We continue our series of podcasts with a focus on what happens when you are cooperating with the Government. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

What happens when a white collar crime prosecution begins and how does it end? In this multi-part episode, we will discuss the beginning and end of a white collar prosecution from the investigative phase through the end of trial. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

The Friendship Bracelet scam is a scam that is perpetuated on foreigners and travelers. It involves a scammer's knowledge of human psychology, especially the principle that most people will want to pay for a gift, even if payment is not initially required. A scammer also relies on the fact that most people just want to be left alone, even if it means paying money. It's an old scam but one that travelers encounter every day. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Wine is a multi million dollar, if not multi billion dollar, industry spread across the world. Wine has a history stretching back tens of thousands of years as humans learned to domesticate grapes and then learned that the simple product of fermentation would yield..............what today we call "wine." It is no surprise then that just as wine has a long history, wine fraud also occurs. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

This is part 1 of a 2 part episode. Fraud and White Collar Crime are topics that are naturally made for the movies and TV. A con man always uses his knowledge of human emotions and weaknesses to do his job. In the hands of good actors, directors and screenwriters, fraud and white collar crime can make for an enjoyable movie experience. I am proud to host Alan Cerny, noted movie critic, as my guest on these two podcasts as we explore fraud and white collar crime at the movies. NOTE - this episode does contain some profanity. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Back during the first year of my podcast, I discussed how I was almost the victim of a scam. Well - it almost happened again. The fake check scam is still out there and still a very real threat. And for attorneys, this threat can interfere with the trust accounts we are required to maintain as attorneys and can present a very real threat to our law licenses. Some things are just too good to be and a potential client who wants to write a big check, sight unseen, is one of those things. Caue advocatus! Attorney beware! Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - Modern Chillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Mention the name "Yakuza" and Manga addicts will jump for joy. The term "Yakuza" mentioned to U.S. Law Enforcement authorities will probably evoke a different reaction. Mention the term "Yakuza" to the average Japanese and you may get an answer anywhere from praising the Yakuza as a collection of Robin Hoods who look out for the forgotten members of society or another answer which refers to them as criminal scum. The Yakuza has its roots in 400 year old protection societies for peddlers and gamblers. Japan, however, closed itself off from the outside world for 300 years so these organizations were able to grow into a more dynamic and certainly large criminal organization which today we know as the Yakuza. Let's explore this fascinating part of criminal history. Music: Japanese National Anthem (Instrumental) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Artificial Intelligence is in the news and will continue to be in the news. And for the world of fraud and white collar crime, AI will always be in the news. AI already has the ability to analyze billions of pieces of data in a very short time which can be very useful to those trying to identify fraud. But AI also will soon have the ability to mimic human voices and personalities down to the last detail - which can be used by fraudsters and white collar criminals to get monies from supposedly secure accounts. How will AI be used in the fight against fraud? We explore AI in this podcast. Music clips and sounds from "2001 - A Space Odyssey." --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

"The War of the Worlds" is one of the first science-fiction novels. Written by H.G. Wells in 1898, the novel has become immortal with its tale of invading Martians who have technology far in advance of humans who are unstoppable in their invasion of Earth. Until they are not. The novel was adapted into a radio play by Orson Wells in 1938. The radio play was staged as a news broadcast and caused a mass panic. Even stranger, a similar version of this play was broadcast on Radio Quito in 1949 and not only caused panic, but the armed forces were called out to fight the Martians and several people lost their lives in riots. The creator of the 1949 broadcast had to self-exile to Venezuela. What does this have to do with fraud? I call this the "War of the Worlds Effect." Listen in and find out. Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] Interim Music - Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds: https://www.zophar.net/music/playstation-psf/jeff-waynes-the-war-of-the-worlds --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

"All warfare is deception." So says Sun Zi in his immortal classic "The Art of War." As we have discussed many times on this podcast, fraud is the use of deception and false information to entice a target into performing an action. Usually this action involves getting the target to turn over money or property. But is there a situation in which the techniques of fraud can be used for a good or useful purpose? Sun Zi would definitely say yes as we explore the use of deception in the D-Day landings in 1944. Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] Speech by Winston Churchill --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

"The name is Bond.  James Bond." The name is instantly recognizable.  Who wouldn't want to live the life of James Bond?  License to kill, traveling to exotic locations, seemingly unlimited expense account...........the life of a spy is dangerous and exciting (at least if you are James Bond).  But there is a subset of the sweetheart scam that uses the wish for an exciting life that takes advantage of people who are going through a very difficult time in their life.   Sweetheart scams are nothing new.  Using the internet or social media to get a person romantically attracted to the scammer has been around since the birth of the internet.  But the James Bond scam attaches the idea of excitement and adventure to add an additional "hook" to entice a victim.   Music: The James Bond Theme (various artists) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

The country of Georgia (not the U.S. State) became independent in 1991 when the USSR fell apart.  Georgians are a people with a long and distinguished history, a unique language (and alphabet!) and some of the most delightful cuisine in the world.  But from 1991 until 2003, Georgia was also one of the most corrupt countries in the world and considered a dangerous place in which to do business.  Then, in 2003, Mikhail Saakashvili became Georgia's President and embarked on a quest to destroy corruption in Georgia.  Twenty years later, Georgia is a country which is considered a good place in which to do business and enjoys decent rankings from Transparency International.  We examine how Georgia literally turned itself around.   Intro music: penguinmusic-modern-chillout-12641 Ending music: Georgian National Anthem --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Last episode we examined Iceland - a country known for its transparent banking system and excellent legal system.  But even in Iceland, major financial scandals can happen.  This episode we examine Nigeria.  Nigeria ranks very poorly in Transparency Index's corruption indices and is often viewed as one of the most corrupt countries in the world.  But Nigeria is also a country with incredible economic potential and is making inroads in the fight against corruption.  Nigeria is a country to watch. Opening Music: penguinmusic-modern-chillout-12641 Closing Music - National Anthem of Nigeria --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

In the United States we call it soccer but for the rest of the world it is "football" - the world's most popular sport.  In 2022 the most important event in soccer - the World Cup - was held in Doha, Qatar. Argentina emerged the winner after a long, hard game.  But even the world's most popular sport is not immune to charges of corruption and fraud.  FIFA is soccer's worldwide, governing body and we examine the 2015 investigations into FIFA and question how can the "beautiful game" stay the world's most popular sport if there are questions regarding its its governing body.   The Tausk Law Firm wishes everyone a successful and prosperous New Year.   Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Cryptocurrency is in the news.  Sam Bankman-Fried was the darling of the cryptocurrency crowd and was a billionaire by the age of 30 for developing the FTX trading platform for cryptocurrency trades.  Like much with cryptocurrency, there seemed to be no limit as to how high the FTX platform could fly and become a winning investment.  Now it is in bankruptcy protection and questions are being asked if FTX was nothing more than a Ponzi scheme.  Comparisons to the Enron scandal have already started. What is cryptocurrency and what happened to FTX? We explore this topic in this episode.   Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Elizabeth Holmes is a direct descendent of Charles Louis Fleischmann, a Hungarian immigrant who founded the Fleischmann's Yeast Company.  She attended Stanford University, studied chemical engineering and had a background in working in biotechnology.  In 2003, Holmes started Theranos corporation ("Theranos" is a combination of the words "therapy" and "diagnosis.")  which claimed it was developing a way to conduct blood tests from a few drops of blood from a pinprick rather than having to use the large quantities of blood that are normally required for such tests.  Such an innovation would represent a tremendous leap forward in the ability to conduct testing as well as make the lives of patients' far easier.  It would be a breakthrough. Unfortunately, the technology did not exist. Theranos was valued at $9 billion in 2015.  A year later, it was valued at 0. Elizabeth Holmes was charged with multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in 2018.  She was found guilty on several counts in January, 2022 and sentenced to more than 11 years in Federal prison. Basic rule of investing: caveat emptor.   Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

In 2020, Keith Raniere, the founder and leader of NXIVM, was sentenced to 120 years for multiple crimes including sex trafficking and racketeering.  His organization, NXIVM, began as a "self-help" and "self-development" organization that supposedly provided programs for self-improvement for people.  However, by 2018, many people including India Oxenberg, daughter of actors Catherine Oxenberg and Casper Van Diehn accused NEXIVM and Raniere of being an organization that engaged in fear and terror tactics to control individuals.  Raniere was also accused of, and eventually convicted of, white-collar crimes such as racketeering.  Even by cult standards, NXIVM stands out as a warning regarding cults of personality.  In this episode, right on time for Halloween, we discuss NXIVM and white-collar crime.   Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

The Fraud Triangle is a very powerful tool used by fraud investigators and anti-fraud professionals in helping to determine how fraud occurs and looking for possible behaviors where fraud is involved.  In this episode, we examine the Fraud Triangle.   Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Excitement is a core human emotion.  We like the feeling of excitement.  Excitement invokes a visceral influence which can make life enjoyable, at least certain parts of it.  But white collar criminals and fraudsters are also aware of how powerful an emotion is excitement and, more importantly to them, how it can break down our ability to think rationally and critically analyze details.  For a fraudster, this means that a person who might not normally invest money in a project may just do so if he or she is excited about it.  Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Look at a map of the world.  Now look at the country of Iceland and the island of Greenland (the largest island in the world).  Iceland has some glaciers but, by and large, it is warmed by geothermal energy and is a nice place to live and has been a nice place to live for over a thousand years.  But we call it "ICE-land."  Greenland, however, is covered by a massive glacier and European settlement of the island was sparse at best because it is unsuitable for farming or large-scale settlement.  But we call it "GREEN-land." Believe it or not, these names were part of the first land frauds in history.  We examine other land fraud schemes from history as well in this podcast. Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

PTL - People that Love!  PTL - Praise the Lord!   Or -PTL - Pass the Loot.  If you were alive in 1980s' in the US, you would hear the words of Jim and Tammy Bakker on the PTL network.  According to Jim Bakker - PTL stood for People that Love or Praise the Lord.  But as investigations into the financial improprieties of the PTL network learned, much of the monies that were intended for use for religious matters were diverted to the pocketbooks of Jim and Tammy Bakker - the leaders of PTL.  Finally, in 1987, it was disclosed that Jim Bakker paid $279,000.00 to a church secretary as hush money for sexual improprieties.  The televangelist world of high-profile churches would never be the same.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Ra-Ra Rasputin, Lover of the Russian Queen!  There was a cat that really was gone!  Ra-Ra Rasputin, Russia's greatest love machine!  It was a shame how he carried on!  (song by Boney M - Ra-Ra Rasputin!)      Gregorij Efimovich, known to history as Rasputin, indirectly caused the fall of a 300 year old Imperial dynasty and the rise of the USSR.  How did a peasant born in a nowhere village in the Russian Empire, the largest country on Earth at the time, rise to become a confidant of the Imperial Family?  Rasputin is one of the strangest characters in all of history.  In this first part of a two-part episode, we examine Rasputin through the lens of a person working a con.  Rasputin is often called the "mad monk."  But Rasputin was never an ordained monk.  He could, however, be called one of history's greatest con artists.   Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

In 1965, Frank Herbert, already a well-known science-fiction writer, published Dune.  Dune quickly became a best-seller in the realm of science-fiction and is now considered a classic of the genre.  Herbert followed up Dune with five other novels set in his Dune universe.  A 1984 film directed by David Lynch received mixed reviews but the 2021 version by director Dennis Villanueve is an Oscar winner with universally strong reviews.   Even in the science-fiction world of Dune, however, human nature has not changed.  One of the underlying motivations of the main character, Vladimir Harkonnen, is to commit fraud against the ruling Emperor and in doing so, become very wealthy.  In the Dune universe, where the most important and valuable substance in the galaxy is found only one one planet, and a planet with an insanely harsh climate and hostile indigenous lifeforms at that, fraud can still be found. Let's take a break from the 21st century on planet Earth and visit a far future where computers are outlawed but human potential powers the galaxy.  The spice must flow! Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Unfortunately, Enron is not the only major financial scandal to be part of the history of Houston.  Robert Allen Standford, once knighted and known as "Sir" Allen Stanford, perpetuated one of the largest Ponzi schemes and financial fraud in the history of the United States - second only to Bernie Madoff.  Stanford was convicted for his crimes and is now serving a 110 year sentence.  We examine Allen Stanford's unique Ponzi scheme using an offshore bank that he himself owned.   Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

In late February, the Russian Armed Forces invaded the Ukraine, an independent nation since 1992.  It was expected that the Russian armed forces would easily defeat the Ukrainians and the entire operation would be over in a matter of days.  As of this podcast, two weeks into the invasion, the Russians are facing severe resistance and are far from their goals of conquering the Ukraine.  It is now clear that one of the reasons for the abject failure of the Russian Armed Forces is corruption in Russia itself in which individuals have stolen monies intended for the Armed Forces and instead used these monies for personal gain.  Corruption can affect and even destroy entire nations.  What is occurring now with Russia is a stark example. I apologize for the break in the podcast where I am interrupted.  Once again, I am still learning this new equipment. Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Hawala is a form of money transfer that dates back to at least the 8th century CE.  It is a method for long-distance money transfer which was developed during the days of the Silk Road so merchants could avoid having their money stolen by bandits and robbers.  Hawala is an extremely efficient system which exists to this day.  But in the age of terrorism and narco-trafficking, it can be illegal.  We discuss Hawala in this podcast.   Opening and Closing Music: Penguin music - ModernChillout - Background Music [NCS Release] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

This is my final podcast for 2021.  I want to thank everyone who has listened to this podcast.  When I first started, I had no idea if anyone was interested or would be listening.  Your support has been overwhelming and I am grateful to all my listeners. We wind up 2021 with a review of some of the items that were new and interesting in the world of fraud.  Also, a retrospective on ENRON - it was 20 years ago this month that ENRON declared bankruptcy and changed our world. 2022 will bring some new updates and surprises so I hope everyone stays tuned.  Have a great New Year.   Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Avon.  Herbalife.  Mary Kay.  Tupperware.  We have all heard these names but many of us have not given it much thought.  These companies, however, are examples of Multi-Level-Marketing.  Multi-Level-Marketing (MLM) has been around for decades.  MLM has been advertised as a way for a person to start his own business and succeed.  But MLM is surrounded by controversy.  Is it really way to make good money or is it a waste of time?  We take a cursory look at MLM in this podcast.   Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Embezzlement is the misappropriation of funds.  Embezzlement can take many forms but one of the more common types is when funds are taken by an employee who works for a company.  There are several warning signs of embezzlement.  In this episode, we will examine some of the more common signs.   Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Fraud takes many forms.   Considering this is the Halloween season, this podcast focuses on fraud involving rather unusual forms of fraud involving.............mummification and people who claim they have "psychic" powers, among others.  As I said, fraud takes many forms.  Also - a correction to a statement I made in the podcast - abuse of a corpse, which can include mummification - is a crime in many areas.   Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

In 2017 and 2018, anywhere you looked the picture of Michael Avenatti seemed to be there.  Michael Avenatti graduated the top of his class from George Washington School of Law and went on to have a meteoric rise as a legal eagle.  He earned millions from his legal abilities and was known as a powerhouse in the courtroom.  In 2016 Donald Trump was elected President and Avenatti began representing Stormy Daniels, a porn star, claiming that the non-disclosure agreement Daniels signed with Trump for alleged sexual activity should be nullified.  He was even considered as a Presidential candidate for the Democrat party to take on Trump.  Then, in 2019, it all came crashing down. Avenatti was charged with and convicted of attempted extortion against Nike and was given 30 months in prison.  Other criminal actions and lawsuits are pending.  When does "effectively representing your client" become "extortion?" Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

We conclude our overview of Immigration Fraud with this week's podcase.  We discuss document fraud, passport fraud, fraud involving the Visa Lottery, and penalties and punishments for Immigration related crimes.  We will explore more of Immigration fraud in future episodes. Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

NOTE!!!!  By mistake the previous episode on the Albanian Pyramid Scheme was uploaded into this episode.  This was corrected.  THIS episode focuses on an overview of Immigration Fraud.  We cover the basics of the American Immigration system and discuss Immigration marriage fraud.   Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

In the 1991, the nation of Albania was liberated from 50 years of hard-line Communism led by Enver Hoxha.  Even by Soviet and Eastern European standards, the system of Communism imposed on Albania in 1944 was cruel and rigid.  From 1944 until 1991, Albania was, in many ways, completely closed off from the rest of the world.  When Communism fell, the country opened up to market reforms.  Unfortunately, this also led to a proliferation of criminal gangs who took advantage of the confusion to set up "investment funds" that were nothing more than Pyramid or Ponzi schemes.  Thousands of people lost money in these schemes which led to the collapse of the government and a brief civil war.  We explore in this episode how pyramid schemes led to the collapse of an entire government.   Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

We conclude our history of Enron with this podcast.  Although there is a great deal more to tell regarding the Enron story, a basic history and overview (which concludes in this second of two podcasts) is a good foundation.   Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

As I mentioned in several previous podcasts, Enron is a type of "centerpiece" when discussing white-collar crime and fraud for me because I live in Houston and have personal connections to the Enron story.  In this first of two episodes, we will be reviewing the history of Enron - from its beginnings as a provider of natural gas to its ultimate downfall as one of the largest examples of White Collar Crime in U.S. History.   In later episodes, we will be examining the Enron scandal in more detail, but the history of the company is a logical place to start.  Enjoy! Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Prevention is, of course, the best way to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft.  We review some of the most common steps to take so you are not a victim and also offer a few other insights.  We live in a digital age and just like we protect our homes from home invasion, we must also take steps to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.  Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

In this episode, we discuss the steps that should be taken if you are the victim of a fraud or white collar crime.  These steps will not only help to minimize any losses that you may suffer, but also to develop good financial protection habits that are useful in today's world.   Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

Fake check scams are nothing new.  But they are more prevalent than ever and with the imaging technology that is available to anyone, a fraudulent check can easily appear to be the "real thing."  In the space of four weeks, I was approached twice by prospective "clients" that wished to retain the services of my Firm.  In reality, however, these were fraudsters that were attempting to perpetuate the fake check scam on me.  Had I fallen for it, I would have been out hundreds of thousands of dollars.  This episode is especially important for attorneys.   Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

We wrap up our examination of Dr. Maria Konnikova's excellent book "The Confidence Game" by exploring what happens as the con continues and the mark is confronted with evidence that he or she is being scammed.  We conclude with examining why it is so hard to stop being the victim of a con. Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

The story is the heart of every con.  For a confidence scheme to work, the con artist has to make his mark believe the story that he is telling.  Stories are the heart of what makes us human.  We explore how a story works for the con artist.  Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

We take a break from analyzing Dr. Konnikova's excellent book to review some of the more popular - and infamous - types of white collar crimes that exist.  Money laundering, pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes - such types of crimes have existed for centuries but with the internet and instant global communication are more of a threat than ever.  This episode reviews these crimes.   Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message

How does a con man choose his target?  Is there something special or extraordinary in how a con man works his way into a person's life?  We examine two of the most basic techniques used by con artists to find a target's weakness and how they can exploit it.  Introduction and exit music: Dark Hallway (clean) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gene-tausk/message