Fraudish

In this episode of Fraudish , Kelly sits down with Mark O'Riordan, a seasoned polygraph examiner with a background in federal law enforcement and corporate investigations. Mark pulls back the curtain on the mechanics and psychology of polygraph tests, separating fact from fiction and breaking down what really constitutes a lie. From working with at-risk youth to serving in the Secret Service...

In this episode of Fraudish, Kelly interviews Everett Stern, an anti-money laundering compliance officer and whistleblower who exposed HSBC Bank's intentional money laundering practices benefiting terrorists and drug cartels. Stern shares his experiences in the financial industry, his journey as a whistleblower, the immense personal and professional challenges he faced, and his ongoing effort...

In this special episode of Fraudish , I sit down with two experts in investigative interviewing—Mark Anderson, founder of Anderson Investigative Associates, and Colton Seale, a seasoned investigator with a background in counterterrorism and the FBI. Together, we explore the art and science of effective interviews, uncovering how creativity and psychology play a crucial role in uncovering the truth...

This week on Fraudish , host Kelly is joined by James Rumph, a forensic accountant and fraud consultant at Schneider Downs, for a deep dive into the world of fraud prevention. James shares his unique career journey, from earning multiple fraud-related degrees to working with the FBI, and offers expert insights into the evolving field of fraud detection and ethics. They explore: How behavioral scie...

It’s 2025 and we need to talk about AI.  Kelly speaks to Chief Product Officer at Tracklight, to discuss the impact of AI on fraud detection and prevention. Amanda recounts her career journey from aspiring lawyer to law enforcement officer, then making significant leaps into tech startups and AI-driven fraud prevention. She emphasizes the importance of using AI to think like fraudsters for proacti...

In this episode of Fraudish , Kelly Paxton sits down with David Taxer , cybersecurity expert and author of Shadows of Eden , for an insightful conversation on the intersection of technology, fraud, and human behavior. David shares his unconventional path from tech enthusiast to penetration tester , revealing how an insider fraud case shaped his career. Together, they dive into: Fraud ethics and ho...

What's futurism and how is it related to fraud? This week on Fraudish, Kelly speaks with Sam Radocchia, a self-proclaimed futurist, who shares fraud insights from her unique background in anthropology and technology. Sam explains how her journey led her to become a futurist, highlighting key experiences such as her involvement with blockchain, AI, and virtual worlds like Second Life. The conv...

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 Cana...

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...

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 i...

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...

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, e...

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. Th...

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 engi...

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://pr...

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 mo...

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 s...

In this episode of Fraudish with Kelly Paxton, Kennedy Chappell, a communications expert at Permanent Record, joins the conversation. Kennedy shares her eclectic journey from broadcasting to podcasting and investigative work, emphasizing the importance of diversity and storytelling in fraud investigations. The discussion covers themes of ethics, diversity of thought in investigations, and the sign...

In this episode of Fraudish, Kelly Paxton speaks with Brenda Wamala, a valuation expert. They discuss business valuation with a focus on investigative elements and share personal stories illustrating the intricate processes involved. The episode also touches on intriguing cases such as fraudulent practices in divorce cases and corporate mismanagement. Dig into this great episode!  Connect with Bre...

In this episode of Fraudish, Kelly Paxton interviews Ritu Gill, an open source intelligence (OSINT) analyst from Canada. Ritu shares insights into her background, her journey in law enforcement, and her entrepreneurial ventures, including her own consulting business and the development of the Forensic OSINT Chrome extension. The discussion covers various aspects of OSINT, including ethics, the imp...

This week on Fraudish Kelly speaks with Heidi Joy Tretheway to talk about all things murder and romance! They dig into an infamous murder case in the Portland, Oregon area that got very close to Heidi. And we discuss what being a romance novelist is really like!  Heidi’s Podcast, A MUST LISTEN! Happily Never After: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happily-never-after-dan-and-nancy/id174326606...

This week on Fraudish Kelly is joined by Talia Beechik of 221B Partners. Talia shares insights from her diverse career in investigations, beginning with her early interest inspired by Nancy Drew books to her role in private investigations today. She discusses key concepts such as fraud, ethics, and the complexities of threat assessment cases. Talia also sheds light on her recent work involving soc...

Did you know the CIA has a Librarian? Can you picture Carry Matheson in a library? I sure can’t.  This week on Fraudish Kelly speaks to Amy Brooks, CFE on her career trajectory that has taken her from librarian, to the CIA, to a licensed CFE. you won’t want to miss this one if you're a CIA nerd like me!  Links:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-brooks7718/ https://www.netflix.com/title/8147093...

In this episode of Fraudish, Kelly talks to Barbara Siegenthaler, a lawyer based in Switzerland. They discuss a range of topics including conduct risk, ethics, and the distinction between Safety 1 and Safety 2 methodologies. Barbara shares her insights from her recent paper on global conduct risk and methodologies, touching on the importance of anthropology, behavioral science, and human factors i...

This week on Fraudish, Kelly speaks with Tod McDonald of Valid8 Financial. Tod shares his journey from CPA to entrepreneur, driven by a need to streamline financial investigations. They discuss Valid8's approach to automating the extraction and reconciliation of financial data using machine learning, which aids forensic accountants, legal professionals, and government investigators. Todd reco...