I'm not a fan of Groupon either, but damn, just because they are easy to poke at doesn't mean we should.
Investors are supposed to perform due diligence before investing in a company, and if they didn't, then they weren't scammed, they were stupid. Groupon's scheme is not that clever to the point where it can obfuscate the truth from an equally clever investor.
This is like blaming McDonald's for having hot coffee.
You are delusional. Everyone here but you is discussing business plan viability and questionable accounting. Both of which are exactly what the article is about.
Investors are supposed to perform due diligence before investing in a company, and if they didn't, then they weren't scammed, they were stupid. Groupon's scheme is not that clever to the point where it can obfuscate the truth from an equally clever investor.
This is like blaming McDonald's for having hot coffee.