Fraudish – Details, episodes & analysis

Why do so many fraud victims choose to quietly move on rather than pursue criminal charges? In this episode, I explore this frustrating reality with Natalie Lewis, CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner, as we unpack why victims often choose the path of least resistance — and what this means for fraud prevention on a larger scale.

Natalie brings her forensic accounting expertise to our conversation, sharing what it's really like to work massive fraud cases with mountains of discovery and impossibly tight deadlines. We discuss how to stay sane when you're drowning in data, why prioritization and teamwork become your lifeline, and how data analytics can save the day — especially when company turnover threatens to derail an investigation.

If you've ever wondered why we don't see more fraud cases in court or how forensic accountants piece together complex financial crimes, this episode pulls back the curtain on the messy reality of fraud investigation and victim psychology.

Links:

• Connect with Natalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-lewis-cpa-cff-cfe-a1700514/
• A Primer on Integrating Open Source Intelligence in Fraud Investigations: https://www.jsheld.com/insights/articles/a-primer-on-integrating-open-source-intelligence-in-fraud-investigations-a-forensic-accountants-perspective
• Fidelity Investigations - A Comprehensive Guide: https://www.jsheld.com/insights/articles/fidelity-investigations-a-comprehensive-guide-to-successful-claims-outcomes

Who makes the better embezzler: men or women? According to this week's guest, it's impossible to know because the truly great embezzlers never get caught.

I'm excited to welcome my longtime friend and colleague Eli Rosenblatt to Fraudish. Eli takes us through his wonderfully "squiggly" career path in fraud investigation, reminding us that there's no single route to success in this field—and that's what makes it exciting. Whether you're just starting out or contemplating a career pivot, Eli's journey proves there are countless ways to make your mark in fraud detection.

 We dive deep into Fraud in Pop Culture cause we are both nerds about it. Eli shares his favorite fictional fraud fighters and we geek out over the shows that get it right and wrong.

If you've ever wondered about the crimes we never catch or felt stuck in your fraud career trajectory, this episode will open your eyes to possibilities you haven't considered.

Connect with Eli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elirosenblatt/

Eli's website: https://elirosenblatt.com/

Mentions: 

• The Bridge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_(2013_TV_series)
• Great Detectives Archive: https://www.greatdetectives.net/detectives/
• Leverage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leverage_(American_TV_series)
• Pat Novak, for Hire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Novak,_for_Hire
• Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: https://archive.org/details/OTRR_YoursTrulyJohnnyDollar_Singles
• The Big Sleep: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Sleep_(1946_film)
• Blade Runner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner
• Stumptown: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stumptown_(TV_series)
• Sugar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_(2024_TV_series)
• Against the Rules Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-rules-the-big-short-companion/id1455379351

This episode with Prof. Guido Palazzo blew my mind about how normal people turn into corporate criminals. Turns out it's less about bad apples and more about toxic orchards! We dish about all your favorite corporate disasters: Theranos, Wells Fargo, and France Telecom. Guido explains how fear and impossible targets are basically Fraud Fertilizer™.

My favorite part? Learning that having a career "Plan B" is your best defense against being pressured into sketchy accounting, and that reading novels builds more ethical muscles than those cheesy HR training videos. Next time your boss talks about "getting creative with the numbers," remember this conversation and maybe update that resume... just saying!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guidopalazzo-/

Website: https://guidopalazzo.com/

Get his book: https://guidopalazzo.com/book-project/

This week on Fraudish I spoke with Daniel Porter, mechanic turned investigator. We discussed his journey from the fixing cars to investigating cases, the value of untraditional backgrounds in the field, and much much more! 

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Show Notes:

Daniel's Linkedin

Tracy  finds you the money! She practices exclusively in the area of forensic accounting. Her work falls into three categories:

1. Fraud investigation - Cases of embezzlement, financial statement fraud, investment fraud, insurance fraud, white collar criminal defense.

2. Family law and divorce - Lifestyle analysis to quantify the need for support or find hidden income or assets.

3. Litigation - Expert witness in cases involving contract disputes between companies, corporate divorces, economic damages, and other financial analysis.

Show Notes:
Tracy's Linkedin
The Divorce Money Guide
Divorce Money Guide on Insta
Forensic Accounting 
First Wives Club
The Feminine Mistake Book 

This week on Fraudish I speak with Pamela Barnum, The Trust Agent, Former Undercover Police Officer & Federal Prosecutor,  Nonverbal Communication Expert 

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live as a different person with a different name, identity, and background for months. That's precisely what Pamela did for almost nine years as an undercover police officer in the Drug Enforcement Section.

While working full-time as an undercover police officer, Pamela completed law school and accepted a position as a federal prosecuting attorney. 

Pamela's keynotes, workshops, and consulting are for people who want to negotiate with ease, influence with trust, and communicate with confidence.

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Show Notes:
Pamela Barnum
Pamela's Linkedin
Pamela's TED Talk 
Pamela's Speaking

Avi Klein is a licensed private investigator who focuses on supporting litigators (civil and criminal), in-house counsel and investors. He specializes in asset searches, background investigations, locating and interviewing key witnesses, identifying anonymous online fraudsters, surveillance and challenging service of process. 

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Show Notes:
Avi's Linkedin
Avi's Twitter
Klein Group
Bored to Death Movie
Digital Recognition Network
Michael Wakshull's Linkedin
Mike Spencer's Linkedin

This week on Fraudish I talk with Dee Studler about insurance claims, fraud, and much more! What happens when a business gets embezzled?  Hopefully they have a fidelity policy. That is when Dee gets hired around the world to investigate. She has over 30 years of experience and her stories are amazing.

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Show Notes:
SDCCPA
Dee Studler Linkedin
Dee's Blog
Dee's CV

This week on Fraudish, James D. Ruotolo and I discuss his work helping organizations manage their fraud risk. James’ career has progressed from SIU to tech to consulting all while in the fraud fighting industry.

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Show Notes:

James D. Ruotolo Linkedin

James Twitter

Coalition Against Insurance Fraud Twitter

Coalition Against Insurance Fraud

Four Faces of Fraud PDF

Fraud Statistics

ID Theft Center

All things email with Katie Intrater and Phil Davis, AtData

How important is email in your life?  Do you use email for intelligence, fraud prevention, marketing?  This episode is all about emails.  You will learn just how important your email address is and how companies can and do use it for so much information.

Sign up for my new Breaking Fraud newsletter here!

Show Notes:
Katie Intrater Linkedin
Phil Davis Linkedin
AtData
AtData Twitter
AtData Youtube