You Gotta' Know When to Hold 'Em...Behind Bars

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You Gotta' Know When to Hold 'Em...Behind Bars

When you think about Las Vegas, you probably think about the glitz and glamour of dazzling slot machines, beautiful people, spectacular shows, high-stakes casinos and a skyline that most would recognize immediately. What you might not think about is what happens behind the house. According to Sharon Tibbits, CFE, Executive Director, Fraud Control Group at MGM Resorts International, fraud is a concern in many areas of the casino industry. “Our fraud department is responsible for 13 different properties and about 62,000 employees,” Tibbits said at the 27th ACFE Global Fraud Conference last month in Las Vegas. “And we actually experience a lot of different types of fraud in a lot of different areas.”

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How the Media Can Help Preach Fraud Awareness

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How the Media Can Help Preach Fraud Awareness

No company wants to freely admit that wrongdoing happened under their purview; however in order for people to understand the scope of fraud, some stories are best shared with the public. The onus to tell the story lands not on anti-fraud professionals, but another important piece in fraud awareness: the media. This is exactly what happened with the insider trading that occurred in the Galleon Group starting in the 1990s before finally ending in 2011. 

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All the Advantages of Life Didn’t Stop Roomy Khan From Crossing the Line

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All the Advantages of Life Didn’t Stop Roomy Khan From Crossing the Line

“As a girl who grew up in India and came to the U.S. — I went to some of the top schools, worked for some of the best corporations, caught all the breaks that I wanted. … But I am responsible [for my fraud] and no one else,” Roomy Khan said. “The culpability is completely mine. I should have known better. Looking forward, I hope I can now be part of the solution.”

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Menendez Victoriously Pressed on to Third Act of Halliburton Fraud Production

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Menendez Victoriously Pressed on to Third Act of Halliburton Fraud Production

Deux ex machina — “God from the machine” — is a plot device that ancient Greek play authors used to save their characters from tight spots and hopefully give them happy endings. Anthony Menendez, CFE, told the Wednesday closing session attendees that was how Halliburton solved a fraudulent accounting problem he’d reported — just drop a benign explanation from the sky, end the production and close the curtain. Finis.

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Barboza’s Early Audacity Prepared Him For His China Corruption Articles

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Barboza’s Early Audacity Prepared Him For His China Corruption Articles

In the 1990s, David Barboza — then a sophomore at Boston University — wanted to emulate authors such as Robert Caro, J. Anthony Lucas and Neil Sheehan because he too desired to become a journalist and historian. “So I had this crazy idea … that I would call some of the great figures in history,” Barboza told attendees at the Tuesday working lunch, to interview them for his student papers.

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A Rough Reality: Fraud Victims and the Road to Renewal

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A Rough Reality: Fraud Victims and the Road to Renewal

Shock, anger, depression and bargaining are all victim’s reactions to fraud. When someone falls victim to fraud, there are issues that hinder healing — lack of sleep, overworking to earn money back, compulsive behavior and avoiding emotions. “Much is made of the fraudster,” said Andy Wilson, CFE, CCEP, VP Fraud & Compliance, Sedgwick, Inc. “But [the victims] are the real faces of fraud.”

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