[{"_1":2,"_307":-5,"_58":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_13":14},"root",{"_5":6,"_7":8,"_9":-5,"_10":8,"_11":-5,"_12":-5},"isLoggedIn",false,"url","https://www.curios.com/projects/0xfb411419f51ba603f615ade9d1be772a9ca6e735","cartData","canonicalUrl","loginIntent","migratedGuestEmail","routes/projects.$projectId",{"_15":16,"_65":66,"_237":238},"project",{"_17":18,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_63":64},"RESULTS",{"_19":20,"_21":22,"_23":24,"_25":26,"_27":24,"_28":29,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":24,"_41":42,"_43":37,"_44":37,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":37,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55},"CREATOR_USER_NAME","Reardon","CREATOR_AVATAR","https://cdn.curios.com/8989/A0B4BF12-BDD0-124E-9941CD24748FD573.png","BLOCKCHAIN_ADDRESS","","CONTRACT_FORMAT","ERC721","DTS_PUBLISHED","CREATOR_ID","E5JGMN","STATUS","Deploying...","SYMBOL","CURVA4Q21","DESCRIPTION"," \n

Scams and Ponzi schemes are the financial world’s stage illusions, dazzling at first glance, then vanishing your money in a puff of arithmetic smoke.

A scam is any deceptive trick designed to separate people from their cash, often dressed up as opportunity, urgency, or insider knowledge. Ponzi schemes are a special breed of this deception, built like a glittering pyramid with no foundation.

Early investors are paid returns using money from newer investors, creating the illusion of a thriving enterprise.

The danger lies in their simplicity. There is usually no real product, no sustainable profit engine, just a cycle of incoming funds keeping the illusion alive.

As long as new money flows in, the scheme appears healthy. When it slows, the structure collapses, often suddenly and spectacularly.

What makes these schemes so effective is psychology. They prey on trust, greed, fear of missing out, and the comforting idea that others are already profiting. Warning signs include guaranteed high returns, secrecy, and pressure to act quickly.

In the end, scams and Ponzi schemes are not clever investments gone wrong. They are carefully constructed traps, designed to look like ladders but built as chutes.

\n ","CREATOR_IS_FOLLOWED",0,"IMAGE_PREVIEW","https://cdn.curios.com/8989/5E195540-9A87-54B9-DBE506CB677827A4.png","EXTERNAL_ID","TITLE","Scams and Ponzi Schemes","SUPPLY","CONTRACT_SUPPLY_REMAINING","ID","0xfb411419f51ba603f615ade9d1be772a9ca6e735","TYPE","BOOK","ROYALTIES","BLOCKCHAIN","Polygon","CREATOR_DISPLAY_NAME","JC Reardon","COLLABORATORS",[],"success",true,"errors",[],"data",{"_19":20,"_21":22,"_23":24,"_25":26,"_27":24,"_28":29,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":24,"_41":42,"_43":37,"_44":37,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":37,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":62},[],"EXECUTION_TIME",16,"collections",[67],{"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":37,"_19":20,"_73":39,"_74":75,"_76":77,"_98":24,"_99":24,"_100":42,"_101":37,"_102":24,"_36":37,"_34":103,"_104":105,"_112":113,"_114":37,"_44":37,"_45":113,"_115":75,"_47":48,"_52":53,"_116":24,"_21":22,"_117":46,"_118":119,"_120":24,"_121":75,"_122":24,"_123":37,"_124":125,"_126":113,"_127":24,"_128":129,"_169":170,"_41":42,"_172":173,"_174":175,"_176":177,"_178":179,"_180":37,"_54":181,"_182":183,"_184":37,"_185":37,"_186":187,"_188":189,"_205":37,"_206":37,"_28":71,"_207":37,"_208":209,"_226":227,"_228":229,"_230":173,"_231":232,"_197":37,"_233":234,"_235":236},"ATTRIBUTES",[],"CREATOR_ID_INT",445696,"NUM_TOKENS","PREVIEW_IMAGE","DEBUGLISTINGS",1,"LISTINGS",[78],{"_79":75,"_80":24,"_81":82,"_83":37,"_84":37,"_85":24,"_86":37,"_87":88,"_89":90,"_91":24,"_92":93,"_94":37,"_95":96,"_97":75},"is_buy_now","dts_end","price_buy_now",4,"is_bid","price_min_bid","dts_presale_release_formatted","price_buy_now_retail","dts_start","2026-04-29 00:30:48","currency_code","USD","dts_presale_release","buy_now_url","https://checkout.curios.com/order/commit/?test=1&listing=998471&session=","is_presale","id",998471,"is_featured","SUBTITLE","PREVIEW_IMAGE_BLURHASH","PROJECT_NAME","CONTRACT_SUPPLY","PREVIEW_VIDEO","

Scams and Ponzi schemes are the financial world’s stage illusions, dazzling at first glance, then vanishing your money in a puff of arithmetic smoke.

Early investors are paid returns using money from newer investors, creating the illusion of a thriving enterprise.

The danger lies in their simplicity. There is usually no real product, no sustainable profit engine, just a cycle of incoming funds keeping the illusion alive.

As long as new money flows in, the scheme appears healthy. When it slows, the structure collapses, often suddenly and spectacularly.

In the end, scams and Ponzi schemes are not clever investments gone wrong. They are carefully constructed traps, designed to look like ladders but built as chutes.

","CREATOR",{"_45":29,"_106":20,"_107":37,"_108":22,"_109":110,"_111":53},"USER_NAME","IS_FOLLOWED","AVATAR","NUM_FOLLOWERS",2,"DISPLAY_NAME","COLLECTION_ID","0x423617533086d5b5fda043f0f60811993286b313","MINTAGE_QTY","A_TEST","CONTRACT_DTS_DEPLOYED","CONTRACT_ID","COLLECTION_TYPE","Other","CONTRACT_ADDRESS","CONTRACT_IS_DEPLOYED","PREVIEW_AUDIO","COLLECTION_SUPPLY","GATES",[],"HASH","IS_LIKED","COLLECTION_CATEGORIES",[130,147,160],{"_131":132,"_134":145,"_136":-5,"_137":140,"_139":37,"_141":146,"_143":144},"cat_subs",[133],{"_134":135,"_136":-5,"_137":138,"_139":140,"_141":142,"_143":144},"cat_label","Finance and Investment","cat_description","cat_id",176,"cat_parent_id",38,"cat_slug","finance-investment","cat_type","book","Business & Careers","business-careers",{"_131":148,"_134":158,"_136":-5,"_137":152,"_139":37,"_141":159,"_143":144},[149,154],{"_134":150,"_136":-5,"_137":151,"_139":152,"_141":153,"_143":144},"Cultural",127,35,"cultural",{"_134":155,"_136":-5,"_137":156,"_139":152,"_141":157,"_143":144},"Regional or National",134,"regional-national","History","history",{"_131":161,"_134":168,"_136":-5,"_137":165,"_139":37,"_141":144,"_143":167},[162],{"_134":163,"_136":-5,"_137":164,"_139":165,"_141":166,"_143":167},"Ebook",12,11,"ebook","content_types","Book","META_DATA",{"_171":37},"spiciness","COLLECTION_TYPE_ID",8,"DTS_CREATED","April, 28 2026 22:29:50","MINTAGE","limited","ID_HASH","014NPL","IS_EXPLICIT",[],"VARIATIONS",[],"CONTRACT_NUM_TOKEN_SALES","CONTRACT_AMOUNT_SALES_SECONDARY","PREVIEW_FILES_EPUB",[],"PREVIEW_FILES_IMAGE",[190],{"_191":24,"_192":75,"_193":194,"_34":24,"_40":113,"_195":196,"_197":37,"_198":199,"_200":201,"_202":39,"_47":203,"_174":204},"CREDITS","IS_PRIMARY","FILE_EXTENSION","png","BUCKET","IMAGE","SORT_ORDER","LABEL","Scams and Ponzi Schemes.png","THUMBNAIL","https://cdn.curios.com/8989/5E19AD8D-C36A-25E6-138567A5353521C7.png","FILE","image","April, 28 2026 22:30:05","CONTRACT_AMOUNT_SALES_PRIMARY","CONTRACT_NUM_TOKENS_MINTED","REQUIRES_SHIPPING","PRIVATE_FILES",[210],{"_191":24,"_211":37,"_212":37,"_193":213,"_200":24,"_214":24,"_215":24,"_34":24,"_40":216,"_217":218,"_197":75,"_198":219,"_41":219,"_45":220,"_221":222,"_202":24,"_47":223,"_224":24,"_174":225},"FILE_SIZE","FILE_LENGTH","pdf","DTS_AVAILABLE_END","DTS_AVAILABLE_START","27904479-b966-4e92-a668-85e2ae6b723f","FILE_HANDLER","File Download","Scams and Ponzi Schemes.pdf",111165,"FILE_TYPE","PDF","external_file","FILE_ORIGINAL","April, 28 2026 22:30:13","DTS_MODIFIED","April, 29 2026 21:07:05","PREVIEW_FILES_AUDIO",[],"TYPE_ID","PREVIEW_FILES_VIDEO",[],"METADATA",{"_171":37},"PREVIEW_FILES_PDF",[],"creator",{"_56":57,"_58":239,"_60":240,"_306":75,"_63":64},[],{"_241":24,"_72":110,"_242":243,"_107":37,"_244":24,"_245":24,"_246":6,"_247":37,"_248":249,"_45":29,"_250":24,"_251":37,"_108":22,"_252":24,"_253":24,"_254":255,"_256":37,"_106":20,"_257":24,"_258":259,"_262":263,"_109":110,"_111":53,"_264":24,"_265":57,"_266":37,"_267":57,"_268":269,"_233":270,"_305":24},"HANDLE_FACEBOOK","KYC_RESULT","verified","LAST_NAME","FIRST_NAME","IS_PHONE_VALIDATED","NUM_CLAIMS","NUM_PROJECTS",135,"CREATOR_BACKGROUND","NUM_PURCHASES","HANDLE_LINKEDIN","HANDLE_TIKTOK","CREATOR_DESCRIPTION","

John (JC) Reardon: The Universal Curator

John Reardon (writing as JC Reardon) is a prolific Australian author and a foundational pioneer of the nation's technology sector. Often described as a "modern polymath," Reardon has transitioned from building the infrastructure of the digital age to documenting the vast breadth of human knowledge through an expansive bibliography that exceeds 200 titles.

A Legacy of Innovation

Before becoming a mainstay in Australian publishing, Reardon was a trailblazer in the tech industry. He founded one of Australia's first Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and operated the country's first domain name provider. This deep-rooted expertise in complex systems—ranging from satellite technology to the inner workings of the internet—serves as the backbone for his contemporary writing on science and the future of AI.

The "Wikipedia with a Voice"

Reardon's literary approach is defined by his role as a knowledge aggregator. Rather than pursuing narrow academic specialization, he adopts the role of a "Universal Curator," mapping the continuous story of human civilization across several key pillars:

Military History: Detailed chronicles of the ANZACs, the Spitfire, and the Battle of Trafalgar.

Big Human Systems: Insightful explorations of global faiths and secret societies, including Buddhism, Islam, the Catholic Church, and the Freemasons.

Technology & Science: Accessible guides on Voyager, the evolution of the internet, and the trajectory of AI.

Myth & Folklore: Investigations into the Loch Ness Monster and the Illuminati.

Writing Philosophy

Utilizing an "overview + narrative" structure, Reardon focuses on accessibility, repackaging dense technical and historical data into digestible, story-driven guides for a general audience. His high-volume publishing model treats each book as a "compact portal," inviting the curious to explore a diverse array of subjects through the lens of a man who helped build the digital world they inhabit today.

","TOTAL_EARNED","HANDLE_INSTAGRAM","PROJECT_TYPES",[48,260,261],"MEMBERSHIP","MULTIMEDIA","DTS_REGISTERED","April, 25 2026 00:57:13","HANDLE_YOUTUBE","IS_KYC_COMPLETE","NUM_SALES","IS_EMAIL_VALIDATED","NUM_COLLECTIONS",136,{"_271":57,"_272":110,"_273":274,"_275":75,"_276":75,"_277":278,"_279":75,"_280":281,"_282":283,"_284":285,"_286":285,"_287":285,"_288":285,"_289":281,"_290":75,"_291":292,"_293":75,"_294":57,"_295":296,"_297":298,"_299":292,"_300":301,"_302":75,"_303":75,"_304":57},"create_project_tutorial_complete","subscription_plan","nurture_last_dts","{ts '2026-04-27 22:09:09'}","subscription_plan_selected","is_username_confirmed","fund2_promoted_social","https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.curios.com%2Fc%2FWR2PMX%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExMjFUUm4xNWdhTlM2VHhnc3NydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4mPxeGkZVpO6RSK3PocY0HPLrwBiTWV8vD0mY-cp6Oad0ZUhPREpsMbHzMHQ_aem_gLVe4FBA-SDbc7bM5ttR7Q&h=AT6MoZEhruAXNAAZHE_w69W31eNyvAKzomEDLNHEHYqNPmxv2OHdCM_HLSX-z1fni2_DXZXYWf3BYs7h-qm22-4o0nHysXH_fCeXuRWReR-NvIB8yKRu-k6Hb-lKlV9bsKlwZFg7KuhLWZNSO1oflAqRvu54ADWDRA&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT7neBYZNFTUM_ZZfXML1JEaJtzUoLjltBTYfvsaJi7_4XBBqO_SxYRi_fGvxrlx92KuNpoqfwqkuxU8kM1ueWm3aGuOBtolj-rQfgzA6gNT4LBH6301uyStat3ArfZn1fp9X0EAqQNOZkkrl_bW81KLXLaYvLNEz9uizTONbHxD22UBgKVJa1wUg3DqT3iN","is_fund2_participant","fund2_step1_status","Complete","fund2_step2_status","Under Review","fund2_step3_status","Pending","fund2_step4_status","fund2_step5_status","fund2_step6_status","fund2_step0_status","fund2_agree_to_terms","subscription_plan_status","current","nurture_track_account","profile_tutorial_complete","fund2_agree_dts","April, 26 2026 00:25:56","agree_to_affiliate_terms","2026-04-26T00:13:09.233Z","subscription_status","fund2_followed_social","instagram","is_creator","subscription_is_stripe","statement_tutorial_complete","HANDLE_TWITTER","RESULT_COUNT","actionData"]

Scams and Ponzi Schemes

Collections