• Finding Bank Accounts Without Breaking the Law

    I hear it over and over again: “A private investigator says he can find my husband’s secret bank accounts.” Not without breaking the law! I fight against this all the time. People are out there saying they can magically find […]

  • Fraud Associated With Manual Cash Disbursements

    Companies typically have a standard way of initiating cash disbursements like payments to vendors or employees. Often this involves entering an invoice into the accounting system, ensuring proper approval for payments, and then generating the electronic transfer or check. Sometimes […]

  • The Skills of a Fraud Investigator

    How do I become a fraud investigator? What skills does a forensic accountant need? I get asked these questions a lot, so today I’m going to give my thoughts on some of the important qualifications and skills a fraud investigator […]

  • Interviews in Fraud Investigations

    Interviewing witnesses and suspects is a critical part of any fraud investigation. There are tons of resources out there to help fraud investigators learn how to be effective interviews. There are books, videos, courses, and certifications.  I’m going to quickly […]

  • Judgment of Management and Financial Statement Fraud

    With thousands of detailed accounting rules, how can there be financial statement fraud? There are areas of the financial statements that rely heavily on the judgment of management. They make estimates and decide how to apply the accounting rules. This […]

  • Things I Have Learned About Fraud

    After more than 25 years conducting fraud investigations, I have learned a lot about fraudsters, their methods, and the companies they work for. Hotlines cut fraud losses in half. Anonymous reporting mechanisms like fraud hotlines decrease the cost of internal […]

  • My Unorthodox Life Lawsuit

    A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Julia Haart, the star of the Netflix series My Unorthodox Life, her divorce  from Silvio Scaglia, and the argument over their company Elite World Group. It all started when Haart was fired […]

  • Fatburger and Johnny Rockets Family Under Investigation for Fraud and Money Laundering

    Andrew Wiederhorn, CEO of the company that owns Fatburger, Johnny Rockets, and Round Table Pizza restaurants is under federal investigation for securities fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion. What makes this story so interesting is that Wiederhorn already […]

  • Fraudsters on Repeat

    Have you ever wondered how someone defrauds a business of a bunch of money, and then gets hired by another company that gives the person authority over money so they can embezzle all over again? Me too! This Milwaukee-area story […]

  • Unorthodox Divorce Shenanigans

    The same day Julia Haart, star of Netflix reality series “My Unorthodox Life,” was accused of illegally withdrawing $850,000 from an account at Elite World Group, she filed for divorce from her husband Silvio Scaglia. Haart was the CEO of […]