Core Viewpoint - Zhejiang Yongkun Holdings Co., Ltd. (Yongkun Gold) has attracted thousands of investors through a promised annual return of up to 18% and a "referral commission" mechanism, disguising its operations as legitimate financial products [1][2]. Group 1: Company Overview - Yongkun Gold, established in March 2014, is a subsidiary of Zhejiang Yongkun Holdings, with a significant presence in the gold industry, including over 100 offline stores across the country [13][15]. - The company operates a gold custody model, where most of the gold is not held by investors, and has expanded its business through various sales channels, including e-commerce platforms [6][15]. Group 2: Business Model and Operations - Yongkun Gold's business consists of two main categories: sales-custody-recovery services, promising high returns to investors, and online sales of gold products with a no-loss guarantee [7][10]. - The company has implemented a referral reward system, where investors earn commissions for bringing in new clients, resembling a Ponzi scheme [23]. Group 3: Financial Issues and Legal Troubles - On May 20, 2025, Yongkun Gold faced a liquidity crisis, unable to make payments to clients, leading to investor protests and legal actions for illegal public deposit solicitation [2][4]. - The company was listed in the business abnormality directory due to being unreachable at its registered address, and there are concerns regarding the authenticity of its insurance policies covering over 4.1 billion yuan in gold assets [4][11]. Group 4: Investor Impact - Over 10,000 investors have reportedly been defrauded, with losses exceeding 2 billion yuan, and conservative estimates suggest total losses could reach 5 billion yuan [5][21]. - The high promised returns have lured many investors, including employees of Yongkun Gold, who invested their life savings, only to face significant financial losses [21][24].