HSBC Sued for Aiding Bernie Madoff

Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme survived for so long because HSBC ignored "red flags" and kept funneling investors' money to the fraudster, says the trustee trying to reclaim money for Madoff's victims. Irving Picard is suing the bank and a group of feeder funds for at least $9 billion, the New York Times reports.

"Had HSBC and the defendants reacted appropriately to such warnings and other obvious badges of fraud outlined in the complaint, the Madoff Ponzi scheme would have collapsed years, billions of dollars and countless victims sooner," Picard said in a statement. The trustee has until December 11, the second anniversary of Madoff's arrest, to file lawsuits to try and recover money for investors and he says more suits will be coming before the deadline.