In the early 1900s, a woman named Mary Malone, an immigrant from Ireland, began work in New York City as a cook for a large family. While working in the home, 11 people got sick with typhoid fever. A sanitary engineer — we would call them an investigator or tracer today — traced this outbreak to Mary. He discovered that Mary had worked with eight other families, seven of which who also experienced outbreaks of typhoid fever. And thus, she was given the moniker Typhoid Mary.

“What was interesting about Mary was that she didn’t show any symptoms,” said Jacqueline Bloink, CFE, a consultant and speaker at the virtual 31st Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference.

Alex is a college student who makes great grades, is active in his college fraternity and has excellent health-care coverage. One day, Alex gives his insurance card to a friend in his fraternity house because his friend broke his arm in an intramural basketball game, but doesn’t have health insurance.