Dutch financial institutions and individuals may have lost a combined 1.9 billion euros (2.6 billion U.S. dollars) to the pyramid investment scheme set up by alleged U.S. fraudster Bernard Madoff, Dutch media reported Thursday.

Dutch banks invested at least 1.5 billion euros (2 billion dollars) in Madoff's company, which included an estimated 922 million euros (1.3 billion dollars) by the Fortis operations that were bought by the Dutch government last October, according to estimates by the Dutch central bank.

Dutch pension funds put 166 million euros (230 million dollars) into Madoff's fraudulent firm in the United States, and insurance firms invested 1 million euros (1.38 million U.S. dollars), the central bank was quoted as saying.

Madoff allegedly used new investors' money to pay dividends to old clients.

Dutch private investors lost some 200 million euros (277 million dollars) to the scam, Dutch Finance Minister Wouter Bos told parliamentarians on Wednesday, adding that more than 1,000 individuals are involved.

(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2009)