Hawala is a form of money transfer that dates back to at least the 8th century CE.  It is a method for long-distance money transfer which was developed during the days of the Silk Road so merchants could avoid having their money stolen by bandits and robbers.  Hawala is an extremely efficient system which exists to this day.  But in the age of terrorism and narco-trafficking, it can be illegal.  We discuss Hawala in this podcast.  

Opening and Closing Music:

Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release]

Our friend Michael Avenatti is in the news again and as such makes a second appearance on this podcast.  On February 4, 2022, Avenatti was convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in relation to his representation of his former client, Stormy Daniels.  We discuss the crimes for which Avenatti was found guilty.  We further discuss how Avenatti violated one of the codes of professional responsibility for an attorney - the requirement to keep a client's funds and an attorney's funds separate.  The State Bar of Texas requires the separation of client and attorney funds as do most (if not all) State Bars.  By violating this principle, Avenatti committed professional misconduct.  

Two notes:

1. I apologize for the two-minutes of dead time at the end.  I am still getting used to this new equipment.

2.  Next episode will feature my first guest.  Stay tuned.  

Opening and Closing Music:

Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release]

Season 2.  Episode 1.  Notario Publico, Notary Public?  What's the difference?

     Welcome to 2022.  In this first episode of the new year, I discuss the difference between a Notario Publico and a Notary Public.  It is a very important distinction because there exist cases of Notary Publics preying on the confusion and linguistic muddy translation between  Notario Publico - a very respected and high-level position in Mexico and other Central American countries - and a Notary Public, a person who performs a vastly different role in the American legal system.  Some unscrupulous Notary Publics hold themselves out as "Immigration Advisors" and are practicing law without a license.  These "advisors" do a great deal of harm to an unsuspecting public.  I end the episode by offering some advice to Notary Publics on how to avoid issues with their licenses.

NOTE  - I mistakenly refer to 2022 as "2002" several times in this episode.  

Opening and Closing Music: 

Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release]

This is my final podcast for 2021.  I want to thank everyone who has listened to this podcast.  When I first started, I had no idea if anyone was interested or would be listening.  Your support has been overwhelming and I am grateful to all my listeners.

We wind up 2021 with a review of some of the items that were new and interesting in the world of fraud.  Also, a retrospective on ENRON - it was 20 years ago this month that ENRON declared bankruptcy and changed our world.

2022 will bring some new updates and surprises so I hope everyone stays tuned.  Have a great New Year.  

Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Avon.  Herbalife.  Mary Kay.  Tupperware.  We have all heard these names but many of us have not given it much thought.  These companies, however, are examples of Multi-Level-Marketing.  Multi-Level-Marketing (MLM) has been around for decades.  MLM has been advertised as a way for a person to start his own business and succeed.  But MLM is surrounded by controversy.  Is it really way to make good money or is it a waste of time?  We take a cursory look at MLM in this podcast.  

Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Embezzlement is the misappropriation of funds.  Embezzlement can take many forms but one of the more common types is when funds are taken by an employee who works for a company.  There are several warning signs of embezzlement.  In this episode, we will examine some of the more common signs.  

Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Fraud takes many forms.   Considering this is the Halloween season, this podcast focuses on fraud involving rather unusual forms of fraud involving.............mummification and people who claim they have "psychic" powers, among others.  As I said, fraud takes many forms.  Also - a correction to a statement I made in the podcast - abuse of a corpse, which can include mummification - is a crime in many areas.  

Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In 2017 and 2018, anywhere you looked the picture of Michael Avenatti seemed to be there.  Michael Avenatti graduated the top of his class from George Washington School of Law and went on to have a meteoric rise as a legal eagle.  He earned millions from his legal abilities and was known as a powerhouse in the courtroom.  In 2016 Donald Trump was elected President and Avenatti began representing Stormy Daniels, a porn star, claiming that the non-disclosure agreement Daniels signed with Trump for alleged sexual activity should be nullified.  He was even considered as a Presidential candidate for the Democrat party to take on Trump.  Then, in 2019, it all came crashing down. Avenatti was charged with and convicted of attempted extortion against Nike and was given 30 months in prison.  Other criminal actions and lawsuits are pending.  When does "effectively representing your client" become "extortion?"

Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We conclude our overview of Immigration Fraud with this week's podcase.  We discuss document fraud, passport fraud, fraud involving the Visa Lottery, and penalties and punishments for Immigration related crimes.  We will explore more of Immigration fraud in future episodes.

Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

NOTE!!!!  By mistake the previous episode on the Albanian Pyramid Scheme was uploaded into this episode.  This was corrected.  THIS episode focuses on an overview of Immigration Fraud.  We cover the basics of the American Immigration system and discuss Immigration marriage fraud.  

Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/