The US Postal Service has long been the butt of jokes for poor service, but nothing that comes close to this. In this transatlantic episode, Caleb and Greg unpack the story of hundreds of British subpostmasters whose lives were turned upside down when they were falsely accused of stealing from the Post Office. 

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Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.com

Sources: 

Post Office scandal explained: What the Horizon saga is all about — BBC

Secret papers reveal Post Office knew its court defence was false — BBC

British Post Office scandal — Wikipedia

Post Office Horizon scandal explained: Everything you need to know — Computer Weekly

office-heartbreaking-stories-subpostmasters-b1130880.html">Post Office scandal: from suicides to jail time with child killers — the heartbreaking stories of the postmasters — The Standard

A Brief History of the United States Postal Service -  The Smithsonian

The History of the Post Office — Automatic Access Limited Blog

Royal Mail - Wikipedia

A short history of the Post Office — The History Press 

Post office numbers — House of Commons Library

insight.com/subpostmasters-get-raw-deal-in-post-office-pay-structure/#:~:text=Under%20the%20new%20proposals%2C%20main,16%25%20and%2012%25%20respectively">Subpostmasters get raw deal in Post Office pay structure - Apex Insights

How independent retailers can make money from Post Offices — The Grocer

funding.co.uk/how-to-start-up-a-post-office/#:~:text=It%20is%20important%20to%20note,valuable%20and%20profitable%20business%20opportunity">How to start a post office — PDQ Funding

In many episodes, Greg cites statistics from “A Report to the Nations,” the biennial report on occupational fraud, from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. As luck would have it, the most recent edition dropped in 2024, and so naturally, Caleb and Greg took the opportunity to discuss it.

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Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.com

Sources:

Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report To The Nations [ACFE]

We all have childhood dreams. Not all of us get to make them come true. In this episode, Caleb and Greg discuss the story of Frederick Darren Berg, who as a boy, developed a fascination with buses, and made them central to multiple ventures in his career.

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In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.

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Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.com

Sources:

• Darren Berg on the Run: Inside the Biggest Ponzi Scheme in Washington State History [Seattle Met]
• Financial empire, luxurious lifestyle were built on a mirage [Seattle Times]
• spending-spree-a-reckoning-for-man-behind-3161160.php">After spending spree, a reckoning for man behind state’s biggest Ponzi scheme [SeattlePI]
• Berg often portrayed himself as a lawyer [Seattle Times]
• Mercer Island Man Arrested for Ponzi Scheme and Bankruptcy Fraud Darren Berg Defrauded Investors and Allegedly Tried to Hide Assets During Bankruptcy [FBI]
• Mercer Island Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Ponzi Scheme and Bankruptcy Fraud [FBI]
• greed-seattle-roasted-gallery.html">American Greed: ‘Seattle Roasted’ [American Greed]
• Inmate who defrauded investors more than $100 million escapes Atwater prison [Merced Sun-Star]
• Prison escape of Darren Berg, Washington’s ‘Mini Madoff,’ is like ‘Shawshank Redemption,’ official says [Seattle Times]
• Washington man who escaped prison following $100M Ponzi scheme possibly went to Brazil [AP]
• Darren Berg: A Ponzi Scheme Mastermind Escapes: Part 1 [The Perfect Scam]
• Darren Berg: A Ponzi Scheme Mastermind Escapes: Part 2 [The Perfect Scam]

Whistleblowers are essential to discovering fraud. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, more than 40 percent of frauds are discovered by a tip or whistleblower. In this episode, Caleb and Greg talk to one for the first time on Oh My Fraud. Anthony Menendez, “The Accountant Who Beat Halliburton,” recounts his saga as a whistleblower, and shares the many lessons he learned along his journey.

Chapters

• (00:00) - Welcome to Oh My Fraud
• (01:21) - The Halliburton Episode: A Prelude
• (02:54) - Meet Tony Menendez: The Accountant Who Took on Halliburton
• (04:27) - Tony's Early Life and Unexpected Path to Accounting
• (09:22) - The Sarbanes-Oxley Era and Its Impact on Tony's Career
• (11:21) - Tony's Transition to Halliburton and Initial Skepticism
• (22:33) - Uncovering Accounting Irregularities at Halliburton
• (28:01) - The Bill and Hold Controversy Explained
• (35:55) - Raising Concerns and the Fallouts
• (40:17) - The Fallout: Navigating Corporate Politics and Email Warnings
• (45:18) - The SEC Steps In: A Whistleblower's Hope and Disappointment
• (01:04:41) - The Fight for Whistleblower Rights: A Personal Battle
• (01:10:06) - The Verdict: A Crushing Blow to Whistleblower Protections
• (01:15:18) - Taking Matters into His Own Hands: The Appeal Process
• (01:17:08) - A Glimmer of Hope: Winning the Appeal
• (01:19:15) - Back to Square One: The Lower Court's Stubborn Stance
• (01:22:27) - A Final Victory? The Appeals Court's Decision
• (01:28:06) - The Aftermath: Life After Whistleblowing
• (01:32:53) - A New Chapter: From Whistleblower to Professor
• (01:36:04) - Thanks for Listening and Remember to Rate & Subscribe

HOW TO EARN FREE CPE

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Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.comReferences:The Whistleblower’s Tale: How An Accountant Took on Halliburton [ProPublica]

magazine.com/article.aspx?id=4294992668">He fought Halliburton and won [Fraud Magazine]

I am a Halliburton Whistleblower. I fought them for 9 years and (eventually) won. Ask Me Anything. [Reddit]

Anthony J. Menendez [LinkedIn]

Anthony Menendez [Loyola Marymount University]

Everyone dreams of winning the lottery. Some may even fantasize about trying to game the system. But only a very small few actually have the opportunity to tip the odds in their favor. In this episode, Caleb and Greg discuss an audacious scheme to rig the Iowa lottery.

HOW TO EARN FREE CPE

In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.

Download the app:

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.app

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Caleb NewquistTwitter: https://twitter.com/cnewquistLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebnewquist/

Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.comSources:The Winning Ticket — by Rob Sand with Reid Forgrave

'Hot Lotto' scammer Eddie Tipton paroled after 5 years in Iowa prison — Des Moines Register

The Untold Story of How a Gaming Geek with a Checkered Past Pulled Off the Biggest Lottery Scam in US History — Des Moines Register

Lotteries in the United States — Wikipedia

Lottery machine - Wikipedia — Wikipedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go-0mkWNrlk — PowerBall YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRNpRgMiVQU — Mega Millions YouTube Channel

Lotto America Moves to Digital Drawings — PowerBall

Lotto America — Wikipedia

1980 Pennsylvania Lottery scandal — Wikipedia

Chances are, you probably remember a massive fraud from the late 2000s that created a media circus. Just maybe not this one. In this episode, Caleb and Greg delve into a saga of Allen Stanford, the mastermind of a convoluted, multi-decade, multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme.

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HOW TO EARN FREE CPE

In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.

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Caleb NewquistTwitter: https://twitter.com/cnewquistLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebnewquist/

Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.comSources:

• stubbs.com/obituaries/James-Stanford">James Stanford [Obituary]
• Stanford's Failed Health Club [BusinessWeek via WayBack Machine]
• The Dark Knight [Texas Monthly]
• Not Quite Cricket [The New Yorker]
• Stanford Financial Group [Wikipedia]
• Viewing Financial Crimes as Economic Homicide [NYT]
• of-untouchable-assets.html">Cook Islands, a Paradise of Untouchable Assets [NYT]
• United States v. Robert Allen Stanford et al. [SEC]
• Warning signs showed Stanford empire was built on 'threats and innuendos' [The Guardian]
• Handcuffed Stanford pleads not guilty [ESPNcricinfo]
• Seven charges against Allen Stanford are dropped [BBC]
• Allen Stanford ruled unfit to stand trial for fraud [BBC]
• Judge weighs whether Allen Stanford fit for trial [Reuters]
• Defiant US fraudster Allen Stanford vows to clear name [BBC]
• The Rise and Fall of Allen Stanford [Ministry Watch]
• TD Bank reaches $1.2 billion settlement in Ponzi scheme lawsuit [CNN]
• e5e9-11ed-932b-43a7151895c4.html">After 15 years of motions and delays, trial for Stanford Trust fraud could happen next year [The Advocate]

Hollywood loves a sequel, so Caleb and Greg return with two more stories of celebrities who fell victim to fraud.

HOW TO EARN FREE CPE

In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.

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Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.com

Sources:

Kevin Hart

• Kevin Hart Net Worth: Comedy, Movies, and Investing [MoneyMade]
• Kevin Hart's former personal shopper charged with $1 million in theft [USA Today]
• Top 10 Highest Grossing Comedy Tours of 2023 [Billboard]
• Kevin Hart is Forbes' highest-earning stand-up comedian of 2019 [UPI]
• 10 Richest Stand-up Comedians in the World [Comedyville]
• Kevin Hart doesn't have a brand. He is the brand [Los Angeles Times]
• CELEBRITY PERSONAL SHOPPER CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING COMEDIAN KEVIN HART [Office of the District Attorney Queens County]

Courtney Love

• Courtney Love [Wikipedia]
• Courtney Love explains why you’ve got to do the math [Financial Times]
• Courtney Love [WTF with Marc Maron]
• LOVE GOES AFTER KURT ‘LOOTERS’ [New York Post]
• Courtney Love Labors to Get Back Kurt Cobain's MIA Fortune [E!]
• Courtney Love Sued Again for Defamation on Twitter [The Hollywood Reporter]
• Courtney Love Looks to Sue Ex-Attorney Over Bizarre Kurt Cobain Estate Fraud Claims [The Hollywood Reporter]
• Courtney Love Wins Twitter Defamation Trial [The Hollywood Reporter]

Correction: In this episode, Greg incorrectly refers to a musician who wears a giant mouse head with X's for eyes. The artist is Deadmau5 not Modest Mouse. We apologize to the horde or whoever. 

Cleaning dirty money may be as old as money itself. In this episode, Caleb and Greg discuss the history of money laundering, from ancient China to Prohibition to the greatest American political scandal of the 20th century.

HOW TO EARN FREE CPE

In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.

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Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.com

Sources: 

The History Of Money Laundering: Know The Important Origin Of Money Laundering —  Financial Crime Academy

The Three Stages Of Money Laundering And How Money Laundering Works. — Financial Crime Academy

Penn Jillette Street Performing Millionaire — Anecdotage

The evolution of money laundering from ancient China to the internet — Grant Thornton Malta

Malta a ‘transit point’ for weapons trafficking from Southern Europe to North Africa — Malta Today 

global-overview-results.html">Global Organized Crime Index 2023 — Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Prohibition Profits Transformed the Mob — The Mob Museum

Prohibition — Wikipedia

The underworld laundromat: How to clean $10 million in mob money — National Post (Canada)

The "Secret" History of the Bank Secrecy Act — FTI Consulting

President Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal — For Dummies Website

Bank Secrecy Act — Wikipedia

Money Laundering Control Act (MLCA) Overview - Willkie Compliance

Three Elements That Must Be Proven in a Money Laundering Case — Sanction Scanner

During the Reconstruction era, legal, social, and political change was pervasive throughout the United States as it recovered from the Civil War and the end of slavery. In this episode, Caleb and Greg discuss the effort to help newly emancipated people with a service most of us take for granted today—banking.

HOW TO EARN FREE CPE

In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.

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Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.com

Sources:

• Transcript of the Emancipation Proclamation [National Archives]
• End of slavery in the United States [Wikipedia]
• Juneteenth [Wikipedia]
• Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution [Wikipedia]
• Reconstruction era [Wikipedia]
• Freedmen’s Bank [Britannica]
• Freedman's Savings Bank [Wikipedia]
• Freedman's Bank Building [US Department of the Treasury]
• The Freedman’s Bank Forum obscures the bank’s real history [Washington Post]
• “The hands are white that handle the money”: Review of Carl R. Osthaus, Freedmen, Philanthropy, and Fraud: A History of the Freedman’s Savings Bank [βιβλιοσκώληξ]
• (1876) “Committee on the Freedman’s Bank,” in Reports of Committees of the House of Representatives. Washington: Government Printing Office.
• (1880) United States Senate, Report of the Select Committee to Investigate the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company. Washington: Government Printing Office.
• Freedman's Savings and Trust Company [Smithsonian Institution]

Caleb and Greg recount their favorite swindles, interviews, and culprits from the year that was Oh My Fraud 2023. 

HOW TO EARN FREE CPE

In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.

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Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.com

Favorite Caseshttps://ohmyfraud.com/episodes/high-steaks-fraud-the-case-of-easterday-farmshttps://ohmyfraud.com/episodes/fat-shamming-the-guy-who-corrupted-the-u-s-navy

Favorite Perps https://ohmyfraud.com/episodes/all-hat-and-no-cartel-the-case-of-dwi-dudehttps://ohmyfraud.com/episodes/all-that-glitters-is-not-fraud-the-case-of-bre-x-minerals

Favorite Interviewshttps://ohmyfraud.com/episodes/steven-thomas-the-lawyer-who-sues-the-big-4-for-missing-fraud-and-winshttps://ohmyfraud.com/episodes/meet-the-fraudster-nathan-mueller