Dealing in Diamonds: A Case Study of a Multimillion-Dollar Investment Fraud and Ponzi Scheme

/
Dealing in Diamonds: A Case Study of a Multimillion-Dollar Investment Fraud and Ponzi Scheme

It all began when Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent Sarah Halleran received a complaint through the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a public hub for reporting crime. The complaint was from a financial advisor against Adam Lowe, the owner of a Florida company called The Diamond Desk Corporation. Lowe claimed to be a supplier of natural, fancy-colored diamonds, but an FBI investigation team that included Halleran, forensic accountant Lavderim Hysa, CFE, CPA and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton revealed him to be the mastermind of a complex multi-million dollar investment and Ponzi scheme. 

Read More

Team Collaboration in the Takedown of an Unusual Healthcare Fraud

/
Team Collaboration in the Takedown of an Unusual Healthcare Fraud

Operation Nightingale was a complex healthcare fraud scheme that required investigators across the U.S. and multiple disciplines to come together to uncover the scheme and orchestrate its takedown. “No one group or person could have done this themselves,” Mary Wielenga-Cline, CFE, DBA, said of the investigative team’s collaboration during her afternoon breakout session at the 37th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference. She and Freddy Ortiz, CFE, recounted their roles in the investigation and the importance of collaboration in investigative work.

Read More

A Lesson on Mitigating Insider Risks

/
A Lesson on Mitigating Insider Risks

At the 2025 ACFE Fraud Conference Europe, Sharma presented a case study in his session, “Mitigating Insider Risk: Lessons from a Case Study,” that highlighted the complex and often unexpected ways in which insider threats can manifest. The session emphasized the importance of proactive risk management and provided actionable strategies and insights for organizations to implement.

Read More

Conmen and Development Grants: A Case Study

/
Conmen and Development Grants: A Case Study

At the 35th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference, Daniel Porter, CFE, a speaker and investigative fraud consultant at D. Porter Solutions, presented a captivating session titled “Two Conmen + One Development Grant = $3M Fraud”. His presentation detailed a complex case of grant fraud involving two cunning individuals and a mismanaged development grant that resulted in a $3 million loss.

Read More

Can a Ghost be Revived? The Case Study of a Missing Nonprofit 

/
Can a Ghost be Revived? The Case Study of a Missing Nonprofit 

At the 34th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference Michael Booher, CFE, CPA at the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury scared his audience with a fraud ghost story during his session “Ghost Story: A Case Study of a Nonprofit That Disappeared.” The subject company of the investigation, Phases, Inc., was a nonprofit dedicated to helping women with substance abuse issues in Tennessee. Phases, Inc. was a recipient of a grant from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (MHSAS), when MHSAS noticed a red flag and a tip was reported to the Comptroller of the Treasury.  

Read More

How a $12.5 Million Indictment Turned Out to be a $3 Million Loss

/
How a $12.5 Million Indictment Turned Out to be a $3 Million Loss

A $12.5 million indictment turned out to be a $3 million loss. How did this happen? During her session at the 34th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference, CEO and Founder of Acuity Forensics Tiffany Couch, CFE, CPA/CFF, walked attendees through a case study in which her determination to find accurate information revealed a 78.07% overstatement that, once uncovered, decreased the number of counts charged and incarceration time for her client.

Read More