• $65 Million Fraud Via a Shell Company Scheme

    The IRS is accusing Ausaf Umar Siddiqui, vice president of Fry’s Electronics Inc., of embezzling more than $65 million from the company via a shell company scheme. They say he used the money to pay gambling debts in Las Vegas […]

  • Red Flags Apparent in Alleged Ponzi Scheme

    Recent news of the alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme perpetrated by investment advisor Bernard L. Madoff has done nothing to ease the fears of investors who have been annihilated by the stock market over the last couple of months.How does […]

  • For Students and Job Seekers: Becoming a Fraud Investigator

    I routinely get emails from students, job seekers, or the gainfully employed who want to make a career change… all asking me for advice on getting into the field of forensic accounting and fraud investigation. Here are my top three […]

  • Big Three bankruptcy impact distorted

    Last week at the 2008 Inforum Outlook Conference, a presentation was given about the impact of potential bankruptcy filings of the Big Three automakers, GM, Ford, and Chrysler. The media has cited figures ranging from 2 million to 3 million […]

  • How to Avoid Tax Fraud and Tax Scams

    Tracy Coenen appeared on a special hour-long episode of CNBC’s “On the Money” devoted to scams and frauds. Check out the top five tax scams that consumers should look out for:

  • More TARP secrecy

    Remember when the leaders of this whole Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) promised us that the spending of our 20 gajillion taxpayer dollars would be “transparent”???? Transparent apparently is synonymous with the word “secret” in their world. How many ways […]

  • Who Is Making Money As a United First Financial Agent?

    Not many people, that’s for sure. As with any multi-level marketing company, a tiny fraction of people at the very top of the recruiting pyramid make some money, and everyone else makes little to nothing. Here are the numbers posted […]

  • United First Financial Memo About Blogs and Forums

    United First Financial management has asked its agents to not participate on discussion forums, message boards, and blogs. Why? Because they’re having their hats handed to them. Simple math outdoes the UFF “factorial math” any time. Save the $3,500 and […]

  • Save Big Money on Your Property Taxes: Fight Your Assessment

    Tracy Coenen talked on CNBC’s “On the Money” about reducing your property tax bill by fighting your assessment. Property values have declined dramatically, and a homeowner could save hundreds or thousands of dollars by having their assessment updated to reflect […]

  • Mannatech Results: Brain Damage and More

    A child suffered for two weeks with a heart condition, while her father gave her large doses of Mannatech products in an attempt to “cure” her. The result? Her mouth was damaged, she’s confined to a wheelchair, and has cognitive […]