for a long time, the size and influence of these schemes have reached alarming proportions – supermarkets and branch offices and public functions even kitschier glam than your average MLM award night.

While some go into these money ‘games’ knowing exactly what they are doing and believing they are playing the system and as such, deserve little sympathy, sadly, the bulk of the victims genuinely believe they are investing in something real.