Pietersen targeted by 80-mn pounds British style Ponzi scheme

London, July 21 (ANI): England star all rounder Kevin Pietersen was targeted in an alleged 80 million pounds fraud by a British "Bernie Madoff-style" gang.

Suspected tricksters tried to get England's former captain, who played in yesterday's historic win to invest in a "Ponzi" scheme, which has since collapsed.

It is thought two men approached multi-millionaire Pietersen, 29, who is married to former Liberty X singer Jessica Taylor, The Sun reports.

His spokesman Adam Wheatley last night confirmed Pietersen was asked to invest cash for the promise of big returns.

He said: "It came through originally to Kevin."

"He said, 'What do you think of this?' It seemed too good to be true. I know he did not put a penny in."

It is feared another Test star may have lost cash in the alleged scam, but last night pals of Andrew Flintoff said it was not him.

Details emerged as police re-arrested Kautilya Nandan Pruthi, 38 - the scheme's alleged mastermind.

Pruthi, of Knightsbridge, Central London, was held on suspicion of money laundering by City of London Police.

Two others have been quizzed. The force has ordered the assets of three firms be frozen.

Up to 600 people, including a 1960s pop star and a TV actress, paid into the scheme after they were allegedly offered returns of six to 13 per cent if they invested for four years.

It echoed the case of jailed Wall Street broker Bernard Madoff.(ANI)