A high yield investment program (or "HYIP") is one of the most interesting investments out there. However, like a number of investment opportunities, it has been the target of a number of scams.

The simple version is that it is an investment method that offers a high rate of returns with some risk. The investor can invest small amounts into a HYIP, which can, if it does well, yields a higher-than-normal rate of return, which you can then cash out or re-invest. While investing, you can discuss how the investments are doing and find out about scams on websites called "monitors", which keep an eye on how HYIP's do.

The slightly more interesting version is that an investor sets up an account with an HYIP, and then invests a certain amount of money into the HYIP, which can be for either very small amounts or for large amounts, depending on how much you want to invest. You decide when to pull out, and then what to do with the funds.

However, be advised that it is an investment and carries with it all the risks of an investment. As such, there is the real possibility of losing the money that you invest, for all the usual reasons. Don't invest more than you can lose, and thoroughly check out the investment before giving the HYIP a single cent, just as you would any other potential investment. And be aware that, just like other investment, there are some HYIP's that are scams.

Using an HYIP as a scam is abetted by a number of factors. The first is the mystique of investing; too many people jump into investing without really bothering how it works, and hoping to get something big for something little. There is also that it relies on e-gold, which, although it has a number of advantages, but transfers can't be reversed; unlike a credit card, if a transaction goes wrong, you can't get the money back. The last is that it looks like just another HYIP, and can therefore fool most people into putting money into it, which then disappears.

Another part of the problem is that they can be easily be used for ponzi schemes, either fueling one or being the bottom layer of one. Just be watch out for very-well performing HYIP, including those with an outrageously high rate of returns, and trust the monitor sites.

Although it can be a great opportunity, you need to go into it with your eyes open. If you find a scam, then report it to the nearest Treasury office or monitor website. If you don't, then you may have just found the way to an early retirement.