Felipe Vásquez
Education
Doctorate in Management Sciences
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
Doctoral thesis:
“Pyramid Schemes in Chile: Elements of the Crime That Attract Victims to This High-Risk Investment”
The research examined the factors influencing victims' decisions to invest in pyramid schemes in Chile. It integrated economic, behavioural and social variables through the application of quantitative and econometric methods.
Commercial Engineer with a
Specialisation in Economics
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
Academic training in economics, management, statistics, finance, administration and quantitative analysis.
Chilean Investigative Police
Professional education and experience in criminal investigation, information analysis, institutional management and international police co-operation.
Academic experience
University lecturer
My teaching methodology incorporates investigative case files, financial documentation, open-source intelligence, blockchain explorers and applied analytical exercises. The aim is to enable students to understand how knowledge from their own disciplines can contribute to detecting, documenting and explaining complex financial crimes.
Teaching and academic supervision in subjects related to:
-
Economic crime investigation.
-
Financial fraud.
-
Criminal investigation.
-
Forensic analysis.
-
Research methodology.
-
Applied case analysis.
-
Digital evidence and virtual asset tracing.
-
Professional ethics and integrity in public service.
Doctoral Research
Pyramid schemes in Chile
The research analysed 241 victims, selected from 858 statements associated with twelve pyramid-scheme cases investigated in Chile.
The principal variables examined included:
-
Initial and final investment amounts.
-
Promised financial returns.
-
Duration of the investment.
-
The company's age and perceived legitimacy.
-
The source of the invitation to invest.
-
The influence of relatives, friends, acquaintances and colleagues.
-
Investors' demographic and socio-economic characteristics.
-
The existence of contractual withdrawal arrangements.
The findings showed that investment decisions were associated with the promised return, the company's perceived age and recommendations received through close social and professional networks.
The research provides empirical evidence that may assist universities, regulators, financial education bodies and agencies responsible for preventing and investigating fraud.