Fraudish

Hosted by Kelly Paxton

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241

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Fraudish is a podcast to help those working in fraud. Hosted by Kelly Paxton, Certified Fraud Examiner, Ex-Private Investigator, and Pink Collar Crime Expert. Kelly is a former special agent turned investigator specializing in embezzlement and workplace dishonesty cases. Fraudish interviews outstanding fraud professionals so you can continue to move forward in your career. Origin stories, tips, resources are just some of the amazing fraud content you will hear each Tuesday.

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October 27, 202632 min

Laura Hollaway Finding Fraud Angels: Empowering Women in the Fraud Fighting World

Connect with Laura: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fintechsalesleader/ Valid Systems: https://www.linkedin.com/company/valid-systems/home/ Women in Fraud: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/34470006/ Trail of the Lost: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/64000414-trail-of-the-lost Hailey Windham: https://www.revfcu.com/knockout-fraud/ Kelly interviews Laura Hollaway, senior director of strategic growth at Valid Systems, about her LinkedIn-based Women in Fraud community and how it grew organically. After 20+ years in enterprise sales and an 862-mile Appalachian Trail hike in 2024, Laura joined Valid Systems and sought mentors to quickly learn banking fraud; she started a free newsletter to recognize women practitioners, noting many fraud, risk, and compliance roles VP and below are 70–75% women while leadership skews male. Valid supported the initiative with a first-year budget for a “no sales zone,” helping it grow to 2,200 newsletter subscribers, 650 community members, monthly coffee talks, and live workshops. We discuss information sharing across institutions, remote work’s isolation, shared community resources (victim-conversation tools, a vendor list, and a member directory), male allies, and recommendations like Fraud Forward and Daniel Pink’s To Sell Is Human. 00:36 Dinner With Al Capone 01:15 Mafia Stories and Books 02:44 Who Steals More 04:27 Laura Origin Story 07:05 Appalachian Trail Tales 09:13 Valid Systems Backs Women 11:38 Sharing Is Caring in Fraud 13:20 Women Leaders and AI Shift 15:53 Coffee Talks and Resources 18:07 Remote Work and LinkedIn 20:51 Professionally Persistent 22:03 Fraud Media Recommendations 28:30 Books Sales and Scammers 31:18 How to Join and Support

October 20, 202656 min

Kelley Brubaker CPA Lawyers missing money

Fraud in Law Firms: Trust Accounts, Controls, and ‘Surprise and Delight’ Auditing (with Kelley Brubaker, CPA) Connect with Kelley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelleybrubaker/ https://www.profitscalethrive.com/link-in-bio https://www.profitscalethrive.com/about https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQx-5aFarKk&list=PLg49S9w-ON1IsOz0v3sk8nMwD_1PuLXyV&index=23 Host Kelly interviews Kelley Brubaker, CPA, who runs a 21-year accounting firm and has spent the last decade focused on law firms, about embezzlement patterns and practical prevention. Brubaker recounts her Big Four audit discovery of an ATM-deposit fraud and explains how theft often starts as “borrowing” that snowballs, especially when trust accounting is messy or poorly understood. They discuss gender patterns (men stealing higher dollar amounts, women more often), warning signs like sudden lifestyle changes, and why most law firms avoid reporting to law enforcement due to shame and reputation concerns, relying instead on DOJ press releases and bar discipline records for cases. Brubaker emphasizes controls and “surprise and delight” spot checks, limits on access (cards, signing, wires), the reality that banks don’t proactively verify signatures, and tools like Ramp to separate initiation and approval. 00:00 Meet Two Kellys 00:20 Fraudster Dinner Question 01:11 Who Steals More 03:26 Cookies And Red Flags 05:08 Kelley's CPA Origin Story 07:37 Law Firm Embezzlement Patterns 10:30 Trust Accounts And Controls 15:12 Surprise And Delight Audits 17:33 Why Firms Avoid Police 23:52 Signature Rules Dont Work 28:59 Death Valley Firm Size 31:15 Conference Q&A Confessions 32:52 Money Mindset for Lawyers 35:08 Nonprofit Fraud Hiring Story 37:14 Fraud in Pop Culture Picks 37:59 Career Path and Legal Research 42:09 Clients Who Went to Jail 43:57 Fraud Controls for Growing Firms 48:34 Partnerships and Money Fights 52:19 Tone at the Top and Tax Write Offs

October 13, 202655 min

Robert Nordlander-Fraud Podcasters unite!

Robert Nordlander on Fraudsters, IRS CI, and Building a Career in Forensic Accounting Kelly interviews forensic accountant and former IRS Criminal Investigation agent Robert Nordlander about fraud, career paths, and professional development. Nordlander names Kevin Mitnick, Marc Rich, and Charles Ponzi as fraudsters he’d most like to have dinner with, and argues most fraudsters are more charismatic than smart. Asked who steals more, he says women more often in embezzlement due to greater representation in office and bookkeeping roles, while men more often commit violent theft. He recounts becoming a CPA, serving as a city councilman and reserve deputy in North Carolina, then spending nearly 21 years in IRS CI before starting a forensic accounting practice during COVID. He discusses why IRS CI excels at following money, enjoys criminal tax defense and bankruptcy cases, explains challenges of innocent spouse claims, and advises aspiring fraud investigators to get training, seek mentorship, use LinkedIn strategically, and create content such as a podcast. Connect with Robert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-nordlander/ https://www.nordlandercpa.com/ https://www.forensicscpe.com/courses/index.html https://my-cpe.com/continuing-education/robert-nordlander https://my-cpe.com/continuing-education/robert-nordlander 01:03 Dinner With Fraudsters 04:24 Who Steals More 08:54 From CPA to IRS CI 14:26 Why IRS Follows Money 17:26 Too Jaded for Fraud TV 21:33 Tax Shelter Trouble 22:51 Defending Criminal Tax Cases 27:47 Criminal Tax Secrets 28:11 Choosing the Right Cases 29:17 Why Bankruptcy Works 30:59 Bankruptcy as Marketing 32:02 Bankruptcy Filing Gotchas 33:03 Innocent Spouse Explained 36:23 Asset Seizure Realities 39:40 Training for Fraud Work 42:27 Courses and Mentorship 47:34 Build a Podcast Career 50:39 Handling Criticism Online

October 6, 202642 min

Melina Palmer 6 year anniversary of Fraudish!!!

Six-Year Anniversary Episode: Behavioral Science, Status Quo Bias, and How Culture Fuels (or Prevents) Fraud Kelly marks the six-year anniversary of Great Women in Fraud/Fraudish with guest Melina Palmer, host of The Brainy Business podcast and an applied behavioral economics instructor who co-created Texas A&M’s certificate program. In a speed round, Palmer names Bernie Madoff (and possibly Ponzi) as interesting fraud interviews and discusses how “who steals more” depends on whether you mean dollars or frequency. They connect behavioral science to fraud through communication, AI’s mixed value in drafting and research, and problems with low-quality AI content and “pitch slapping” on LinkedIn. Palmer explains bike shedding (productive procrastination) and shares examples of status quo bias and change failure, including Tropicana’s 2009 packaging redesign leading to a 20% sales drop and $50M loss, plus New Coke and current Coca-Cola labeling issues. They discuss tribalism, social proof, whistleblowing, expense-report loopholes, per diems, calibration, inequity aversion (capuchin monkeys rejecting cucumbers when others get grapes), and how tone at the top and perceived unfairness can drive employee rationalization and fraud; Palmer recommends Eric Ries’ Incorruptible. Connect with Melina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinapalmer/ https://thebrainybusiness.com/ https://thebrainybusiness.com/learn-with-us/ Fairness study with monkeys! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Incorruptible/Eric-Ries/9798893311860 00:00 Anniversary Kickoff 01:06 Speed Round Fraudsters 03:21 Behavioral Science Background 05:28 Teaching And Podcasting 06:23 Speaking Under Pressure 09:32 AI Hype And Reality 14:35 Bike Shedding Explained 17:20 Status Quo Bias Brands 22:37 Tribalism And Expense Loopholes 28:42 Fairness And Inequity Aversion 32:34 Books For Fraudish Fans 34:59 Culture Trust And Tone

September 22, 202640 min

Jon David Huffman- Law, Fraud, and Justice

Kelly interviews Georgia attorney Jon David Huffman about fraud cases and victim experience. Huffman says embezzlement in positions of trust is more often committed by women in his experience, discusses the difficulty of finding good lawyers, and notes investigators could be stronger referral sources though rules limit referral fees. Jon explains his career path was influenced by a mentor and a decade-long family dispute rooted in a fraudulent M&A deal, leading him to a practice where he found about 80% of cases involve fraud. He describes using Georgia’s private warrant process when police decline clear-cut fraud, contrasts rural vs. metro prosecution challenges, and shares trial moments where cross-examination exposes cons. He’s writing “The Real Cost of Fraud” to counter victim self-blame, recounts being conned twice, and recommends resources like American Greed and fraud-related books. Connect with Jon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondavidhuffman/ 00:25 Fraudster Dinner Picks 01:26 Who Embezzles More 02:44 Origin Story of Fraud Lawyer 04:52 Bad Lawyers and Referrals 07:10 Private Warrants When Cops Won’t 10:11 Selling Fraud Cases to Prosecutors 12:41 Victim Emotions and Grief 15:33 Why Trials Are Thrilling 18:08 Why Fraud Cases Don’t Settle 21:23 Brazenness and Range Rovers 24:55 Writing The Real Cost of Fraud 26:52 Books and Red Flags 30:00 Even Lawyers Get Conned 31:31 Law Firm Embezzlement Story 33:54 Fraud Docs and Reading List 36:34 Final Advice and Wrap Up

September 15, 202651 min

Sean Mueller Closing ACFE Global Interview

From Hedge Fund Fraud to Redemption: Sean's Story at ACFE Global In this Fraudish episode, the host interviews Sean, a former hedge fund manager who spoke at the 37th annual ACFE Global conference closing. Sean describes growing up in a working-class Denver home, dropping out of college, becoming a stockbroker, and launching a short-term trading hedge fund at 32. After early success, a losing month threatened his identity, leading him to conceal losses, escalate deception, and contemplate suicide when the SEC investigated; he instead cooperated, accepted responsibility, and later served 13.75 years of a 40-year state-prison sentence, plus six months in a halfway house, earning time off through good behavior and an associate’s degree. He shares prison lessons on judgment, authenticity, and trust, then reintegration through completing a bachelor’s degree and speaking, including a podcast that led ACFE’s John Gill to invite him to speak. The conversation also touches on fraudster dinner choices (Nixon), gender and theft, recommended books and podcasts, leadership lessons from prison softball, and a humorous aside about Mercedes vs. Range Rovers. 00:40 Dinner With a Fraudster 01:54 Who Steals More 03:42 From Denver to Hedge Fund 05:29 First Loss and Cover Up 07:01 SEC Call and Ledge 08:12 Cooperating and Identity 09:47 Family Ego and Balance 13:58 Prison Reality Check 18:44 Trust Among Manipulators 20:31 Time Served and Halfway House 23:28 Speaking Path to ACFE 25:30 Mercedes Not Range Rover 27:09 Podcast Influences 28:32 Money Talk and Private Jets 29:50 Finance Shows That Miss 33:25 Wall Street Roots and Validation 35:08 Writing the Redemption Book 37:48 Integrity Culture Reading List 39:35 Did Employees Know 41:08 How Investors Trusted Him 45:18 Next 15 Years and Leadership Connect with Sean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmueller5280/ https://proactiveethics.com/

September 8, 202650 min

Unraveling Fraud: The Legal Battle with Neal Levin

Psychology of Belief with Neal aka Fraud Guy Kellly interviews fraud attorney Neal, head of Global Fraud Investigations and Asset Recovery at the law firm Rimón, about his 30+ year career representing receivers, trustees, banks, insurers, investors, and victims of large-scale Ponzi and other financial crimes. In a wide-ranging discussion, Neal says men commit more fraud, explains why “clean” bankruptcy files are uncommon, and shares examples of debtors hiding assets (including collector cars and offshore trusts) and how trustees lack resources to pursue fraud. He talks about his first major fraud work enforcing a $1.5M State Farm judgment and describes fraudster psychology as consistent with antisocial personality traits and narcissistic tendencies, arguing fraud is often about power, not money. They also discuss ethics risks for “fraud warriors,” victim belief and sunk cost, synthetic identity fraud growth, and lawyers going bad. Connect with Neal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fraudattorney/ Do you know what Rimon means? 00:46 Ponzi Dinner Pick 01:45 Who Steals More 03:26 Inside Rimón Firm 06:42 Bankruptcy Fraud Tales 12:32 Trustee Life Reality 15:26 First Fraud Case 17:58 Fraud Warrior Ethics 20:17 Theranos and Dirty Tactics 23:17 Power Lawyers and Lies 24:51 Fraudster Psychology Profile 27:31 Power Over Money 28:59 Madoff And Affinity Fraud 29:57 Fraud Warrior Temptations 31:12 Accountability Versus Justice 33:00 Why Smart Victims Fall 35:54 Fraud Getting Worse 38:25 Belief Beats Rationality 40:28 Pop Culture Gets Fraud Wrong 43:30 Lawyers Going Bad 46:35 System Fails Self Policing

September 1, 202653 min

Johnathan Walton is back! Exposing the Con: Jonathan Walton's Journey Through Fraud"

Hardcore Con, the Shoebox Scam, and How Fear Fuels Fraud with Johnathan Walton Kelly interviews returning guest Johnathan Walton about cons, victims, and his podcast Hardcore Con. They discuss how anyone can be scammed, especially those who believe it can’t happen to them, and how multiple “red flags” compound; Kelly also describes adopting a family “code word” to thwart scams. Walton breaks down the “shoebox” case in which a financial journalist was manipulated by spoofed calls and fake FTC/CIA agents into withdrawing $50,000 and handing it to a stranger, explaining how scammers use fear, emotion, and sunk cost fallacy. They touch on jury-duty and tech-support scams, Walton’s efforts to help victims build compelling cases for police, and his series Cocaine Air. Walton previews Hardcore Con episodes on Brittany Murphy, arguing a con artist husband isolated her and withheld medical care, and teases an upcoming episode about an Amazon-related blackmail scheme. Previous link to Johnathan's first appearance: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2pOZAQ9W8rRfURhyfQVJd8 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1261361/episodes/17653295-even-fraud-has-a-silver-lining-with-johnathan-walton 01:37 No Victim Shaming 04:03 Safe Word 05:04 Hardcore Con Tease 05:46 Red Flags Checklist 06:44 Shoebox Scam Breakdown 08:24 Fear And Sunk Cost 12:55 Jury Duty Scam 15:42 Helping Victims Report 16:52 Cocaine Air Update 23:59 Beak Wetting Explained 25:07 Gender And Motives 27:59 Power Over Money 28:19 Breadcrumb Setup Trap 30:30 Fraud Crumbs Tactics 32:00 Desperation And TJ 32:48 Honeypots And Raids 34:18 What To Watch Now 35:41 Sharper And Silent Scams 37:25 Corporate Gossip And Frank 40:34 Hardcore Con Brittany Murphy 44:13 Legal Fraud And Nonprofits 47:08 Amazon Blackmail Episode 49:06 Handyman Escort Underworld 51:45 Books That Stop Cons 53:13 Final Thanks And Wrap

August 25, 202641 min

Kathy Chambers-From Cybersecurity to Storytelling

Fraudish welcomes guest Kathy Chambers, connected through LinkedIn, to discuss storytelling as a driver of change and effective marketing in cyber and fraud. Kathy shares her path from radio/TV degrees and 10+ years as a TV news producer to University of Florida media director, then pivoting during COVID to ITProTV, where she hosted 250+ audit episodes and later the Certified Ethical Hacker series, falling in love with cybersecurity’s “drama” and later its protective mission. She describes producing a cybersecurity show, quickly booking major industry names, and networking through conferences like Wireless Hacking Fest. They discuss how stories—not statistics—stick in presentations, fraud, and cyber marketing, criticizing generic “AI-powered” messaging and advocating people-centered narratives, even via scenarios when privacy blocks details. Kathy explains building client trust, her focus on helping small-to-medium businesses. Shout out to her podcast Authentically Cyber. Connect with Kathy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathychambersmedia/ https://kathychambersmedia.com/ Authentically Cyber Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyVUHRwg9INfOUJVlYLpm-zzKvtcD9NP7 Show times! 00:00 Meet Kathy Chambers 00:53 Fraudster Dinner Question 02:01 From News to Cyber 05:32 Hosting Ethical Hacker 07:12 Launching Cyber Show 09:28 Networking at Conferences 11:03 AI Deepfake Fears 13:45 Why Audit Matters 16:01 Storytelling Beats Stats 17:39 Cyber Marketing Stories 19:26 Remembering Tom Cronkite 20:37 Why Stories Stick 21:15 Rebranding a New Business 22:30 Pink Collar Crime Series Idea 24:08 Making Victims Relatable 26:13 Getting Companies to Share 30:25 Tractors Not Ferraris 32:12 Leaders as the Story 35:12 Marketing Cuts Pet Peeve 36:32 Ideal Client Avatar 39:44 TikTok and LinkedIn Magic 40:28 Closing Thanks and Mattering

August 18, 202642 min

Fraud, Mentoring, and AI: Serena Morones on Transforming Forensic Accounting

Serena Morones on Forensic Accounting, Mentoring, and Using AI to Find Fraud Faster Podcast host Kelly interviews Serena Morones of Morones Analytics about fraud, forensic accounting, and her career path. In a speed round, Morones says she’d most like to have a meal with Robert Jesenick, the CEO behind Oregon’s largest Ponzi scheme (Aequitas), to understand how rationalization and the “slippery slope” begin. They discuss gender patterns in fraud: women more often in classic embezzlement/bookkeeper cases, men more often in complex multi-entity schemes and investment fraud with larger dollar amounts. Morones recounts shifting from plans for law school to forensic accounting after seeing litigation-support work at Pricewaterhouse, emphasizing creativity, communication, and courage. She describes monthly group mentoring sessions and her focus on credibility and truth-telling among expert witnesses. Morones also shares her sports photography hobby and explains how AI is improving investigations by speeding document analysis and visualization, with a staff member dedicated to tool development. She notes she most enjoys investment fraud cases, recommends “Mr. Bates vs the Post Office” and “The Big Short,” and encourages young professionals to pursue the field for justice while staying committed to truth in court. 00:00 Welcome Serena Morones 00:45 Meal With a Fraudster 04:14 Men vs Women Theft 08:29 Building Morones Analytics 13:24 Creativity in Forensics 17:33 Mentoring the Next Gen 20:59 Sports Photography Outlet 22:39 AI in Forensic Accounting 32:47 Favorite Case Types 34:54 Fraud in Pop Culture 38:07 Gerry Spence Truth Lesson 40:13 Career Advice and Wrap Connect with Serena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenamorones/ https://moronesanalytics.com/team/serena-morones/