Fraudish

Kelly Paxton
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Careers
  • Fortnightly

Fraudish is a podcast to help those working in fraud. Hosted by Kelly Paxton, Certified Fraud Examiner, Ex-Private Investigator, and Pink Collar Crime Expert. Kelly is a former special agent turned investigator specializing in embezzlement and workplace dishonesty cases. Fraudish interviews outstanding fraud professionals so you can continue to move forward in your career. Origin stories, tips, resources are just some of the amazing fraud content you will hear each Tuesday. 

  1. 1 hr ago

    Robin Dreeke on Curiosity, Connection, and Honeypots: Lessons from FBI Counterintelligence

    Kelly interviews former FBI counterintelligence agent Robin Dreeke about how curiosity, nonjudgment, and precise word choice build connection and elicit truth, while labels like “liar” trigger defensiveness, shame, and “shields up.”  Dreeke explains reframing accusations (stealing, deception) as safety and agenda issues, using “what” questions over “why,” and treating gut instincts as noticing deviations (“wobbles”) without jumping to biased stories. They discuss shame as a powerful tool in grooming and scams (including the “pig butchering” term), and how long-game honeypot operations work at high corporate levels, referencing an alleged Nvidia/Jensen Huang scenario. Dreeke outlines his career recruiting Russian intelligence officers, leading FBI behavioral analysis, and collaborating with allies, plus his post-retirement writing/speaking path influenced by Joe Navarro. Connect with Robin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdreeke/ https://www.robindreeke.com/ https://www.robindreeke.com/the-books https://www.instagram.com/rdreeke/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCms3TC7728CLcm4XVxtVOfg?view_as=subscriber https://open.spotify.com/episode/64AE1UtyHtq1lliHZRNNNQ 00:00 Timely Nvidia Honeypot 00:53 Curiosity Over Judgment 04:25 Predictable Motivations 06:40 Who Steals More 09:25 Power of Questions 10:29 Words That Trigger Defensiveness 16:51 Shame in Scams 19:51 Robin Drake Background 21:37 Real Counterintelligence Work 24:51 Shows Books and Calm Brain 27:25 History Repeats Itself 28:12 Musk vs Einstein 29:58 Neuralink Problem Solving 30:52 Da Vinci and Innovation 31:41 Honeypots and Gender 34:06 Long Game Recruitment 37:17 Gut Instinct Wobbles 40:58 Interview vs Interrogation 43:04 What Makes a Spy 47:27 FBI Source Mistake 49:09 Retirement Goes Organic 51:46 Flow and Sharing Knowledge 53:18 Final Thoughts Great Conversations

  2. 27 Oct

    Laura Hollaway Finding Fraud Angels: Empowering Women in the Fraud Fighting World

    Connect with Laura: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fintechsalesleader/ Valid Systems: https://www.linkedin.com/company/valid-systems/home/ Women in Fraud: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/34470006/ Trail of the Lost: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/64000414-trail-of-the-lost Hailey Windham: https://www.revfcu.com/knockout-fraud/ Kelly interviews Laura Hollaway, senior director of strategic growth at Valid Systems, about her LinkedIn-based Women in Fraud community and how it grew organically.  After 20+ years in enterprise sales and an 862-mile Appalachian Trail hike in 2024, Laura joined Valid Systems and sought mentors to quickly learn banking fraud; she started a free newsletter to recognize women practitioners, noting many fraud, risk, and compliance roles VP and below are 70–75% women while leadership skews male. Valid supported the initiative with a first-year budget for a “no sales zone,” helping it grow to 2,200 newsletter subscribers, 650 community members, monthly coffee talks, and live workshops.  We discuss information sharing across institutions, remote work’s isolation, shared community resources (victim-conversation tools, a vendor list, and a member directory), male allies, and recommendations like Fraud Forward and Daniel Pink’s To Sell Is Human. 00:36 Dinner With Al Capone 01:15 Mafia Stories and Books 02:44 Who Steals More 04:27 Laura Origin Story 07:05 Appalachian Trail Tales 09:13 Valid Systems Backs Women 11:38 Sharing Is Caring in Fraud 13:20 Women Leaders and AI Shift 15:53 Coffee Talks and Resources 18:07 Remote Work and LinkedIn 20:51 Professionally Persistent 22:03 Fraud Media Recommendations 28:30 Books Sales and Scammers 31:18 How to Join and Support

  3. 20 Oct

    Kelley Brubaker CPA Lawyers missing money

    Fraud in Law Firms: Trust Accounts, Controls, and ‘Surprise and Delight’ Auditing (with Kelley Brubaker, CPA) Connect with Kelley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelleybrubaker/ https://www.profitscalethrive.com/link-in-bio https://www.profitscalethrive.com/about https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQx-5aFarKk&list=PLg49S9w-ON1IsOz0v3sk8nMwD_1PuLXyV&index=23 Host Kelly interviews Kelley Brubaker, CPA, who runs a 21-year accounting firm and has spent the last decade focused on law firms, about embezzlement patterns and practical prevention. Brubaker recounts her Big Four audit discovery of an ATM-deposit fraud and explains how theft often starts as “borrowing” that snowballs, especially when trust accounting is messy or poorly understood. They discuss gender patterns (men stealing higher dollar amounts, women more often), warning signs like sudden lifestyle changes, and why most law firms avoid reporting to law enforcement due to shame and reputation concerns, relying instead on DOJ press releases and bar discipline records for cases. Brubaker emphasizes controls and “surprise and delight” spot checks, limits on access (cards, signing, wires), the reality that banks don’t proactively verify signatures, and tools like Ramp to separate initiation and approval. 00:00 Meet Two Kellys 00:20 Fraudster Dinner Question 01:11 Who Steals More 03:26 Cookies And Red Flags 05:08 Kelley's CPA Origin Story 07:37 Law Firm Embezzlement Patterns 10:30 Trust Accounts And Controls 15:12 Surprise And Delight Audits 17:33 Why Firms Avoid Police 23:52 Signature Rules Dont Work 28:59 Death Valley Firm Size 31:15 Conference Q&A Confessions 32:52 Money Mindset for Lawyers 35:08 Nonprofit Fraud Hiring Story 37:14 Fraud in Pop Culture Picks 37:59 Career Path and Legal Research 42:09 Clients Who Went to Jail 43:57 Fraud Controls for Growing Firms 48:34 Partnerships and Money Fights 52:19 Tone at the Top and Tax Write Offs

  4. 13 Oct

    Robert Nordlander-Fraud Podcasters unite!

    Robert Nordlander on Fraudsters, IRS CI, and Building a Career in Forensic Accounting Kelly interviews forensic accountant and former IRS Criminal Investigation agent Robert Nordlander about fraud, career paths, and professional development. Nordlander names Kevin Mitnick, Marc Rich, and Charles Ponzi as fraudsters he’d most like to have dinner with, and argues most fraudsters are more charismatic than smart.  Asked who steals more, he says women more often in embezzlement due to greater representation in office and bookkeeping roles, while men more often commit violent theft. He recounts becoming a CPA, serving as a city councilman and reserve deputy in North Carolina, then spending nearly 21 years in IRS CI before starting a forensic accounting practice during COVID. He discusses why IRS CI excels at following money, enjoys criminal tax defense and bankruptcy cases, explains challenges of innocent spouse claims, and advises aspiring fraud investigators to get training, seek mentorship, use LinkedIn strategically, and create content such as a podcast. Connect with Robert:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-nordlander/ https://www.nordlandercpa.com/ https://www.forensicscpe.com/courses/index.html https://my-cpe.com/continuing-education/robert-nordlander https://my-cpe.com/continuing-education/robert-nordlander 01:03 Dinner With Fraudsters 04:24 Who Steals More 08:54 From CPA to IRS CI 14:26 Why IRS Follows Money 17:26 Too Jaded for Fraud TV 21:33 Tax Shelter Trouble 22:51 Defending Criminal Tax Cases 27:47 Criminal Tax Secrets 28:11 Choosing the Right Cases 29:17 Why Bankruptcy Works 30:59 Bankruptcy as Marketing 32:02 Bankruptcy Filing Gotchas 33:03 Innocent Spouse Explained 36:23 Asset Seizure Realities 39:40 Training for Fraud Work 42:27 Courses and Mentorship 47:34 Build a Podcast Career 50:39 Handling Criticism Online

  5. 6 Oct

    Melina Palmer 6 year anniversary of Fraudish!!!

    Six-Year Anniversary Episode: Behavioral Science, Status Quo Bias, and How Culture Fuels (or Prevents) Fraud Kelly marks the six-year anniversary of Great Women in Fraud/Fraudish with guest Melina Palmer, host of The Brainy Business podcast and an applied behavioral economics instructor who co-created Texas A&M’s certificate program.  In a speed round, Palmer names Bernie Madoff (and possibly Ponzi) as interesting fraud interviews and discusses how “who steals more” depends on whether you mean dollars or frequency. They connect behavioral science to fraud through communication, AI’s mixed value in drafting and research, and problems with low-quality AI content and “pitch slapping” on LinkedIn. Palmer explains bike shedding (productive procrastination) and shares examples of status quo bias and change failure, including Tropicana’s 2009 packaging redesign leading to a 20% sales drop and $50M loss, plus New Coke and current Coca-Cola labeling issues. They discuss tribalism, social proof, whistleblowing, expense-report loopholes, per diems, calibration, inequity aversion (capuchin monkeys rejecting cucumbers when others get grapes), and how tone at the top and perceived unfairness can drive employee rationalization and fraud; Palmer recommends Eric Ries’ Incorruptible. Connect with Melina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinapalmer/ https://thebrainybusiness.com/ https://thebrainybusiness.com/learn-with-us/ Fairness study with monkeys!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg  https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Incorruptible/Eric-Ries/9798893311860 00:00 Anniversary Kickoff 01:06 Speed Round Fraudsters 03:21 Behavioral Science Background 05:28 Teaching And Podcasting 06:23 Speaking Under Pressure 09:32 AI Hype And Reality 14:35 Bike Shedding Explained 17:20 Status Quo Bias Brands 22:37 Tribalism And Expense Loopholes 28:42 Fairness And Inequity Aversion 32:34 Books For Fraudish Fans 34:59 Culture Trust And Tone

  6. 22 Sept

    Jon David Huffman- Law, Fraud, and Justice

    Kelly interviews Georgia attorney Jon David Huffman about fraud cases and victim experience. Huffman says embezzlement in positions of trust is more often committed by women in his experience, discusses the difficulty of finding good lawyers, and notes investigators could be stronger referral sources though rules limit referral fees.  Jon explains his career path was influenced by a mentor and a decade-long family dispute rooted in a fraudulent M&A deal, leading him to a practice where he found about 80% of cases involve fraud. He describes using Georgia’s private warrant process when police decline clear-cut fraud, contrasts rural vs. metro prosecution challenges, and shares trial moments where cross-examination exposes cons. He’s writing “The Real Cost of Fraud” to counter victim self-blame, recounts being conned twice, and recommends resources like American Greed and fraud-related books. Connect with Jon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondavidhuffman/ 00:25 Fraudster Dinner Picks 01:26 Who Embezzles More 02:44 Origin Story of Fraud Lawyer 04:52 Bad Lawyers and Referrals 07:10 Private Warrants When Cops Won’t 10:11 Selling Fraud Cases to Prosecutors 12:41 Victim Emotions and Grief 15:33 Why Trials Are Thrilling 18:08 Why Fraud Cases Don’t Settle 21:23 Brazenness and Range Rovers 24:55 Writing The Real Cost of Fraud 26:52 Books and Red Flags 30:00 Even Lawyers Get Conned 31:31 Law Firm Embezzlement Story 33:54 Fraud Docs and Reading List 36:34 Final Advice and Wrap Up

  7. 15 Sept

    Sean Mueller Closing ACFE Global Interview

    From Hedge Fund Fraud to Redemption: Sean's Story at ACFE Global In this Fraudish episode, the host interviews Sean, a former hedge fund manager who spoke at the 37th annual ACFE Global conference closing. Sean describes growing up in a working-class Denver home, dropping out of college, becoming a stockbroker, and launching a short-term trading hedge fund at 32. After early success, a losing month threatened his identity, leading him to conceal losses, escalate deception, and contemplate suicide when the SEC investigated; he instead cooperated, accepted responsibility, and later served 13.75 years of a 40-year state-prison sentence, plus six months in a halfway house, earning time off through good behavior and an associate’s degree. He shares prison lessons on judgment, authenticity, and trust, then reintegration through completing a bachelor’s degree and speaking, including a podcast that led ACFE’s John Gill to invite him to speak. The conversation also touches on fraudster dinner choices (Nixon), gender and theft, recommended books and podcasts, leadership lessons from prison softball, and a humorous aside about Mercedes vs. Range Rovers. 00:40 Dinner With a Fraudster 01:54 Who Steals More 03:42 From Denver to Hedge Fund 05:29 First Loss and Cover Up 07:01 SEC Call and Ledge 08:12 Cooperating and Identity 09:47 Family Ego and Balance 13:58 Prison Reality Check 18:44 Trust Among Manipulators 20:31 Time Served and Halfway House 23:28 Speaking Path to ACFE 25:30 Mercedes Not Range Rover 27:09 Podcast Influences 28:32 Money Talk and Private Jets 29:50 Finance Shows That Miss 33:25 Wall Street Roots and Validation 35:08 Writing the Redemption Book 37:48 Integrity Culture Reading List 39:35 Did Employees Know 41:08 How Investors Trusted Him 45:18 Next 15 Years and Leadership Connect with Sean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmueller5280/ https://proactiveethics.com/

  8. 8 Sept

    Unraveling Fraud: The Legal Battle with Neal Levin

    Psychology of Belief with Neal aka Fraud Guy Kellly interviews fraud attorney Neal, head of Global Fraud Investigations and Asset Recovery at the  law firm Rimón, about his 30+ year career representing receivers, trustees, banks, insurers, investors, and victims of large-scale Ponzi and other financial crimes.  In a wide-ranging discussion, Neal says men commit more fraud, explains why “clean” bankruptcy files are uncommon, and shares examples of debtors hiding assets (including collector cars and offshore trusts) and how trustees lack resources to pursue fraud.  He talks about his first major fraud work enforcing a $1.5M State Farm judgment and describes fraudster psychology as consistent with antisocial personality traits and narcissistic tendencies, arguing fraud is often about power, not money. They also discuss ethics risks for “fraud warriors,” victim belief and sunk cost, synthetic identity fraud growth, and lawyers going bad. Connect with Neal:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/fraudattorney/ Do you know what Rimon means?  00:46 Ponzi Dinner Pick 01:45 Who Steals More 03:26 Inside Rimón Firm 06:42 Bankruptcy Fraud Tales 12:32 Trustee Life Reality 15:26 First Fraud Case 17:58 Fraud Warrior Ethics 20:17 Theranos and Dirty Tactics 23:17 Power Lawyers and Lies 24:51 Fraudster Psychology Profile 27:31 Power Over Money 28:59 Madoff And Affinity Fraud 29:57 Fraud Warrior Temptations 31:12 Accountability Versus Justice 33:00 Why Smart Victims Fall 35:54 Fraud Getting Worse 38:25 Belief Beats Rationality 40:28 Pop Culture Gets Fraud Wrong 43:30 Lawyers Going Bad 46:35 System Fails Self Policing

See All (242)

About

Fraudish is a podcast to help those working in fraud. Hosted by Kelly Paxton, Certified Fraud Examiner, Ex-Private Investigator, and Pink Collar Crime Expert. Kelly is a former special agent turned investigator specializing in embezzlement and workplace dishonesty cases. Fraudish interviews outstanding fraud professionals so you can continue to move forward in your career. Origin stories, tips, resources are just some of the amazing fraud content you will hear each Tuesday. 

Information

  • Creator
    Kelly Paxton
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    242
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Fraudish
  • Show Website
    Fraudish

You Might Also Like