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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August 11, 20261 hr 3 min
Marguerite Lorenz, Luck or Control? Why Estate Planning Matters Before Crisis Strikes
Returning guest Marguerite Lorenz is here to talk about all things trust and estate related. She has a new book, Luck or Control, The Life-Improving Power of Estate Planning,” reflecting on how a rushed, outdated will during the host’s husband’s terminal cancer diagnosis made planning urgent and life-easing. Lorenz argues estate planning is not about wealth or only death, but about documenting preferences for incapacity, healthcare, and distribution to avoid confusion, family conflict, fraud risks, and costly probate (noting a $46,000 minimum in California for a $1 million estate). They discuss choosing qualified estate-planning attorneys, updating plans, naming multiple healthcare agents, tracking fiduciary actions, avoiding “early inheritance” ambiguity, and real cases involving elder financial abuse, safe deposit boxes, life estates, pet trusts, no-contest clauses, and special needs/public benefits concerns, directing listeners to planforthis.com for a free toolkit.and you need to go and get it! https://planforthis.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/californiatrustee/Previous episode with Marguerite: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-21-marguerite-c-lorenz-ctfa-clpf-master-trustee/id1530413097?i=10005103724910:58 Why Estate Plans Matter03:14 Cost Versus Probate06:17 Free Toolkit And Hiring Help07:28 Fiduciary Duty Explained08:37 Family Caregiving Gray Areas12:43 Document Everything As Trustee15:31 The Black Box Problem17:52 Choose Your Three People20:35 Agency And End Of Life Choices24:42 Mabel Casino Cautionary Tale27:23 Preventing Inheritance Fights29:46 No Contest Clauses And Spite32:17 Leaving Love Not Destruction33:26 Fairness Between Children34:02 Fairness Can Flip34:37 Needs Based Trusts35:39 Love Not Punishment37:46 Planning for Incapacity41:04 Life Estates and Marriage Myths43:51 Pet Trust Pitfalls46:53 Sign the Documents48:44 Wills and POA Basics50:28 Stop Clever Workarounds52:05 Safe Deposit Box Chaos55:35 Special Needs and Flexibility01:00:34 Fund the Trust and Wrap Up
August 4, 202651 min
Gossip and Deceit-Becca Platsky, CPA Scorned, on Corporate Crime
Corporate Gossip’s Becca Platsky on CEO Myths, Enron Obsessions, and Why Humility Is Fraud ProtectionKelly Paxton hosts Becca Platsky of the Corporate Gossip Podcast (a CPA-run “business podcast for Bravo lovers”) to discuss how the show deep-dives one company per week with heavy research, financial analysis, and human-interest gossip, including episodes on Enron and the Forbes 30 Under 30 pipeline of fraudsters. They argue CEOs are often made “dumber” by constant validation and isolation, and that executive assistants may best understand what happens behind the scenes. The conversation covers wealth bias in the justice system, support letters for white-collar defendants, and the Charlie Javice/JPMorgan case as an avoidable due-diligence failure tied to elite blind spots. Platsky emphasizes community as a source of optimism, names favorite media/podcasts, and stresses that humility—recognizing anyone can commit or fall for fraud under pressure and opportunity—is key protection.01:52 What Corporate Gossip Is04:11 Why CEOs Get Dumber06:41 Executive Assistants Know09:13 Billionaire Pedestals10:36 Scott Galloway Debate12:18 Favorite Business Voices13:35 Optimism Versus Skepticism17:00 New York And Thrillerfest19:51 Dream Fraudster Interviews22:00 Who Steals More23:50 Madoff Staff And Disney24:25 Letters To The Judge27:08 Charlie Javice Case29:43 FAFSA Fraud Blindspots32:18 Range Rover Red Flags33:17 Forbes Lists and Grifts34:59 WeWork Key Man Risk36:58 Podcast Inspirations38:45 Stanford Power Plays40:49 Scammer Red Flags Books42:41 Humility Against Fraud45:54 Everyone Has a Price48:04 Women in Fraud HistoryResources MentionedNobody's FoolCorporate Gossip podcastPatreon community for Corporate GossipConnect with Beccahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaplatsky/https://www.corporategossippod.com/
July 28, 202657 min
What is Ethical AI use in Fraud Examination? with Mark Nigrini
This week on Fraudish, Kelly speaks with Mark Nigrini to discuss AI’s use in fraud examination. Do you think Sam Bankman-Fried’s Anthropic investment to AI’s growing relevance? We discuss. Nigrini shares AI applications like detecting inconsistent invoices (think Rita Crundwell), finding fraud “fingerprints” in dollar amounts, analyzing contradictions in hearings, and raising ethical concerns.Connect with Mark: linkedin.com/in/mark-nigrini-7409918Get his book, Forensic Analytics: https://nigrini.com/
July 7, 202635 min
Melissa Jones OSINT Millenial
Guest: Melissa Jones, SIU Investigator at Crum & Forster ("OSINT Millennial")Host Kelly Paxton sits down with Melissa Jones — insurance fraud investigator, OSINT trainer, and self-described "OSINT Millennial" — for a wide-ranging conversation about building a career in Special Investigations, the art of digital digging, and why connection (both online and on the ball hockey rink) drives everything Melissa does.Episode HighlightsFraudster Dinner Date Melissa kicks things off with an unexpected pick: convicted FBI spy Robert Hanssen, someone she studied in her criminal justice master's program. Kelly counters with the usual suspects (Charles Ponzi, Elizabeth Holmes) but appreciates the espionage angle.Who Steals More — Men or Women? A detour into gender and fraud data, including a striking stat Kelly cites from a colleague's fire department embezzlement research: women make up only about 3% of fire department staff but account for roughly 28% of thefts. Melissa admits her own SIU team doesn't currently track gender breakdowns — but wants to start.From Direct Bill Clerk to SIU Investigator Melissa traces her 12-year (and counting) career at Crum & Forster: a psychology degree from Ramapo College, an entry-level insurance ops job in 2014, a move into policy operations, and a leap into the Special Investigations Unit as an analyst in 2017 after spotting an internal job posting. She was promoted to investigator in 2022 and now works alongside a nationwide SIU team of 15–16 people.Why Insurers Have the Data Advantage Kelly and Melissa talk shop on how much visibility insurance companies have into patterns of behavior — from claims data to spending anomalies — and how that data gets put to work across property/casualty, auto, workers' comp, and even pet insurance claims.Building the "OSINT Millennial" Brand Melissa describes how she got into public speaking after approaching fellow investigator Joe Stevenson at a conference in Hersheypark in 2019, which led to her first joint presentation. She's since built her own social-media-investigations talks under the "OSINT Millennial" tagline, using only publicly available content (never her active casework) to teach audiences — including a recent stop in Leominster, MA that packed the room.Industry ShoutoutsOsmosisCon and Cynthia Hetherington — Melissa has FOMO for missing this year's conference and hopes to attend next year.Ritu Gill and other women in the OSINT/investigations space Melissa admires and reshares often.Christina Fiscella— noted for her work on gray-collar crime and elder fraud cases.Hank Asher/"Hank Venice" (as referenced in the episode) and Brian from Diligentia Group — mentors and friends from the investigations conference circuit.Age, Assumptions, and Social Media Investigations A deep dive into why investigators shouldn't assume older subjects are "off the grid" — and why understanding how each platform works (not just whether someone uses it) is the real skill in OSINT investigations.Fraud in Pop Culture Melissa's take: reality TV like Survivor is basically fraud and manipulation for sport. Kelly recommends checking out a Hacks episode (Season 5) with a surprisingly relevant survivor-style storyline.Investigative Philosophy: "Dig" and "Trust but Triangulate" Both hosts bond over shared investigator vocabulary — the instinct to "dig," and Kelly's own mantra, "trust but triangulate," as a more generous alternative to "trust but verify."Ball Hockey — More Than a Hobby Melissa opens up about her ball hockey career, playing internationally (including in the Dominican Republic) and around the U.S. (Nashville, Buffalo, Vegas), plus a women's league in South Jersey. She credits the sport with building a diverse, tight-knit community — and even a professional networking connection with a teammate who works in arson investigation.NJSIA Shoutout Melissa is a board member and incoming Vice President of the New Jersey Special Investigators Association (NJSIA), which is gearing up for its 35th annual conference and networking seminar in Atlantic City this year. All are welcome to attend.https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissajones33/https://www.instagram.com/osintmillennial/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6P0m2KpUWA
June 30, 202647 min
Is Your Attorney a Good Negotiator? If Not, Get a New One with Martin Medeiros
Can you even negotiate fraud? This episode on Fraudish we discuss how negotiation and fraud are more related than you would think. I am joined by Martin Medeiros about fraud, negotiation, and AI. Martin is an attorney (I know, another one!) who helps organizations build value by treating intellectual property as a strategic asset.In the episode, Martin describes his career building Fortune 500 tech negotiation teams. We discuss his data-driven negotiation approach using game theory and Bayesian updating. And of course, we discuss using LinkedIn as attorney marketing. Connect with Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-medeiros2/Persuasion Lab: https://thepersuasionlab.com/Buckley Law: https://www.buckley-law.com/martin-medeiros/
June 23, 202637 min
Women Steal More Due to Opportunity in Financial Roles with Michelle Tavares
Which fraudsters would you have dinner with? Most people would answer Bernie Madoff or Charles Ponzi. But how many of you would pick a famous fraud investigator? Our guest in this episode does!Michelle Tavares recently launched Standard and Proof Investigations, a litigation support focused on financial fraud, OSINT searches, corporate governance, and assessing the integrity of AI-produced data. Michelle discusses her career through consumer protection roles at the CFPB and the FTC, plus her long-standing focus on forensic accounting and following the flow of funds. In a speed round, she names Kate Ward, Pinkerton’s first female private investigator. Connect with Michelle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-t-59751427/
June 9, 202638 min
Corporate Governance Starts Before Any Consultant Arrives with Evan Tsai
What does your grandmother have to do with corporate governance? More than you might think.In this episode, Kelly Paxton sits down with Evan Tsai, an auditor, compliance veteran, and newly minted founder of Phoenix Ascent, for a conversation that travels from the fraud pandemic in Taiwan, to a book theft at an auditors' conference, to why governance starts long before any consultant walks through the door.After 20 years in audit, risk, and compliance, Evan kept seeing the same movie play out: companies chasing big, shiny tools without first understanding their own processes, people, or data. That pattern and a deep respect for governance instilled by his grandparents in Taiwan is what drove him to launch Phoenix Ascent and help organizations understand where they actually stand before the regulators come knocking.Plus: Evan shares why no organization (or auditor) is truly above temptation. Connect with Evan Tsai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanjtsai/Phoenix Ascent:https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoenix-ascent-advisory-llc/
June 2, 202645 min
What to Know About Whistleblowing from Whistleblower Royalty with Sam Buffone
Have you hear of the False Claims Act? This whistleblower statute recovers $2–6 billion per year for taxpayers. But most of us have never heard of it. Well, If you report fraud against the government (a "qui tam" action) and the government recovers, the whistleblower receives 15–25% of the recovery.Sam Buffone is our guest on this episode of Fraudish, he is whistleblower attorney and founder of the Buffone Law Group. Sam spent 9 years at the Department of Justice and helped recover $3 billion in civil fraud enforcement. Kelly met him at the Maryland ACFE conference after being impressed by his last-minute fill-in presentation.Sam describes his role as a translator: whistleblowers come to him feeling gaslit, with scattershot observations, and he packages their experience into something that speaks the government's language and directs investigative attention. Cases routinely take years. He works on contingency (no recovery = no fee), which is essential since whistleblowers rarely have the budget to fight corporations.Sam doesn't advertise. Whistleblower clients are scared, isolated, and often don't even know whistleblower attorneys exist as a specialty. He relies on referrals to find the right clients. Whistleblower Programs to KnowSam closed with a rundown of the major programs:False Claims Act — government/healthcare fraud (qui tam)SEC — securities fraudCFTC — commodities and crypto fraudIRS — tax fraudFinCEN — financial crimes, sanctions evasionDOJ Antitrust — illegal cartels (growing)DOJ Criminal Division — catch-all programNHTSA — auto safety/recall issuesResources & References MentionedGoing Infinite by Michael Lewis (FTX/SBF)Who Is Government? compiled by Michael Lewis (long-form essays on public servants)The Big Short (film)My Cousin Vinny — Sam's pick for most legally accurate movieMichael Clayton (film)Tyler Schultz (Theranos whistleblower)James Holzrichter (whistleblower case)Erin BrockovichConnect with Sam BuffoneBuffone Law Group— whistleblower and civil fraud enforcement. Sam encourages anyone who sees something wrong to reach out; initial consultations are free given the contingency model.Links mentioned: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Cousin_Vinnyhttps://www.taf.org/https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-catherine-kissick
May 12, 202626 min
The Fraud Doesn't End When the Money's Gone: Aftercare & Elder Protection with De'Airra Belcher
What happens after someone gets scammed? The money's gone but the shame, the confusion, and the vulnerability to being hit again? That often sticks around. This week I'm joined by De'Airra "Dee" Belcher, founder and fraud-prevention lead of JRMT Consulting, and she is tackling the part of fraud recovery most of us aren't talking about.Dee spent a decade in banking before turning her focus to the people most often left without support after a scam: small businesses, nonprofits, and especially older adults. Her Fraud Recovery and Guidance initiative was built specifically to address what she calls the "aftercare gap" which is the dangerous silence that follows a fraud incident and leaves victims exposed to revictimization.Dee walks us through how organized fraudster playbooks actually work — the information recycling, the escalation tactics, and how our one fraud attempt does not mean its over. And we discuss how important it is to protect elders and focus on prevention because (if we’re lucky) we’ll be elders one day that are vulnerable to fraud. Links:Connect with Dee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deairrabelcher/
May 5, 202636 min
Fraud is a Culture Issue? The Financial Consenquences of Turning a Blind Eye with Evie Wentink
You may think fraud is a financial issue. And you would be wrong! According to my guest, “Fraud is a culture issue with financial consequences.” And I tend to agree. Everything in an organization — good or bad — begins and ends with culture. When leaders look the other way (as illustrated by Tom Hardin's first fraudulent trade going unchallenged by his boss), a culture of permissiveness takes root.Kelly welcomes back Evie Wentink for her return appearance on Fraudish. Evie is a compliance professional with 20+ years of experience, founder of the Integrity Playbook program, and a passionate advocate for ethics and compliance in both enterprise and small business settings.📚 Books & References MentionedTom Hardin — insider trader turned ethics speaker; his book is a recurring touchstone throughout the episode. Evie is co-organizing a Compliance Professionals Meetup in Morristown, NJ featuring Tom Hardin (with book signing)."London Falling" by Patrick Radden Keefe — Kelly's current read; a true story about a young British boy whose fascination with Wolf of Wall Street shapes his path."Wolf of Wall Street" — used as a cultural reference point for how organizational culture can normalize extreme behavior."Friends & Neighbors" (Apple TV/HBO Max) — Kelly recommends this Jon Hamm series about a hedge fund manager turned thief for Evie.The Better Way Podcast — hosted by Hui Chen and Zach Coseglia; their company is called Culture Data Ethics.Evie's Final Word for the Audience:"Relationships are the key to success — not only in business, but in compliance."If you're in ethics or compliance, make it your goal to meet people across your organization before they ever have to come to you with a problem. Build those relationships proactively. It will become your biggest asset! Thanks for listening to Fraudish. Please leave us a good review if you enjoyed!Connect with Evie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eviewentink/Ethical Edge Experts: https://www.ethicaledgeexperts.com/Ethical Edge Substack: https://ethicaledge.substack.com/p/ai-is-everywherebut-understanding?r=52e047&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%2Bviewer&triedRedirect=truehttps://substack.com/@ethicaledgebyevie/note/p-195888058?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=52e047
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