Fraud Talk

Belinda Kitos, CFE, CICA and president of SCF Inc., was elected as treasurer of her homeowners association, but when she opened the books she discovered a $1.2 million fraud in her own backyard. In this month's episode of Fraud Talk, Kitos and Jason Zirkle, training director of the ACFE, explore their own experiences investigating HOA fraud and the red flags of these schemes.

The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA) estimates conservatively that healthcare fraud costs the U.S. approximately $68 billion annually. Why is there so much fraud and abuse with insurance claims and why has this problem gone on so long? In this month's episode of Fraud Talk, Paul Kilby, Editor in Chief of Fraud Magazine, discusses the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in combatting healthcare fraud with Theja Birur, Chief Technology Officer and founder of 4L Data Intelligence. 

In this haunting episode of Fraud Talk, investigate the ghostly disappearance of Phases, Inc., a Tennessee nonprofit dedicated to helping women with substance abuse issues. Tune in with Michael Booher, CFE, CPA from the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury and Rihonna Scoggins, ACFE Community Manager, to discover how this ghost story unfolds and the truths lurking in Phases, Inc.'s shadows.

"We've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty" is an all-too-common robocall scam aiming to bilk victims out of their money. Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, discusses the intricacies of robocalls, what differentiates beneficial robocalls from scams and the regulations that both aid and obstruct the fight against these schemes with Jennifer Lieberman, assistant editor of Fraud Magazine, in the latest episode of Fraud Talk.

Tom Cronkright, the lead witness in the FBI's inditement of Black Axe, an international cybercrime syndicate based out of Nigeria, speaks with ACFE President John Gill, CFE, in this month's episode of Fraud Talk. As the co-founder of CertifID and CEO of a title agency, Tom has been at the forefront of helping the real estate industry address payments fraud and discusses his experience as a victim of fraud and the operations of the international fraud group he helped indict.

In this month's episode of Fraud Talk, the Chief Training Officer for the ACFE, John Gill, CFE, meets with David Fleck, Esq., business and real estate attorney who represents victims of business, real estate and investment fraud in lawsuits to recover their money, property and dignity. They discuss trends in real estate fraud including investment fraud, title theft and deed fraud, mortgage fraud and wire transfer fraud.

In Episode 133 of Fraud Talk, Editor in Chief of Fraud Magazine Paul Kilby speaks with Kathryn Westmore, the Senior Research Fellow for the Center for Financial Crime and Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute, a military and defense think tank in the U.K. Kathryn discusses the increase in fraud in the U.K., government initiatives and the balance between data sharing and data privacy.    

In Episode 132 of Fraud Talk, ACFE Research Specialist Sam May meets with Rob Sand, the Iowa State Auditor. Rob speaks about the Hot Lotto fraud scandal he prosecuted, totaling more than $25 million, as well as helping the state of Iowa improve their systems and processes to better investigate and audit potential frauds.

In Episode 131 of Fraud Talk, Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles field office of the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation division, joins ACFE Communications Manager John Duffley. Tyler reflects on the IRS-CI division's growth during his 21 years, the process behind evaluating allegations and pursuing criminal cases, growing uses of cryptocurrencies, common tax fraud schemes, the impacts of the CARES Act and Inflation Reduction Act, and much more.

In this episode, Jenny Radcliffe, aka "The People Hacker," discusses her expertise as an ethical social engineer, honing those skills at an early age on the streets of Liverpool, and unique challenges she has faced over the years.  Joining ACFE Community Manager Rihonna Scoggins during Women's History Month, Jenny explains how being a woman in her field and gender biases she has observed played a significant role in understanding the "human element" behind social engineering. Her new book "People Hacker: Confessions of a Burglar for Hire" is available now in the U.K.

In Episode 129 of Fraud Talk, Tony McClements, the Head of Investigations at Martin Kenney & Co., discusses his career trajectory through three decades in law enforcement to the private practice cases he oversees today. Joining ACFE Communications Manager John Duffley, Tony outlines the challenges between both types of investigations, the benefits to building a team of young, up-and-coming investigators, and emerging technologies and data reports that can be utilized for complex cases.

In this episode, the ACFE's Chief Training Officer John Gill sat down with Charles Antonucci, the former president of The Park Avenue Bank, who was convicted in 2015 of trying to defraud the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Antonucci also pleaded guilty to other charges including self-dealing, bribery, embezzlement of bank funds, and a multi-million fraud scheme involving an insurance company. *The ACFE does not compensate convicted fraudsters.

In this episode, ACFE Community Manager Rihonna Scoggins reads a case study submitted by Eduardo “Ed” Cuyos. The case study follows Ed's investigation into fraudulent activities previously missed by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the Department of Defense Inspector General (DODIG).

International Fraud Awareness Week provides space to highlight fraud prevention and detection initiatives at companies around the world. Thousands of groups have pledged as Supporting Organizations over the past 22 years, with more doing their part ahead of Fraud Week 2022, held on November 13-19. Bruce Dorris, President and CEO at the ACFE, sits down with John Duffley, the ACFE’s Communications Manager, to discuss how you can participate in Fraud Week, the annual ACFE Board of Regents voting cycle, and what lies ahead as the ACFE enters its 35th year. 

In Episode 125 of Fraud Talk, ACFE Training Director Jason Zirkle, CFE, is joined by military veterans from around the world to share their backgrounds and how their experiences have aided them in their roles as CFEs and anti-fraud professionals. Collins Wanderi, CFE, Bill Stakes, CFE, and Monica Meeks, CFE, discuss the tools they’ve gained and advice they offer to veterans and active-duty military members looking to earn their CFE credential.  Visit ACFE.com for more anti-fraud resources and training. 

Eddie Antar founded the Crazy Eddie electronics retail chain in Brooklyn, New York, which rose to prominence across the New York-New Jersey area throughout the 1970s. Operating undetected for years, Eddie’s business practices were grounded in fraud from the very beginning. In Episode 124 of Fraud Talk, Gary Weiss, author of “Retail Gangster: The Insane, Real-Life Story of Crazy Eddie,” discusses this wide-ranging fraud case and ultimate unraveling with ACFE Chief Training Officer John Gill, J.D., CFE.  Visit ACFE.com for more anti-fraud resources. 

In the fight against fraud, it can be hard to remember why we do it, especially when the fraudsters never seem to quit. Associate professor of accounting, taxation and business law at SUNY Old Westbury, Dr. David Glodstein, began the Justice for Fraud Victims Project to teach his students -- and remind fraud examiners -- who we're fighting for: the victims. In this episode, join Dr. Glodstein, CFE, and Kate Pospisil, CFE, the Communications Specialist at the ACFE, as they discuss the Justice for Fraud Victims Project, why programs like this matter and what we can do to further the fight for justice.

The intersection of cyber security and fraud examination is ever-expanding in our new technological landscape. At the 33rd Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference, ACFE Research Manager Mason Wilder, CFE, and Deputy Superintendent and Director of the Intelligence Unit at the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), Roderick Chambers sat down to discuss the importance of technical controls and knowledge to protect your organization from fraud. 

Washington State’s Largest Ponzi Scheme was the catalyst for Tod McDonald, CPA to start his company and push for innovation in financial e-discovery. Years later, he and Garth Leonard, CFE, from Valid8 Financial, join ACFE Community Manager Rihonna Scoggins to explore the current resources at hand to combat fraud and how fraud examiners can assess what tools are the right fit for them in this evolving landscape.

William Shakespeare is widely considered to be one of the most prolific and influential writers of all time. But one group of individuals, who call themselves “Oxfordians” and their theory the "Shakespeare Authorship Question," falsely claim that what we know to be Shakespeare's plays and poetry were actually penned by someone else. In this episode, ACFE Chief Training Officer John Gill, J.D., CFE, joins Michael Pocalyko, CFE, the CEO of SI, as they look at how the qualities of those claiming to disprove Shakespeare's authorship parallel the character of financial and investment fraudsters.