You’re gonna want to listen to the end of this one for a poem that will change your whole perspective on fraud.
This week on Fraudish Kelly speaks with Melody Bruns for an insightful discussion into her impressive background and her transition from the FBI to the private sector. The episode delves into gender dynamics in embezzlement and the distinctions between men's and women's roles in white-collar crimes. Melody shares her journey to founding Pivot Point Consulting, which offers strategic analytical support primarily to private investigators. The conversation touches on AI's impact on investigations, the need for comprehensive ethics training, and the crossover of various crime types in investigations.

Links:

Connect with Melody

Research Analysis with Melody

https://www.pivotpointconsulting.co/

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Mother Teresa quote

In this episode, Kelly interviews Mark Varacchi, a self-identified former Ponzi schemer who shares his captivating story. Mark discusses his background, including his time at Tiger Management, his gambling habits, and the six-and-a-half-year limbo period before his sentencing. He also talks about his experiences in federal prison consultancy, explaining how he aids others going through the justice system.

Links:

Connect with Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-varacchi/

Mark's Website: https://www.markvaracchi.com/

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmr8YmwnZ3w&sttick=0

Dr. Mark Nigrini, famed for his work on Benford's Law, is on Fraudish discuss key aspects of fraud detection and prevention. The episode dives into the implications of AI on future fraud and the importance of understanding key fraud patterns. Nigrini is the author of Forensic Analytics (Wiley, 2011) and Forensic Analytics Second Edition (2020) which describes analytic tests to detect fraud, errors, estimates, and biases in financial data. He is also the author of Benford's Law (Wiley, 2012) which is the seminal work on applications of Benford’s Law.

Connect with Mark Nigrini: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-nigrini-7409918/

Mark's website: https://nigrini.com/

This episode on Fraudish Kelly speaks Erik Halvorson a life long learner and soon to be Doctor, who shares his extensive journey from joining the Air Force to becoming Chief Data Scientist at Tracklight. Erik delves into the evolution of fraud detection techniques, emphasizing the importance of data analytics, behavioral psychology, and social network analysis in combating modern fraud schemes. The conversation provides practical advice for investigators and a peek into the future of technology in fraud detection.

Connect with Erik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-halvorson-a7b72285/

And please leave us a review if you enjoyed this episode!

Kelly speaks to Thomas Cronkright to discuss his unconventional journey after being defrauded in a wire fraud scheme. Tom details a harrowing and complex fraud case involving a criminal syndicate, his personal experiences with financial crime, and the subsequent creation of Certified, a company designed to combat real estate fraud through advanced technology. Tom and Kelly also explore social engineering’s evolution, the impact of AI on fraud, and the importance of proactive measures in preventing financial crimes. Tom shares his insights, the challenges faced, and the eventual triumph in litigation and recovery of funds for victims.

Links: 

Connect with Tom on Linkedin

CertifID

Texas Money Launderer Story

Tampa Bay News

Nigerian Money Laundering

Texas Nigerian Money Laundering Scheme

Romance Scams

https://geoffwhite.tech/

This week on Fraudish Kelly speaks with Javier Leiva about the disturbing and multifaceted case of LaDonna Humphrey. The discussion covers LaDonna's alarming behaviors, including stalking, gaslighting, and mismanagement of a nonprofit. Every person LaDonna touches, she ruins. Who is your LaDonna? 

Connect with Javier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javierjleiva/

Listen to the podcast: https://pretendradio.org/

https://whyy.org/segments/the-greatest-hoax-on-earth/

This week on Fraudish Kelly speaks with Lyndee Fletcher, President of Vcheck Global. Lyndee is an expert in the public record and reputational due diligence industry. Lyndee is the youngest President in the reputational due diligence industry. Kelly and Lyndee get into what the venture capital industry is like, how venture capital uses open source intelligence, Adam Newman, the Chicago Mob, and more!

Connect with Lyndee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndee-fletcher/

Check out Vcheck Global: https://vcheckglobal.com/

This week on Fraudish Kelly speaks with Kelly Todd, President of Forensic Strategic Solutions to discuss various aspects of fraud investigation, share notable cases, and explore the dynamics of gender in embezzlement. Kelly Todd shares her experiences and the impact of mentorship in her career while underscoring the importance of awareness and training in the ever-evolving fraud landscape. Kelly shares how LinkedIn has changed her career for the better! 

Connect with Kelly Todd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyjtodd/

And please leave us a review if you enjoyed the episode, it really helps us out! 

In this episode of Fraudish with Kelly Paxton, Kennedy Chappell, a communications expert at Permanent Record, joins the conversation. Kennedy shares her eclectic journey from broadcasting to podcasting and investigative work, emphasizing the importance of diversity and storytelling in fraud investigations. The discussion covers themes of ethics, diversity of thought in investigations, and the significance of embracing vulnerability and open-mindedness within teams. Kennedy also touches on engaging content creation online and shares insights on operations security and the challenges of purchasing Bitcoin.

Get Bullsh*t Hunting: https://www.bullshithunting.com/

Connect with Kennedy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennedy-chappell-493540259/

And please leave us a review if you liked the episode, it really helps me out! 

In this episode of Fraudish, Kelly Paxton speaks with Brenda Wamala, a valuation expert. They discuss business valuation with a focus on investigative elements and share personal stories illustrating the intricate processes involved. The episode also touches on intriguing cases such as fraudulent practices in divorce cases and corporate mismanagement. Dig into this great episode! 

Connect with Brenda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wamalabrenda/