Former England cricketer Darren Gough has become the latest star to be caught up in a suspected £80million "Bernie Madoff-style"fraud.

The retired player and his family are thought to have lost almost £1million. He is among several sportsmen and TV stars who are believed to have been swindled after investing in the alleged Ponzi get-rich-quick scheme.

Yesterday it was revealed former England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen was approached to invest in the scheme but turned it down.

Gough is said to be devastated. Sources close to the 38-year-old said he had invested a large sum of money in the scheme weeks before the Financial Services Authority launched its investigation. The family of Gough's former wife has also reportedly lost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The Ponzi pyramid scheme is believed to be similar to that of jailed Wall Street broker Madoff.

Suspected mastermind Kautilya Nandan Pruthi, 38, was arrested for a second time this week on suspicion of money laundering offences. Investigators suspect Pruthi used his company, Business Consulting International, to con more than 600 investors over a two-year period.

Investment consultants John Anderson, 43, and Kenneth Peacock, 40, both of Virginia Water, Surrey, have also been arrested.

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