Founded in 2008, PIM Handel GmbH, operating as PIM Gold, presented itself as a company specializing in the trade of gold and other precious metals. It attracted thousands of investors by offering various gold investment models, including promises of high-yield annual bonuses and buy-back guarantees. However, in September 2019, German authorities raided the company's headquarters in Heusenstamm on suspicion of commercial fraud. Investigations revealed that only a small fraction of the gold sold to over 6,000 investors actually existed. The business model was determined to be a Ponzi scheme, where money from new investors was used to pay returns to earlier ones. The company subsequently filed for insolvency, with estimated investor losses exceeding €100 million. The founder and CEO was later sentenced to prison for fraud.

Founded in

Germany