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Cares Act Fraud

Enacted on March 29, 2020, the CARES Act provided up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). On April 21, 2020, Congress authorized an additional $310 billion through the same program. Unfortunately, where there is money (in this case government assistance), there is the opportunity for bad […]

The Fyre Festival Fraud: Turning Posh Cabanas and Delectable Sushi Menus into Disaster Tents and Cheese Sanwiches

The Fyre Festival fiasco was co-founded by Billy McFarland (a charismatic entrepreneur) and Ja Rule (a once chart-topping rapper).  The unlikely duo saturated the social media market with over-the-top glamorous videos and photoshoots promising to put on a once in a lifetime music festival (courtesy of an island once owned by Pablo Escobar).  The end […]

Hamburgled! Go Directly to Jail. Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200.

Cash skimming…check kiting…embezzlement! These are terms most often associated with allegations of fraud. But white collar criminals are only limited by their creativity, and innovative fraud schemes are cooked up every day. Indeed, from the late eighties through the early aughts, a trusted individual in a fiduciary position (a recurring theme) perpetrated a multi-million dollar […]

How Business Titans, Pop Stars and Royals Hide Their Wealth

Imagine if your biggest struggle in the morning was deciding which mansion to call home tomorrow or which celebrity couple to let borrow your yacht. These are the daily conflicts faced by the ultra-well-heeled individuals who constitute one percent of the world’s population but own more than half of global wealth. Their substantial but often […]

Judge pleads guilty in massive Social Security fraud case

Bribery, dishonesty, greed…what caused a judge to become involved in one of the biggest Social Security frauds in history? Disability fraud appears to be a growing trend. Indeed, Social Security officials testified that they are unable to reach a ballpark estimate for how much fraud actually exists in the disability program. Regrettably, even judges fall […]

The Pitfalls of “Managing” Discovery

When attorneys try to control the flow of discovery to the retained financial expert, they may create more problems than solutions. By Joseph L. Leauanae and Jennifer A. Allen, Financial Consultants When we work with an attorney, we need to reach a consensus on the type and quantity of information that we need for our […]

How (NOT) to Hide $400 Million

“Suspicious-minded folk (sound familiar?) may find it highly coincidental that a couple’s net worth often seems to diminish (or disappear) in proximity to a filing for divorce. In our experience, such alleged diminishment can be facilitated through the use of shell companies, offshore accounts, and other legal but often nefariously-used financial vehicles. For an extreme, […]

The Trusted Grown-Ups Who Steal Millions From Youth Sports

It is Anthem’s experience that fraud doesn’t limit itself to any one type of industry, organization, or individual. Unfortunately, there are individuals who will embezzle from anyone, even if that “anyone” is children. Investigators and prosecutors in several states say embezzlement investigations involving youth sports have become common, almost always committed by unpaid board members […]