Inside the Mind of a Ponzi Schemer: Mark Varacchi's Story

Ever thought about your school Lunch Lady? Do you think she was capable of crime? Maybe she even stole your lunch money… This episode of Fraudish, Kelly is joined by Emily Azzarito, to discuss her insightful paper “Lunch Ladies and Pink-Collar Crime.” Emily shares her personal journey from classical musician to attorney, and the inspiration behind her paper, which explores cases like the New Canaan lunch ladies and high-profile women such as Martha Stewart and Elizabeth Holmes. The conversation delves into why women are often trusted implicitly in the workplace, the misconceptions surrounding female white-collar criminals, and the need for more nuanced views on gender and trust in financial crimes.Connect with Emily: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-azzarito/Read her paper: https://jgrj.law.uiowa.edu/news/2024/05/lunch-ladies-and-pink-collar-crime-gender-stereotype-costs-companies-millionsNYT Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/14/nyregion/connecticut-school-cafeteria-theft.html

In this episode of Fraudish, Kelly sits down with Allison Lagosh from Saifr to delve into the dynamic world of compliance, risk management, and fraud in the age of artificial intelligence. Allison shares her inspiring journey from pursuing a legal career to becoming a leader in the fintech startup space, offering invaluable insights for professionals navigating these complex fields.Topics covered include:The impact of generative AI on the financial industry.Key regulatory challenges tied to AI adoption and fraud prevention.Practical strategies for balancing AI's potential benefits with emerging fraud risks.The evolving landscape of compliance in a tech-driven world.This conversation is a must-listen for anyone working in compliance, risk management, or fraud prevention—or for those curious about how AI is reshaping the financial industry.💻 Learn more about Saifr: https://saifr.ai/ 👩‍💼 Connect with Allison Lagosh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-lagosh/Tune in to discover how industry leaders like Allison are shaping the future of compliance and fraud detection with AI!

You’re gonna want to listen to the end of this one for a poem that will change your whole perspective on fraud. This week on Fraudish Kelly speaks with Melody Bruns for an insightful discussion into her impressive background and her transition from the FBI to the private sector. The episode delves into gender dynamics in embezzlement and the distinctions between men's and women's roles in white-collar crimes. Melody shares her journey to founding Pivot Point Consulting, which offers strategic analytical support primarily to private investigators. The conversation touches on AI's impact on investigations, the need for comprehensive ethics training, and the crossover of various crime types in investigations.Links:Connect with MelodyResearch Analysis with Melodyhttps://www.pivotpointconsulting.co/Pivot Point Newsletter sign up!Mother Teresa quote

In this episode, Kelly interviews Mark Varacchi, a self-identified former Ponzi schemer who shares his captivating story. Mark discusses his background, including his time at Tiger Management, his gambling habits, and the six-and-a-half-year limbo period before his sentencing. He also talks about his experiences in federal prison consultancy, explaining how he aids others going through the justice system.Links:Connect with Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-varacchi/Mark's Website: https://www.markvaracchi.com/https://www.annieduke.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmr8YmwnZ3w&sttick=0

Dr. Mark Nigrini, famed for his work on Benford's Law, is on Fraudish discuss key aspects of fraud detection and prevention. The episode dives into the implications of AI on future fraud and the importance of understanding key fraud patterns. Nigrini is the author of Forensic Analytics (Wiley, 2011) and Forensic Analytics Second Edition (2020) which describes analytic tests to detect fraud, errors, estimates, and biases in financial data. He is also the author of Benford's Law (Wiley, 2012) which is the seminal work on applications of Benford’s Law.Connect with Mark Nigrini: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-nigrini-7409918/Mark's website: https://nigrini.com/

This episode on Fraudish Kelly speaks Erik Halvorson a life long learner and soon to be Doctor, who shares his extensive journey from joining the Air Force to becoming Chief Data Scientist at Tracklight. Erik delves into the evolution of fraud detection techniques, emphasizing the importance of data analytics, behavioral psychology, and social network analysis in combating modern fraud schemes. The conversation provides practical advice for investigators and a peek into the future of technology in fraud detection.Connect with Erik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-halvorson-a7b72285/And please leave us a review if you enjoyed this episode!

Kelly speaks to Thomas Cronkright to discuss his unconventional journey after being defrauded in a wire fraud scheme. Tom details a harrowing and complex fraud case involving a criminal syndicate, his personal experiences with financial crime, and the subsequent creation of Certified, a company designed to combat real estate fraud through advanced technology. Tom and Kelly also explore social engineering’s evolution, the impact of AI on fraud, and the importance of proactive measures in preventing financial crimes. Tom shares his insights, the challenges faced, and the eventual triumph in litigation and recovery of funds for victims.Links: Connect with Tom on LinkedinCertifIDTexas Money Launderer StoryTampa Bay NewsNigerian Money LaunderingTexas Nigerian Money Laundering SchemeRomance Scamshttps://geoffwhite.tech/

This week on Fraudish Kelly speaks with Javier Leiva about the disturbing and multifaceted case of LaDonna Humphrey. The discussion covers LaDonna's alarming behaviors, including stalking, gaslighting, and mismanagement of a nonprofit. Every person LaDonna touches, she ruins. Who is your LaDonna? Connect with Javier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javierjleiva/Listen to the podcast: https://pretendradio.org/https://whyy.org/segments/the-greatest-hoax-on-earth/

This week on Fraudish Kelly speaks with Lyndee Fletcher, President of Vcheck Global. Lyndee is an expert in the public record and reputational due diligence industry. Lyndee is the youngest President in the reputational due diligence industry. Kelly and Lyndee get into what the venture capital industry is like, how venture capital uses open source intelligence, Adam Newman, the Chicago Mob, and more!Connect with Lyndee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndee-fletcher/Check out Vcheck Global: https://vcheckglobal.com/

This week on Fraudish Kelly speaks with Kelly Todd, President of Forensic Strategic Solutions to discuss various aspects of fraud investigation, share notable cases, and explore the dynamics of gender in embezzlement. Kelly Todd shares her experiences and the impact of mentorship in her career while underscoring the importance of awareness and training in the ever-evolving fraud landscape. Kelly shares how LinkedIn has changed her career for the better! Connect with Kelly Todd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyjtodd/And please leave us a review if you enjoyed the episode, it really helps us out!