www.CostaRicaTicas.com

http://www.amcostarica.com/morenews3.htm Can you believe some of these folks are still crying over this? Wouldn't you be embarrassed to admit you had put a large chunk of your money in a ponzi scheme that was paying 3% per month. Would be interesting to get a name of all the north americans on the list and forward to the IRS. Wonder how many of them were paying taxes on the money when they were collecting?

I find it my kind of cracked amusing that the US's Independence Day in 2012 will also be the fugitive Villalobos brother's--that's when the statute of limitations expires.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

The "Brothers" operated for almost 20 years and never missed a payment to any of it's "lenders" that I ever heard of. Until the raid, supposedly at the behest of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on a somewhat dubious money laundering charge, the operation ran very smoothly.

A number of mongers and some nocturnal hospitality workers were "lenders". A number of expatriates lived well in Costa Rica on their monthly interest payment. Should they have know better? The easy answer is yes but unless you were involved in the Costa Rica scene in the nineties I submit you simply do not have enough knowledge to judge and should refrain from making uniformed comments.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Yeah? Well I think common sense would qualify someone to make a comment, thank you very much... I'm not saying it was stupid to put a small percentage in what, yes, had worked for many years. But you want to argue that an intelligent investor would put a significant amount of their worth in something like this? Yeah, I wanna hear this one..

What's a real hoot is that there are 2 factions of "investors"--1 says to the CR govt.--prosecute them; the other says--NOOO. Maybe these 2 groups could be brought together then we could sell tickets to the cage match. Sound like a plan? All profits from this go to CRT charities--like the JazzboCR Retirement Fund--YESSS.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

actually it started in 1976 going until 2003, call it what you want ThirdWorld that name fits you too a tee TW thinking also, what happens happens i have lost money in fidielty accts and other funds. the rich usually do not declare or pay taxes on there incomes. as far as the irs is concerned well they like to go after people that are the likes of those who posts about certain ages starting sex i pay my fair share of taxes, plus donate to Toys For Tots , St.Judes Hospital etc........ why on earth do the likes of a TW want to posts about others misfortunes of greed of trust of others just Boggles my mind i have seen alot in my life but some just thrive when situations of investors getting screwed TW needs to look in the mirror or maybe he is perfect like Ding Dong using deragratory words to describe a working girl , really makes you a man and a good human being myself i do not have alot of money but can sleep good at night knowing that i respect others at hand.

As usual Florida your post starts out making some reasonable points and then degenerates into an insulting diatribe directed at those who you disagree with.

May be you should try in 2010 to become a better person and stop trying to cause flame wars on the board.

Have a Merry Christmas and and a Happy New year.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Investing's one thing; being a willing participant in a scam is a completely different thing altogether......if it sounds or appears too good to be true....it typically is.....and that's why Darwin's findings are ever so accurate.....ONLY the strong survive.....the stupid lose....

_________________
"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 16

I think quite a few senior members had invested with the "brothers". Plenty more intelligent people invested with Madoff- http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/docum ... 81215.html
easy to call others stupid or greedy after the fact.

Always entertainment at it's finest.

But, just to clarify. I don't think it was necesarily stupid to invest. I know lots of people who invested with the brothers. BUT, not a significant enough percentage of their money to wipe them out.

What Steven1 said...As a wise man once said,"The only thing we learn from history is...we don't learn from history."
Also Bernie Madoff brought a new wrinkle to Ponzi scams and it was the reason he was able to continue so long--he didn't pay outrageous rates of interest on the money invested. The only obvious warning signs with him is his consistency in paying out in good markets and bad--the regulatory utter failure to stop him are another matter entirely.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Another reason Madoff was able to continue for a lengthy period was his standing in the community. Most con men are people you have never heard of and have no verifiable background in the scheme that they are promoting. They rely more on their charisma to sell you then the product.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

So, "....quite a few senior members....." got greedy which means they got stupid....*shrug*

"Senior members" in my world is code speak for "LAZY" coupled with "SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT" out here in pairodice

Oh...and as for Madoff: That scheme had no "victims". I get a gust busting laugh whenever I read about those duffus MOFO's complaining about their "losses": They had to be invited to throw their money away on that one; know somebody; or be invited in; they were the "gentry"; were "more equal" than everyone else; and blatant snobs.....they got everything coming to them that they deserved.... . They can now check into Nueveo Johnson and live like the rest of us.....! It's pairodice....

They all would have been better off buying land in our own Emerald Triangle and growing, then marketing "the" "product".......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu3CbGyKgiA

Blow wind, blow wind
blow my money back to me.

(sniffle)

_________________
"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 16

There WERE relatively innocent victims of the Madoff scam, as it wasn't just Big Bucks Bozo individuals that invested; also investing were other investment companies (some of whom disregarded their investor's instructions to only invest in safe harbors), pension funds and all those small fry that put their money with bundlers with no knowledge of where that money was going. Woulda, coulda shoulda. Some measure of empathy is due some of the victims--give it up, Brother.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED