In the summer of 2011, Diederik Stapel was accused of research fraud. It became the lead story in the Netherlands and would dominate headlines for months. Overnight, Stapel went from being a respected professor to perhaps the biggest con man in academic science. Questions: 1. How did Stapel commit the fraud? 2. Why did Stapel… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Fraud Accounting
Pension Advances to be Scrutinized by Congress and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
This New York Times article discusses the allure of borrowing against pensions, which underscores an abrupt reversal in the financial fortunes of many retirees in recent years. The offers, known as pension advances, are having devastating financial consequences for a growing number of older Americans, both threatening their retirement savings and exacerbating mounting debt within… Read more »
Did you know that cash absorbs the smell of marijuana?
John Davis, CEO of Northwest Patient Resource Center, runs two medical marijuana dispensaries in Seattle. In Washington state, Davis runs a legal enterprise that generates thousands of dollars each quarter in state tax revenues. However, since selling pot is still a federal crime and banks are regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, banks are… Read more »
Shareholders – 1; Corporations – 0; SEC – Tie Breaker
This year’s proxy season is showing signs of greater activism by shareholders. The proxy advisory service Institutional Shareholder Services is projecting that there could be as many as 17 contests for the election of directors, which is slightly up from last year. The difference is that the contests are much bigger and include six at… Read more »
Another Slap in the Face!
The first round of payments covered under the foreclosure settlement against the nation’s largest banks, who were accused of wrongful evictions and other abuses, bounced due to insufficient funds this week. Questions: 1. How long did it take to resolve the federal investigation into the foreclosure abuses? 2. Approximately how many people either delayed cashing… Read more »
Just helping a friend
On Thursday, April 4, federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission filed criminal and civil charges against fired KPMG accounting partner Scott London for conspiracy to commit securities fraud through insider trading. The accountant provided confidential information about KPMG audit clients Herbalife Ltd., Skechers USA Inc., Uggs maker Deckers Outdoor Corp., RSC Holdings and… Read more »
Trolling for Patent Infringement Cases
One of the most striking results of a new academic study is that in 2012, litigation by patent monetization entities now represents a majority of the patent litigation filed in the United States. Specifically, patent monetization entities filed 58% of the patent lawsuits in 2012. This is a sharp rise from 2007, when patent monetization… Read more »
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
Even though Dodd-Frank legislation is suppose to keep our financial system safe from another crisis like the one that happened in 2008, a newly released Senate report disproves this. Questions: 1. According to the report detailing the trading fiasco, what are some of the signs that this could happen again? 2. What was the trend… Read more »
Car Rental Cost Cutting
While the car rental rate might look like a bargain at the beginning, watch out for sticker shock once you get the final bill for your rental car! Be sure to read the fine print in the car rental contract and learn how to avoid the optional services that rental companies offer. Questions: 1. How… Read more »
Could Additional Internal Controls Have Prevented this Heist?
It was March 18, 1990, when a pair of thieves disguised as Boston policemen, entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and stole 13 masterpiece valued at $500 million. Twenty-three years later the FBI says that they know who did it. They are releasing a few details and offering a $5 million reward for information leading… Read more »