Oh My Fraud Greg Kyte & Caleb Newquist

The US Postal Service has long been the butt of jokes for poor service, but nothing that comes close to this. In this transatlantic episode, Caleb and Greg unpack the story of hundreds of British subpostmasters whose lives were turned upside down when they were falsely accused of stealing from the Post Office. 

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HOW TO EARN FREE CPE
In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.
Download the app:
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.app
Questions? Need help? Email support@earmarkcpe.com.CONNECT WITH THE HOSTS
Greg Kyte, CPATwitter: https://twitter.com/gregkyteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkyte/
Caleb NewquistTwitter: https://twitter.com/cnewquistLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebnewquist/
Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.com
Sources: 
Post Office scandal explained: What the Horizon saga is all about — BBC
Secret papers reveal Post Office knew its court defence was false — BBC
British Post Office scandal — Wikipedia
Post Office Horizon scandal explained: Everything you need to know — Computer Weekly
Post Office scandal: from suicides to jail time with child killers — the heartbreaking stories of the postmasters — The Standard
A Brief History of the United States Postal Service -  The Smithsonian
The History of the Post Office — Automatic Access Limited Blog
Royal Mail - Wikipedia
A short history of the Post Office — The History Press 
Post office numbers — House of Commons Library
Subpostmasters get raw deal in Post Office pay structure - Apex Insights
How independent retailers can make money from Post Offices — The Grocer
How to start a post office — PDQ Funding

In many episodes, Greg cites statistics from “A Report to the Nations,” the biennial report on occupational fraud, from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. As luck would have it, the most recent edition dropped in 2024, and so naturally, Caleb and Greg took the opportunity to discuss it.
HOW TO EARN FREE CPE
In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.
Download the app:
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.app
Questions? Need help? Email support@earmarkcpe.com.CONNECT WITH THE HOSTS
Greg Kyte, CPATwitter: https://twitter.com/gregkyteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkyte/
Caleb NewquistTwitter: https://twitter.com/cnewquistLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebnewquist/
Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.com
Sources:
Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report To The Nations [ACFE]

We all have childhood dreams. Not all of us get to make them come true. In this episode, Caleb and Greg discuss the story of Frederick Darren Berg, who as a boy, developed a fascination with buses, and made them central to multiple ventures in his career.

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HOW TO EARN FREE CPEIn less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.
Download the app:
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.app
Questions? Need help? Email support@earmarkcpe.com.CONNECT WITH THE HOSTS
Greg Kyte, CPATwitter: https://twitter.com/gregkyteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkyte/
Caleb NewquistTwitter: https://twitter.com/cnewquistLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebnewquist/
Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.com
Sources:
Darren Berg on the Run: Inside the Biggest Ponzi Scheme in Washington State History [Seattle Met]Financial empire, luxurious lifestyle were built on a mirage [Seattle Times]After spending spree, a reckoning for man behind state’s biggest Ponzi scheme [SeattlePI]Berg often portrayed himself as a lawyer [Seattle Times]Mercer Island Man Arrested for Ponzi Scheme and Bankruptcy Fraud Darren Berg Defrauded Investors and Allegedly Tried to Hide Assets During Bankruptcy [FBI]Mercer Island Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Ponzi Scheme and Bankruptcy Fraud [FBI]American Greed: ‘Seattle Roasted’ [American Greed]Inmate who defrauded investors more than $100 million escapes Atwater prison [Merced Sun-Star]Prison escape of Darren Berg, Washington’s ‘Mini Madoff,’ is like ‘Shawshank Redemption,’ official says [Seattle Times]Washington man who escaped prison following $100M Ponzi scheme possibly went to Brazil [AP]Darren Berg: A Ponzi Scheme Mastermind Escapes: Part 1 [The Perfect Scam]Darren Berg: A Ponzi Scheme Mastermind Escapes: Part 2 [The Perfect Scam]

Whistleblowers are essential to discovering fraud. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, more than 40 percent of frauds are discovered by a tip or whistleblower. In this episode, Caleb and Greg talk to one for the first time on Oh My Fraud. Anthony Menendez, “The Accountant Who Beat Halliburton,” recounts his saga as a whistleblower, and shares the many lessons he learned along his journey.

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Chapters(00:00) - Welcome to Oh My Fraud

(01:21) - The Halliburton Episode: A Prelude

(02:54) - Meet Tony Menendez: The Accountant Who Took on Halliburton

(04:27) - Tony's Early Life and Unexpected Path to Accounting

(09:22) - The Sarbanes-Oxley Era and Its Impact on Tony's Career

(11:21) - Tony's Transition to Halliburton and Initial Skepticism

(23:52) - Uncovering Accounting Irregularities at Halliburton

(29:20) - The Bill and Hold Controversy Explained

(37:14) - Raising Concerns and the Fallouts

(41:36) - The Fallout: Navigating Corporate Politics and Email Warnings

(46:37) - The SEC Steps In: A Whistleblower's Hope and Disappointment

(01:06:00) - The Fight for Whistleblower Rights: A Personal Battle

(01:11:25) - The Verdict: A Crushing Blow to Whistleblower Protections

(01:16:37) - Taking Matters into His Own Hands: The Appeal Process

(01:18:27) - A Glimmer of Hope: Winning the Appeal

(01:20:34) - Back to Square One: The Lower Court's Stubborn Stance

(01:23:46) - A Final Victory? The Appeals Court's Decision

(01:29:25) - The Aftermath: Life After Whistleblowing

(01:34:12) - A New Chapter: From Whistleblower to Professor

(01:37:23) - Thanks for Listening and Remember to Rate & Subscribe
CONNECT WITH TONY
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyjmenendezLMU - https://cba.lmu.edu/academics//faculty/anthony.menendezHOW TO EARN FREE CPE
In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.
Download the app:
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.app
Questions? Need help? Email support@earmarkcpe.com.CONNECT WITH THE HOSTS
Greg Kyte, CPATwitter: https://twitter.com/gregkyteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkyte/
Caleb NewquistTwitter: https://twitter.com/cnewquistLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebnewquist/
Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.comReferences:The Whistleblower’s Tale: How An Accountant Took on Halliburton [ProPublica]
He fought Halliburton and won [Fraud Magazine]
I am a Halliburton Whistleblower. I fought them for 9 years and (eventually) won. Ask Me Anything. [Reddit]
Anthony J. Menendez [LinkedIn]
Anthony Menendez [Loyola Marymount University]

Everyone dreams of winning the lottery. Some may even fantasize about trying to game the system. But only a very small few actually have the opportunity to tip the odds in their favor. In this episode, Caleb and Greg discuss an audacious scheme to rig the Iowa lottery.
HOW TO EARN FREE CPE
In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.
Download the app:
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.app
Questions? Need help? Email support@earmarkcpe.com.CONNECT WITH THE HOSTS
Greg Kyte, CPATwitter: https://twitter.com/gregkyteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkyte/
Caleb NewquistTwitter: https://twitter.com/cnewquistLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebnewquist/
Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.comSources:The Winning Ticket — by Rob Sand with Reid Forgrave
'Hot Lotto' scammer Eddie Tipton paroled after 5 years in Iowa prison — Des Moines Register
The Untold Story of How a Gaming Geek with a Checkered Past Pulled Off the Biggest Lottery Scam in US History — Des Moines Register
Lotteries in the United States — Wikipedia
Lottery machine - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go-0mkWNrlk — PowerBall YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRNpRgMiVQU — Mega Millions YouTube Channel
Lotto America Moves to Digital Drawings — PowerBall
Lotto America — Wikipedia
1980 Pennsylvania Lottery scandal — Wikipedia

Chances are, you probably remember a massive fraud from the late 2000s that created a media circus. Just maybe not this one. In this episode, Caleb and Greg delve into a saga of Allen Stanford, the mastermind of a convoluted, multi-decade, multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme.

SponsorsAirbase - https://ohmyfraud.promo/airbase 

HOW TO EARN FREE CPE
In less than 10 minutes, you can earn 1 hour of NASBA-approved accounting CPE after listening to this episode. Download our mobile app, sign up, and look for the Oh My Fraud channel. Register for the course, complete a short quiz, and get your CPE certificate.
Download the app:
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.app
Questions? Need help? Email support@earmarkcpe.com.CONNECT WITH THE HOSTS
Greg Kyte, CPATwitter: https://twitter.com/gregkyteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkyte/
Caleb NewquistTwitter: https://twitter.com/cnewquistLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebnewquist/
Email us at ohmyfraud@earmarkcpe.comSources:
James Stanford [Obituary]Stanford's Failed Health Club [BusinessWeek via WayBack Machine]The Dark Knight [Texas Monthly]Not Quite Cricket [The New Yorker]Stanford Financial Group [Wikipedia]Viewing Financial Crimes as Economic Homicide [NYT]Cook Islands, a Paradise of Untouchable Assets [NYT]United States v. Robert Allen Stanford et al. [SEC]Warning signs showed Stanford empire was built on 'threats and innuendos' [The Guardian]Handcuffed Stanford pleads not guilty [ESPNcricinfo]Seven charges against Allen Stanford are dropped [BBC]Allen Stanford ruled unfit to stand trial for fraud [BBC]Judge weighs whether Allen Stanford fit for trial [Reuters]Defiant US fraudster Allen Stanford vows to clear name [BBC]The Rise and Fall of Allen Stanford [Ministry Watch]TD Bank reaches $1.2 billion settlement in Ponzi scheme lawsuit [CNN]After 15 years of motions and delays, trial for Stanford Trust fraud could happen next year [The Advocate]