Case Studies

One step forward, two steps back

Fraud examiners are always working to persuade management to search for internal fraud and adopt wise prevention controls. However, anti-fraud professionals can only give their best counsel and then work hard for a good outcome. Here are a fraud examiner’s early successes in a case and later frustrating management decisions. Regardless, he’s not daunted.

Study illicit ‘exfiltration’ and cryptocurrency to prevent fraud

Cryptocurrencies and cybercriminals aren’t going anywhere. Here’s how some fraud examiners discovered systematic patterns of attacker activity at a bank and instituted controls that protected the institution and helped a cryptocurrency exchange prevent future attacks.

Teaming with anti-fraud pros of many stripes

Opportunistic fraudsters often have an advantage over CFEs: They can freely and spontaneously select co-conspirators by skill, position and corruptibility. To level the playing field, CFEs can work more closely with other types of anti-corruption practitioners. Their experience and techniques, when combined with ours, frequently produce extraordinary synergies that outfox versatile criminals.

The synthetic ID you can't see

Criminals are using a new form of fraud called credit privacy numbers (CPN) to defraud financial institutions and game credit bureaus. Fraud examiners will have to pool their resources and use investigative skills to connect the dots between credit bureaus and banks, and find new ways to combat this plague.

Did ‘psychic’ Maria Duval make a deal with the devil?

Burgeoning fraud against consumers is affecting millions. Two young investigative journalists at CNN recently reported an immense global mail fraud scheme targeting senior citizens.

Change-of-banking-details scheme defrauds quietly

Beware fraudsters who want to masquerade as your service providers. They’ll steal purchasing information, change bank account details and trick you into paying them.

Old-school tenacity

Digital analysis and search apps are invaluable. But nuanced interviewing, with an eye to discerning audiences, can yield solid evidence.

Spoofed emails enable purchase-order fraud

This case involved a Nigerian crime ring that stole Apple computers and devices by impersonating U.S. defense officials. Make sure purchase orders pass the “smell test,” and call agencies to confirm.

Ripple effects of fraud

We often focus on a fraud’s perpetrator, the conditions that allowed the fraud, plus the victim business and its owners. In this case, the authors cover the bases but also discuss the forgotten aspect: how the fraud affects so many more who live in the concentric circles around the fraudster.

Victimization of the Massachusetts State Police

If the oldest, largest and arguably most prestigious law enforcement agency in New England can become a victim of multiple frauds, what does that say about your organization’s exposure?

South Asia follows parallel roads of burgeoning economy and escalating fraud

It’s a familiar story. A country or region finally is prosperous, but inevitably fraud and corruption increase. Here are some infamous South Asian cases and ways the region has battled what affluence wrought.

U.S. Navy corruption on the high seas

The $35 million “Fat Leonard” corruption scandal threatens to decimate an entire generation of experienced U.S. Navy officers. What unfolds is the rise and fall of the defense contractor who bought off Navy brass with meals, liquor, women and bribes.