If your family member has been brainwashed by a pyramid scheme, the first thing you should do is report it to the police. To ensure that the police take the matter seriously and to prevent any delays, it is best to report the case to the local public security departments at the provincial, city, and county levels where the brainwashed individual's household registration and the pyramid scheme occurred. Police intervention can help the brainwashed individual regain clarity. Even if they cannot be immediately awakened, it can lead to the dismantling of the pyramid scheme and prevent further involvement. The statute of limitations for prosecuting pyramid schemes is five years for cases involving organizing or leading pyramid activities, and fifteen years for cases with severe circumstances. The maximum statutory sentence for these crimes is imprisonment for more than five years, or fifteen years for cases with severe circumstances, according to Article 87 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China.